**Document:** APL Supporting Statement
**Application:** 20/00061/B — Erection of a detached replacement dwelling with associated driveway
**Decision:** Permitted
**Decision Date:** 2020-03-12
**Parish:** Lezayre
**Document Type:** report / planning_statement
**Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/12601-lezayre-belmont-replacement-dwelling/documents/993070

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# APL Supporting Statement

## Planning Statement For Replacement Dwelling

**Project Address:**

Belmont
Lewaigue Road
Dreemskerry
Maughold

**Date:**

2nd September 2015

2000061

## Table Of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ..... 3
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..... 3
3. EXISTING DWELLING ..... 4
Photograph I Belmont Southern Entrance ..... 4
Photograph II Belmont Rear Face ..... 5
Photograph III Belmont Northwest Corner ..... 5
Photograph IV Belmont Internal Damage ..... 6
Photograph V Belmont Retaining Wall ..... 6
4. THE SITE ..... 7
Photograph VI Modena View ..... 7
Photograph VII Dreemskerry Farm ..... 7
Photograph VIII Glen Lodge ..... 8
Photograph IX Sea View Taken From the Southern Entrance of Belmont ..... 8
Photograph X Sea View ..... 9
Photograph XI Tram View 1 ..... 9
Photograph XII Tram View 2 ..... 10
5. EXISTING NEIGHBOURING PROPERTIES ..... 10
6. EXISTING SITE ACCESS ..... 11
Photograph XIII Dreemskerry View North Entrance ..... 11
7. PROPOSED DWELLING AND SITE ACCESS ..... 12
8. CONCLUSION ..... 14
9. APPENDICES ..... 15
APPENDIX I Photograph The Spinney ..... 15
APPENDIX II Photograph Dreemskerry Cottage ..... 15
APPENDIX III Photograph Caardee Rear View ..... 16
APPENDIX IV Photograph Caardee Side View ..... 16
APPENDIX V Photograph Homefield ..... 17
APPENDIX VI Photograph Summerhill ..... 17
APPENDIX VII Photograph Dreemskerry Lodge ..... 18
APPENDIX VIII Photograph Burley ..... 18
APPENDIX IX Photograph Geay Vooar ..... 19

## 1. Introduction

Acting on behalf of Mr \& Mrs Barnett, Progeny Ltd have conducted this Planning Statement in support of the replacement dwelling and new, improved vehicular access to Belmont, Lewaigue Road, Dreemskerry, Maughold.

### 2. Executive Summary

Due to flooding over many years along the Lewaigue Road, the existing house is suffering from subsidence and it has been determined that it would not be economical to repair in its present state. For this reason our clients have opted to replace the existing building which is of poor form, with a modern dwelling and new vehicular access. We believe that the proposed building will fit into the locality well, more so than the existing dwelling which has been extended over the years without any continuity of styling or sympathetic consideration to its setting.

Set in approximately three acres of land, the proposed building has a dual aspect with the front and sides of the building being a classical country manor design, styled to give an elegant feel and the impression that this was the original building which the hamlet has been built around. The rear however has a contemporary design with large glass windows and balconies (similar to some neighbouring properties). It is also sympathetic to the topography of the landscape with an overhanging roof and tiers to create two balconies without causing loss of light to the lower floors. This also takes full advantage of the privacy and the views of the valley to the rear. The new design has a smaller frontage, is 4.6 m further away from the road and is the same height as the existing building to maintain the building's low impact on the valley views from the road.

The scheme also provides a new safe and useable means of vehicular access with greater visibility and reduced slope in order to minimise the risk of an accident, and to eliminate the risk of further flooding to the new dwelling. The client in conjunction with the highways department will look to add additional drainage to the road to divert the flood water into their field to prevent any flooding to the neighbouring properties from the redirected water.

In summary this is an excellent opportunity to replace a somewhat disjointed dwelling of poor form with a new dwelling constructed to modern environmental standards that will be more fitting for the environment and location in which it is situated.

## 3. Existing Dwelling

![A photograph showing the existing white detached house viewed from the roadside, featuring a stone gate pillar and a coastal background.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144151.jpg)

The existing building is approximately 17.5 m from the road, down a steep hillside. It has two existing driveways with $20 \%$ ( 1 in 5 ) slopes that meet in front of the dwelling. Due to the split level, the dwelling from the roadside has the appearance of being 2 storeys whilst the rear is 3 storeys with two integral garages at ground level with storage beneath. The building is approximately 24.5 m long $\times 8.2 \mathrm{~m}$ wide at the widest points with a total height of 10.2 m giving a total floor area of $342 \mathrm{~m}^{2}$.

