Why Was This Refused?
- ✓Industrial-style design and zinc-clad second floor out of character with the locality
- ✓Flat roof and additional storey considered harmful to the surrounding street scene
- ✓Rear balcony would cause unacceptable overlooking into No. 8 Mount Pleasant
- ✓Roof garden/terrace would be heavily overlooked, providing poor amenity for future residents
- ✓Proposal conflicts with the goals of the Comprehensive Treatment Area 2 - Market Street
- ✓character
- ✓design
- ✓scale
- ✓overlooking
- ✓amenity
This application sought permission to convert a garage and store at 25A Market Street, Douglas into a two-bedroom dwelling, with an additional storey added to the existing building. The application was refused by a Principal Planner acting under delegated authority. Three separate planning concerns led to the refusal: the design and appearance of the development, overlooking caused by the proposed balcony, and inadequate amenity for future occupiers. The decision notice found that the industrial-style design, zinc-clad second floor, flat roof, and overall bulk of the building would not relate positively to the character of the immediate street scene and would conflict with the aims of the Comprehensive Treatment Area 2 - Market Street designation. The rear balcony was judged to be too close and too high relative to the neighbouring property, causing significant overlooking. The roof garden, intended as the primary outdoor space for the new dwelling, was itself considered to be considerably overlooked by surrounding properties, meaning it would not deliver an adequate standard of residential amenity.
The application was refused on three grounds. First, the design, bulk, height, and flat roof with zinc finish were considered out of character with the local street scene and harmful to the surrounding area. Second, the proposed rear balcony would cause an unacceptable level of overlooking into the neighbouring property at No. 8 Mount Pleasant.
Refusal Reasons
- ✕The proposed development, by virtue of its design, bulk, height, and flat roof finish, would fail to relate positively and appropriately to the character of the locality as it does not take into account a proper analysis of the context of the immediate street scene, and would have a deleterious impact on the surrounding area, and this conflicts with General Policy 2(b and f) and Strategic Policy 3 (b) of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. The industrial style design and zinc finish of the second floor which would serve to reinforce the function and appearance of the road as a service road, is considered to have a negative impact on this area of the town, and would fail to align with the goals of the Comprehensive Treatment Area 2 - Market Street, within the Area Plan for the East.
- ✕The proposed rear balcony for the new dwelling in terms of its position, height and close proximity would result in an unacceptable level of overlooking into the neighbouring property at No. 8 Mount Pleasant, Douglas, resulting in a significant adverse impact upon the residential amenities of this neighbouring property, contrary to General Policy 2 (g) of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and the principles set out in the Residential Design Guide.
- ✕The positioning of the roof garden/terrace which is the primary outdoor provision for the dwelling to the rear and on the second floor, where it would be considerably overlooked by neighbouring properties would result in detrimental impacts on the amenities of future occupiers of the proposed dwelling. These amenity impacts would be contrary to the provisions of General Policy 2 (g & h) and Strategic Policy 1 (b) of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016, and the principles promoted by the Residential Design Guide 2021, as it would not promote a high standard of residential amenity.
