**Document:** Planning Officer Report **Application:** 12/00696/B — Erection of an extension to dwelling **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2012-06-20 **Parish:** Lezayre **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/2828-lezayre-suncot-extension-dwelling/documents/1272551 --- # Planning Officer Report ### Officer's Report [Table omitted in markdown export] #### The Application Site 1. The application site is the residential curtilage of detached single storey dwelling with living space in the roof, on Aust Corner, just off Andreas Road in Lezayre. The site is located in the open countryside between Ramsey and Andreas. It is one of two dwellings grouped together. The application site is bordered by the other detached single storey dwelling on its north west facing side elevation, whilst the south east facing side boundary is bordered by a field. #### The Proposal 2. Proposed is the erection of a single storey extension to south east facing side elevation. The front elevation of the extension will be set 13.4 metres back from the building line of the existing front elevation. The extension will extend 5.5 metres from side elevation of the dwelling and be 5.9 metres in depth. The extension will have an eaves height of approximately 2.6 metres from ground level, with a pitched concrete tiled roof above it which will rise a further 2.2 metres above the eaves level: the roof height will be no higher than the existing. 3. The roof of the extension has a gable end that faces the adjacent field, in which the applicant proposes to include a set of bi-folding doors and windows above it to mirror the shape of the roof pitch. A set of 4 conjoined casement windows with a combined width of approximately 4.2 metres will be installed on the front elevation of extension with the same scale windows installed on the rear elevation facing the rear garden. Two 900mm square windows will be installed on the front-facing mono-pitch and the same on the rear-facing mono-pitch. The extension will be finished in a render to match the existing. #### Planning History 4. 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: 95/01697/B - Alterations and extensions to dwelling – Approved. 84/01049/B - Internal alterations and installation of two dormer windows – Approved. ### Planning Policy 5. In terms of land use designation under the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Provisional Order 1982 the application site is recognised as an existing dwelling on un-zoned 'white land'. 6. The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 contains one policy that is considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application. Housing Policy 16 states: "The extension of non-traditional dwellings or those of poor or inappropriate form will not generally be permitted where this would increase the impact of the building as viewed by the public". ### Representations 7. The Highways Division recommends approval as the proposal would have no adverse traffic management, parking or road safety implications. ### Assessment 8. It is considered that the existing dwelling is not traditional and as such, the fundamental issue to address, given the location and age of the dwelling, is whether the proposed extension would increase the impact of the dwelling as viewed from the public highway. 9. In terms of siting, the front elevation of the extension will be set back approximately 33 metres from the edge of Andreas Road, and approximately 13.4 metres back from the building line of the front elevation. As such, whilst also taking into account the mature trees boundary treatment along Andreas Road when approaching the site from Ramsey, and the boundary treatment dividing the application property and the adjacent property, the extension would be visible from the road although it would only be generally noticeable when one stops directly outside the entrance to the site. 10. In terms of scale, the proposed extension would constitute an increase in the existing ground floor area by around 22% and this excludes the existing accommodation in the roofspace. The extension is lower in height than the building to which it would be attached and the design of the extension is not considered to have an adverse impact on the private amenity of the neighbouring dwelling given that no apertures would directly face it: the large bi-folding doors and window are not considered to have an adverse impact either given that they face an unoccupied field. The windows on the front and rear elevations are set sufficiently within the boundary of the site to enable the residents of the application property to retain adequate privacy. In terms of the form of the proposed extension, it is not considered the scale and finish are unacceptable. 11. Overall, whilst the proposal would increase the mass of the dwelling in its entirety, on balance, this concern is offset by the siting of the extension away from prominent public view on Andreas Road, and its design that respects the existing character of the dwelling. It is not considered that the extension will increase the impact of the dwelling, on the basis that it would be unreasonable to refuse the application on the basis that the extension could be seen if looking directly through the site access, given the bend in the Andreas Road to the front and speed of traffic travelling along it. As such, it is considered the proposal complies with the provisions of Housing Policy 16 and is therefore acceptable. ### Recommendation 12. It is recommended that the planning application be approved. ### Party Status 13. It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should be afforded interested party status: The local authority, Lezayre Parish Commissioners 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. 14. It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should not be afforded interested party status: The Department of Transport Highways and Traffic Division is now part of the Department of Infrastructure of which the planning authority is part. As such, the Highways and Traffic Division cannot be afforded party status in this instance. ### Recommendation **Recommended Decision:** Permitted **Date of Recommendation:** 19.06.2012 ### Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal **C:** Conditions for approval **N:** Notes attached to conditions **R:** Reasons for refusal **O:** 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 erection of a single extension on south-east facing side elevation as shown in drawing no. PD-001, PD-004, PD-005 and PD-006, all received on the 10th May 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) Signed : Sohawet Anthony Holmes Senior Planning Officer Signed : Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer Signed : Jennifer Chance Director of Planning and Building Control Development Control Manager --- *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/2828-lezayre-suncot-extension-dwelling/documents/1272551*