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This application seeks to incorporate a two-storey extension to the side of the existing property to create ancillary living accommodation to the main residence.
The application site is the residential curtilage of Ballaoates Cottage, located in East Baldwin on the outskirts of Douglas. The existing residential property comprises of a two-storey building with a single storey lean-to element to the rear and two, single garages to the North. The accommodation provides a Lounge, Dining, Kitchen, Bathroom and Study to the ground floor with two bedrooms and a bathroom to the first floor, accessed from a central staircase off the Dining room.
The nearest residential properties are Balloates Mansion House located approximately 60 metres further up the B21 East Baldwin Road, Hillside Cottage (abandoned) located approximately 80 metres along the A22 Ballaoates Road and Ballaoates Farm located approximately 160 metres along the B21 East Baldwin Road.
The residential property sits on the junction of the B21 East Baldwin road and A22 Ballaoates Road on the outskirts of Douglas. Vehicular access to the property is from the B21 East Baldwin Road and there is provision for three off road parking spaces in addition to the two single garages.
Ballaoates has been subject to one previous planning application (ref: 16/00410/B) for a two-storey detached building however this was withdrawn following discussions with the planning department.
Following withdrawal of the previous planning application, advice was sought from the planning department and a site meeting was held between the client and Miss A. Morgan of the planning department. Subsequent to this meeting, the client engaged Carl Jenkins Design to develop new proposals that addressed their requirements whilst complying with current planning policy.
Throughout the ensuing design process, pre-application consultations have taken place with Miss Lucy Kinrade, Assistant Planning Officer. These consultations have been in the form of email correspondence and telephone conversations. The advice given in the pre-application consultations has been incorporated into the drawings and information that forms the basis of this application.
In 2015 we purchased Ballaoates Cottage as a family (My Partner, myself and my Mum - after the passing of my Dad), and it was our intention to preserve and improve the existing house, garages and land so it becomes a home with lasting design and great functionality, with enough space to accommodate children and future care.
We're making this application so that we can stay together as a family - choosing now to make the best decisions we can for the future-proofing the house. I used to work in nursing and residential homes, and although I hope that any issues with health, mind or mobility are very far off for my mum (or partner or myself for that matter!) we want to make the best choices and provisions we can. Having seen firsthand how nursing and residential homes can be very distressing for those that have to use them this is something we've become quite passionate about - good design with better consideration. Aside from the emotional toll on the users of residential home, we know from experience that the service is already burdened with the weight of an elderly heavy population and this is our way of tackling that issue - instead of adding to waiting lists we would like to prepare for the possibility of providing care at home.
Since buying Ballaoates we've already been working our way through a list of repairs and improvements -and we believe that this application provides a good tie-in between improvements still to be done on the house as is (we currently suffer from damp issues and a leaking roof), preservation of style and the new extension. Each of the design aspects within the extension have taken the provision for future care into consideration - the stairs are slightly wider than average for any assistance required, also ensuring that it would be possible for a stair lift to be added with very little issue. The ensuite bathroom depicts a larger than average shower to ensure that any assistance with bathing or bathing aides would not require further changes to the house. The extension is designed at slightly lower floor level than the existing house; this allows for more headroom upstairs and would mean that there is no need for ducking under or around beams (as is the current situation.)
We love the design and quirkiness of the current cottage though it does look unfinished with one hipped and one gable end, and with this design we have tried to ensure that the outline is very sympathetic and in keeping with the original. We have tried to keep similar dimensions and styles for windows and we have also tried to use similar styles for the finishes so that it will not look out of place, bulky or imposing.
We believe this application could possibly be supported by two Programme for Government policy statements: Outcome: We live longer healthier lives - Policy statement "We will help people to stay well in their own homes and communities, avoiding hospital and residential care wherever possible."
Outcome "we have affordable and accessible housing which meets our social and economic needs" - policy statement "we will ensure we have housing which meets the future needs of our community"
We have given considerable thought to the additional space required to provide the ancillary space to the main house and originally submitted a planning application in
2016 (ref:16/00410/B) with this in mind. However, during the planning process it became clear that these proposals were not going to be supported so we withdrew the application and re-considered our requirements. A site visit was carried out by Abigail Morgan, planning officer where the possibility of extending to the South side of the existing property was discussed and this seemed to be preferable in planning terms. Following this site visit we have developed amended proposals that incorporate a separate Lounge \& Bedroom to provide ancillary accommodation whilst reconfiguring the Kitchen to provide a shared kitchen space.
Following the meeting between the client and the planning department, a scheme has been developed incorporating a two-storey extension to the South of the existing residential property with a single storey lean-to at the rear. Initially the two-storey extension incorporated a hipped roof design to match the North Elevation however following discussions with the planning department during the design evolution, it has been decided to remove the existing hip to the North Elevation, even though this doesn't form part of the extension works, to incorporate a more traditional gable end. This new gable end on the North will then be mirrored on the South Elevation to improve the overall appearance of the existing residential property.
A small set back has been incorporated along the West Elevation, between the existing building and the new extension to reduce the visual impact and help the new extension appear subordinate to the existing property. This set back will introduce a slightly lower ridge level to the proposed extension compared to the main building. The possibility of reducing the ridge height further by lowering the internal eaves height was explored however it was felt that the ground floor ceiling height is at the absolute minimum and a reasonable ceiling height in the first floor bedroom had to be maintained as part of the client requirements.
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