The building was originally constructed in 1948 but the original appearance and style has been lost over the years due to various extensions and alterations conducted in the 1970's. The various extensions and alterations carried out over the years have resulted in a poor internal layout which is both impractical and awkward to use. The building is currently an eyesore of mismatching and conflicting styles, with an unsightly large area of flat roof and mismatched areas such as the pitched roofs, where tiles altering in both style and colour are visible from the roadside to anyone passing.

Photograph I Belmont Southern Entrance

The windows are a mixture of timber, aluminium and uPVC in various styles as can be seen in Photograph I and II.

![A photograph of a white detached house featuring a tiled roof, stone boundary walls, and a grassy foreground.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144152.jpg)

Water that runs along the Lewaigue Road runs down the driveways of the dwelling, which causes regular and occasionally severe flooding. Over the years, this has resulted in severe issues of subsidence of the building. Due to the extent and severity of the required repairs, our clients have decided to replace the existing dwelling. Below are examples of the water ingress and subsidence visible at the property.

Photograph III Belmont Northwest Corner
![A close-up photograph showing significant vertical and horizontal cracking on a white rendered wall adjacent to a paved driveway surface.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144153.jpg)

In the above picture you can clearly see that as the ground has moved it has caused cracking to the external path which leads to the vertical cracking in the corner of the building then turns horizontal. You can also see that the crack was sealed at some point and has been opened up again by further movement.

Photograph IV Belmont Internal Damage

The above picture shows the flood water ingress that has caused staining to the internal walls, the floor to drop which in turn has resulted in the visible gap between the floor and the skirting board. Severe cracks due to subsidence also appear in the main hall of the house.

Photograph V Belmont Retaining Wall

![A close-up photograph showing the corner of a building's exterior wall and concrete plinth with visible water staining and dampness.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144154.jpg)

![A close-up photograph of an existing stone wall, likely a boundary or retaining wall, constructed from layered slate-like stones with a concrete coping on top.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144155.jpg)

The above picture shows the condition of one of the retaining walls.
4. THE SITE

The proposed site is located to the North-East of the Lewaigue Road in the centre of a small hamlet spreading to either side of the road. The site is approximately $6000 \mathrm{~m}^{2}$ and slopes heavily offering impressive views to the North and East. In recent years, several new dwellings have been built in the area with no common design theme. These include:

- Modena View, which is contemporary teared dwelling approved under PA 07/00401/B.

Photograph VI Modena View

- Dreemskerry Farm, which is a new build in the style of a traditional large Manx farm cottage which has been constructed to incorporate the unused barns which were converted to living accommodation under PA 07/02192/B.

Photograph VII Dreemskerry Farm

![A photograph showing a large white detached house with a dark roof, featuring a paved driveway with parked vehicles and surrounding trees.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144156.jpg)

- Glen Lodge, which is a contemporary two story building with a hipped roof, modern styled glazing and large hard standing area as can be seen below.

Photograph VIII Glen Lodge

- And Seaview, which is directly opposite the site and although still under construction, will be a Victorian styled town house approved under PA 04/00142/B, with many of the same styling features used on our proposed design including large sliding sash windows with deep cills that form an ornate moulding around the building and an arched feature window to the front of the building.

Photograph IX Sea View Taken From the Southern Entrance of Belmont

![A photograph showing a large white two-story detached house with a slate roof, situated on a hillside with surrounding vegetation and outbuildings.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144157.jpg)

![A photograph of a large white detached house named Glen Lodge featuring a gravel driveway and garage.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144158.jpg)

Photograph X Sea View

It is believed that the increased use of hard surfaces from the dwellings to the high side of the road have caused the increased runoff of rain water onto the Lewaigue Road. This then flows down our clients existing drive and causes regular flooding, sometimes several feet deep at the house. This continues to cause subsidence issues which can be seen in photographs III, IV \& V.

