**Document:** DEC Officer Report **Application:** 22/00998/B — Installation of a heat pump **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2022-10-07 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/9279-braddan-33-harcroft-avenue-heat-pump/documents/955466 --- # DEC Officer Report ## PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION **Application No.:** 22/00998/B **Applicant:** Manxutilities **Proposal:** Installation of a heat pump **Site Address:** 33 Harcroft Avenue Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 1PE Principal Planner: Mr Chris Balmer **Expected Decision Level:** Officer Delegation **Recommended Decision:** Permitted **Date of Recommendation:** 04.10.2022 ## Conditions and Notes for Approval C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions - C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice. Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. - C 2. This approval relates only to the installation of a Mitsubishi Ecodan R32 Monobloc PUZPUZ-WM112VAA(-BS) Air Source Heat Pump in full accordance with the approved details and maintained and retained thereafter. Reason: To ensure the development is implemented according to the plan submitted and in the interest of protecting amenities of neighbouring property. This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal is considered to accord with GP2 and Energy Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan, as well as wider Government climate change strategy and not having a significant impact upon public or private amenities. Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawing all received on 10.08.2022. _______________________________________________________________ ## Interested Person Status Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ ## Officer’s Report 1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site represents the curtilage of an existing property 33 Harcroft Avenue, Douglas which is a two storey detached property within a suburban area of Douglas. 2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the installation of an air source heat pump (ASHP) to generate renewable heating. The air source heat pump would be situated to the rear garden of the property along the shared side boundary with Nr 31 Harcroft Avenue. ## - 3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site falls within an area zoned as Predominantly Residential under the Area Plan for the East It is not within a Conservation Area. - 3.2 General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 is therefore relevant: "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; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality and (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption." 3.3 The Strategic Plan also provides guidance on the installation of renewable energy apparatus: "12.2.8 "The Department is fully supportive of the need to secure greater energy efficiency in new and existing development ……At the same time, the Department recognises that renewable energy sources can have adverse environmental impacts. ……There may also be other impacts such as noise…… The Department will assess any proposals … by weighing the benefits of using such renewable energy sources against the environmental impact arising in any particular site." 3.4 Energy Policy 4 states: "Development involving alternative sources of energy supply, including wind, water and tide power, and the use of solar panels, will be judged against the environmental objectives and policies set out in this Plan. Installations involving wind, water and tide power will require the submission of an EIA." - 3.5 Environment Policies 22 and 24 protect the environment from pollution including noise pollution. - 3.6 Residential Design Guide 2021. - 3.7 Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development and Change of Use) (Amendment) Order 2020 - Class 23A Air source heat pumps ## - 4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The following planning application is considered materially relevant to this application; 4.2 Installation of a solar panel - 12/00633/B - APPROVED ## - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 DoI Highway Services have stated that they have no highways interest in the application (01.09.2022). - 5.2 Douglas Borough Council have no objection (02.09.2022). ## - 6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The key issue relates to the potential impact (noise) on neighbouring amenities by the development and the visual impacts upon the character of the area. Potential impact (noise) on neighbouring amenities - 6.2 The proposed ASHP is promoting the reduce consumption of fossil fuels and therefore positively contribution to Strategic Policy 5 and should be encouraged. The ASHP generally has higher energy efficiency than typical modern boilers and therefore also fits in GP2 (n). - 6.3 The installation of Air Source Heat Pump has been classified as a Permitted Development when it complies with certain conditions within the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development and Change of Use)(Amendment) Order 2020. This proposal does not comply with condition (g), which requires the ASHP must not result in a noise that exceeds 42 dB LAeq 5 mins. For the purposes of paragraph (g) The Permitted Development Order indicates that; "LAeq 5 mins" means the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level over 5 minutes when measured at 1 metre external to the centre point of any relevant door or window to any neighbouring building as measured perpendicular to the plane of that relevant door or window; 6.4 The proposal would have a noise limit of 41 dB LAeq 5 mins, which complies with the Permitted Development. However, the PDO requires the Air Source Heat Pump being more than 1m away from the boundary which this proposal is not; hence why the application was made. However, given the noise levels are at an acceptable level and as the heat pump would be behind a 1.8m high boundary fence and not apparent form the neighbouring property, it is considered the impact upon neighbouring amenities would not be so significant to warrant a refusal. Visual impacts upon the character of the area - 6.5 The proposal would not be apparent form public views and therefore will not have any impact upon the character of the area. ## - 7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposal is considered to accord with GP2 and Energy Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan, as well as wider Government climate change strategy and not having a significant impacts upon public or private amenities and therefore it is recommended for approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons: - (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); - (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; - (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; - (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; - (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; - (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and - (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material. 8.2 The decision maker must determine: - o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and - o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status. I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status. Decision Made : Permitted Date: 06.10.2022 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner Customer note This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records. --- *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/9279-braddan-33-harcroft-avenue-heat-pump/documents/955466*