**Document:** Planning Officer Report **Application:** 12/00022/B — Conversion of dwelling to guest house including the installation of replacement windows and door (retrospective) **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2012-03-01 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/2160-braddan-2-murrays-replacement-conversion/documents/1263807 --- # Planning Officer Report ### Officer's Report [Table omitted in markdown export] #### The Application Site 1. The application site is the residential curtilage of an end-of-terrace dwelling on Murrays Road, Douglas. The property is of Victorian age and overlooks Sheridan Apartments which is a Registered Building, formally known as the Falcon Okells Brewery. 2. The property has three storeys and a pitched grey slate roof with two chimney stacks. It has two bay windows on the ground floor, one either side of the front entrance. The front and side elevations are render finished and painted cream, however the front elevation is in better condition. The front elevation, including the bay windows, also has painted white cornicing, clearly dividing each floor of the building. 3. The front of the property has a small garden area containing vegetation and a lawn area between the dwelling and front wall bordering the pavement of the residential street. The front wall is built in a traditional Victorian style with rendered stone work forming the bulk, with traditional style painted iron railings on top. The wall, excluding the railings, is built approximately 1 metre up from the ground parallel to the gradient of the slope that the application site is on. #### The Proposal 4. Proposed is the conversion of the dwelling into a Guest House, including the installation of replacement windows and door (retrospective). The previous windows were not the original windows, which had white UPVC frames with no glazing bar patterns and a bottom-hung inward-opening method at first and second floor level. At ground floor level, white UPVC framed windows with bottom half inward-opening casements are installed in each of the smaller side bay windows, with the same type window also installed in the side elevation. The central windows in each of the two bay windows have fixed panes (that do not open) with a horizontal glazing bar in the middle. 5. The replacement windows have been installed on all floors on the front elevation and on the side elevation. The windows on the first and second floor are the same design, entailing white UPVC frames that have top-hung outward-opening casements. The ground floor bay windows all have bottom-half, top-hung, outward-opening casements. The middle section windows in each bay have a vertical glazing bar in the middle, separating the top-half of the window which have fixed panes. 6. The replacement front door is made from UPVC which has a 'wood effect' finish. It has a window in the middle of its top-half with gold coloured mail flap and handle. Additional glass panels in UPVC 'wood effect' frames are positioned around the main door frame. ### Planning History 7. The application site has been the subject of a number of previous planning applications, one of which is considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application: 91/04112/A – Approval in principle for the change-of-use from a residential dwelling to a Day Nursery – Withdrawn. 91/00694/A - Approval in principle to convert residential care home into flats – Approved. 87/00167/B - Alterations and reconstructions to convert guest house into elderly persons home – Approved. 86/01267/A - Approval in principle to convert Guest House into Elderly Persons Home – Approved. ### Planning Policy 8. The application site falls within an area designated for Predominantly Residential Use in the Douglas (South) Local Plan 1998. There are no policies accompanying the local plan map, which are specifically material to the assessment of the planning application. Since the local plan was adopted in 1998, the Douglas (Ballaquayle Road) Conservation Area was adopted in 2003, meaning that the application site now falls immediately adjacent to the boundary of the conservation area. 9. The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 contains two policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application. #### General Policy 2 states: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development: - (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; - (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality". #### Environment Policy 36 states: "Where development is proposed outside of, but close to, the boundary of a Conservation Area, this will only be permitted where it will not detrimentally affect important views into and out of the Conservation Area". ## Representations 10. Douglas Borough Council submitted a response on 24 January 2012 stating they do not have any objection to the retrospective installation of the replacement windows and door. Subsequently, Douglas Borough Council has commented upon the amended proposal and has no objection. 11. The occupant of The Greystones, Hilary Road, Douglas, does not object to the principal of the dwelling being converted into a Guest House. However, the occupant does believe that exterior alterations have dramatically altered the visual impact of the property in what is a conservation area, whilst they believe the doors and windows are not of a type found in a building of the period and are out of proportion and are not of a quality similar to other installations further up the street. The occupant is also of the opinion that the house visually looks like a 'mish mash' of inappropriate styles and degrades the overall appearance of the area, particularly as it is the first on the street and sets the tone for the street scape. The occupant's comments do raise some material considerations that can be held in regard for the assessment of this application; however they are incorrect in stating the application property is in a conservation area and therefore the occupant's comments relating to that fact will be disregarded. ## Assessment 12. Having analysed the planning history for the application site, it is reasonable to assume that the property on the site was a guest house in 1986. On this basis alone, it is considered that proposed use is considered to be acceptable. 13. The proposed windows do not differ in material or frame colour to the previous windows, however, the glazing bar design and opening method are different. It is not considered that the differences in glazing pattern and opening-methods have a greater detrimental impact on the character of the property and the street-scene than the previous, and are therefore considered acceptable. 14. The front door does differ in colour and design to the previous door, however, the external glass panelling around the door does attempt to replicate the character of the previous door and existing doorways on the street-scene. Whilst the replacement front door design differs to the previous door, it is acknowledged the visual appearance of the dwelling has changed significantly since the previous door was in place. Therefore, the appearance of the proposed front door is considered to be sympathetic is appearance to the rest of the property does not have an adverse impact on public visual amenity. 15. The proposed physical alterations to the property - the windows and door - are not considered to be significantly out-of-character with the surrounding area, and therefore are not considered to adversely affect views into and from the neighbouring conservation area and neighbouring registered building. 16. The application property is located in a suburb, within walking distance of Douglas town centre and close to main bus routes, and therefore is not considered to raise any parking provision concerns. 17. In summary, the property can be principally used as a self-contained Guest House, whilst the replacement windows and front door is not considered to have a significant adverse impact on public visual amenity to warrant refusal. Collectively, the proposal is considered acceptable with regard to the relevant policies stated above. ## Recommendation 18. It is recommended that the planning application be approved. ## Party Status 19. It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should be afforded interested party status: The local authority, Douglas Borough Council are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status. 20. It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should not be afforded interested party status: The occupant of, The Greystones, Hilary Road, Douglas, is not be afforded 'party status' as their residence is not in sufficient proximity to application site to comply with any of the 'interested party' criteria in Government Circular 1/06 Paragraph 2 (1). ## Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 27.02.2012 ## Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal - : Notes attached to refusals C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice. C 2. This approval relates to the installation of replacement windows and front door, and conversion of the property (known as 2 Murrays Road, Douglas) from a dwelling into a guest house, shown in: the 1:1250 scale Location Plan, ground floor and first floor proposed floor plans, photograph of previous (before proposed works were carried-out) front elevation and front door, received on 9 January 2012. I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control / Development Control Manager/ Senior Planning Officer. ### Determining officer (delete as appropriate) [Table omitted in markdown export] --- *Data sourced from the Isle of Man public planning register under the [Isle of Man Open Government Licence](https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/open-government-licence/).* *Canonical page: https://planningportal.im/a/2160-braddan-2-murrays-replacement-conversion/documents/1263807*