Photograph XI Tram View 1

![A photograph showing a building under construction on a wooded hillside, viewed from a driveway with a gate in the foreground.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144159.jpg)

![A photograph showing a building under construction with extensive scaffolding and temporary site fencing. The structure features grey blockwork walls and sits behind a stone retaining wall.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144160.jpg)

The above picture shows the rear elevation running from left to right of Woodford, Burly and Geay Voar.

Photograph XII Tram View 2

The above picture shows Belmont on the left, The Spinney on the right with Summerhill in the background. As you can see much of the existing view of Belmont is obscured by the mature trees at the bottom of the garden. This will mean a degree of privacy to the new dwelling which is not afforded to the adjacent property. The trees themselves will not obscure any views down the valley from the new dwelling.

## 5. Existing Neighbouring Properties

![A wide landscape photograph showing a rural scene with a green field in the foreground, a dry stone wall, and several houses situated on a hillside in the background.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144161.jpg)

![A photograph showing a rural landscape with existing residential buildings nestled among trees and vegetation.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144162.jpg)

The neighbouring properties of Belmont are all detached, residential dwellings that vary significantly in size and style. The lack of consistency in this area makes it difficult to design and relate to a particular character, for example:

- Building styles vary from small traditional Manx styled cottages to large contemporary houses.
- Window styles vary from modern casement (with and without internal beading) to imitation sliding sash.
- Window frames are of various colours and materials.
- Wall finishes range from painted smooth render, facing brick work to random rubble and cut stone in various combinations.
- Roof materials differ between interlocking concrete tiles to both natural and manmade slate.
- Roof styles vary with flat roofs, pitched roofs (both symmetrical and asymmetrical), mansard roofs with gable or hip ends and with or without dormers all in the locality.
- Several of the buildings have external balconies to take advantage of the views down the valley. These have a mixture of handrails from stained timber to stainless steel and glass.

The only common factor is that the houses on the lower side of the road generally have two storeys facing the road and three storeys facing the valley with balconies or terraces. Although the proposed dwelling design does not replicate any single dwelling in the area we have incorporated many of the features from the neighbouring dwellings into the design, some of which are detailed below.

We have attached several additional examples of the adjacent buildings in Appendix I - IX.

## 6. Existing Site Access

One of the issues with the existing site access is that both driveways are at $20 \%$ slopes which are too steep for safe and practical use. This leads our clients, along with their visitors, to sometimes park on the main road and walk down to the dwelling. In winter when ice and snow are present the drive is especially dangerous and unusable.

Photograph XIII Dreemskerry View North Entrance

As can be seen in the above picture, the position and angle of both entrances are another problem as it reduces the visibility from both directions significantly which makes it dangerous for the user, oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
Replacing the existing dwelling will provide the space and opportunity to remove the driveways and create a new one, resolving the access and flooding issues. Due to the position of the existing property it would not be possible to close off the current driveways and create solely a new driveway for the existing house due to the level changes across the site as this would result in an unacceptable loss of existing trees and the driveway being too steep an angle to be practical. The new access would also be tastefully landscaped so that it blends into the existing landscape. The Highways Division (Andrea Hawley) of the Department of Infrastructure have also given their full support for the new vehicular access at a meeting held on site (16/01/2014).

## 7. Proposed Dwelling And Site Access

The design of the proposed building has evolved from the personal tastes of our clients, discussions with the Planning Office and consultation with the owners of the neighbouring properties. Discussions with our clients revealed that during the design procedure undertaken by a previous Architectural practice, it was discovered that the neighbouring owners were concerned over any contemporary designs that were visible from the road and wanted any new dwelling to have a traditional feel. It was implied that if any proposal was put forward with a contemporary design then they would feel obliged to object to the proposal. For this reason the proposed dwelling has been creatively designed to have a dual aspect with the

![A street-level photograph showing a paved road curving uphill, bordered by a stone wall and gateposts on the left with a white house visible behind the trees.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144163.jpg)

front and sides of the building being a classical country manor design, styled to give an elegant feel and the appearance that this was the original building in the area and the hamlet has evolved around it.

To incorporate some of the neighbouring properties traditional features such as beaded windows that can be seen on Dreemskery Lodge's and Caardee's front elevation and the sash windows which can be seen on Dreemskerry Cottage, Sea View and Dreemskerry Farm. We have also included a natural slate roof which can be seen on many roofs in the area and in order to be in keeping with the area and to reduce the massing of the roof we have hipped the ends as can be seen on The Spinney, Dreemskerry Lodge, Woodford, Burley, Greay Voar, Glen Lodge, Rock Side and Ballacreg.

The rear elevation will have a contemporary design with large glass windows and doors in order to take full advantage of the privacy and views of the rear, similar to those visible on The Spinney, Modena View, Caardee and Dreemskerry Lodge.

The proposed overhanging roof was incorporated to provide a shelter for the first floor balcony and the tiered shape of the rear allows for a further two balconies without causing loss of light to the lower floors, it also reflects the topography of the site. We have included an integral garage above a garden store, which will appear from the road to be only linked to the main dwelling by way of a glass link. This is to reduce the visual mass of the building and to give the car garage the appearance that it was a later addition to the original building and was constructed as a detached garage similar to that at Rock Side.

We believe our design for the proposed dwelling would allow the building to sit comfortably in the area. Tasteful features, styles and materials of surrounding properties have been incorporated into the design. The glass handrails for the balconies for instance are similar to the adjacent neighbour "The Spinney" shown in Appendix I which is also 3 stories with two glass balconies. We have also included large glass panes across the building to add a stylish, modern finish which compliments these features. We have also included environmentally friendly features such as solar panels; ventilation heat recovery system and/or an Air source heat pump are to be incorporated.

The existing driveways are to be blocked off by stone walls to match the existing boundary wall with the exception of a small pedestrian access point on the North entrance side, constructed such that no flood waters could enter the property. Furthermore, new drains will

be installed in conjunction with Highways to redirect the floodwater to the adjacent field to accommodate the water. The driveways themselves are to be broken up and planted. We believe this is in compliance with Housing Policy 14 of the IOM Strategic Plan, as the scheme will constitute an overall environmental improvement.

With regards to Housing Policy 14, although the proposed building has a larger floor area than the existing building, it has a smaller frontage to the road by 5.2 m and has been positioned in such a way that the footprint will be predominantly on the same location. The proposed building is sited a further 4.6 m away from the roadside than the existing (now totalling 22 m from the road), and due to the significant change in levels across the site, the increased floor to floor height of the proposed dwelling will result in the same ridge height as the previous dwelling which will result in the new dwelling being visually less intrusive than the existing building and as such the proposed building would be in compliance with the policy.

## 8. Conclusion

In conclusion we feel that this particular design is best suited to this site (several others were explored in detail) and that the application should be supported by the Planning Authority. By unifying the visible style of the building from the road and making the alterations to the driveway the proposed scheme will not only prevent further flooding to the new property and neighbouring properties but overall, it is a significant visual and environmental improvement over the existing property.

## APPENDIX II Photograph Dreemskerry Cottage

![A grainy photograph showing a large, multi-story white detached house situated on a sloping site with trees in the background.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144164.jpg)

![A photograph showing a white, two-story detached house with a slate roof situated on a grassy slope with a wooded background.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144165.jpg)

## APPENDIX IV Photograph Caardee Side View

![A photograph of a two-story detached house featuring a balcony and garage area, situated in a rural setting with hills in the background.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144166.jpg)

![A photograph showing an existing two-story detached house with a slate roof, situated on a slope with a coastal view in the background.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144167.jpg)

## PLANNING STATEMENT – BELMONT, LEWAIGUE ROAD, DREEMSKERRY, MAUGHOLD Page 16 of 19

## APPENDIX VI Photograph Summerhill

![A photograph of a white, single-story detached bungalow situated behind a wooden fence in a rural setting.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144168.jpg)

![A grainy photograph showing the exterior of a white, two-story detached house with a conservatory extension, surrounded by mature trees and shrubbery.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144169.jpg)

## APPENDIX VIII Photograph Burley

![A photograph of a two-story detached house featuring a prominent upper-level balcony with dark railings and arched openings on the ground floor. The property is situated on a slope with dense vegetation and trees surr...](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144170.jpg)

![A photograph showing a detached house with a dark roof and white chimneys, situated in a rural setting with fields and a distant horizon visible in the background.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144171.jpg)

APPENDIX IX Photograph Geay Vooar

![A photograph of an existing stone detached bungalow with white quoins and window frames, situated near a road.](https://images.planningportal.im/2020/01/144172.jpg)

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*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/12601-lezayre-belmont-replacement-dwelling/documents/993070*