DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No.: 19/01245/B Applicant: Mr Rob Cowely Proposal: Installation of a rear dormer window Site Address: 3 Ballamillaghyn Estate Mount Rule Douglas Isle Of Man IM4 4HU Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.02.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to drawing number 322-01 date stamped and received 19/11/2019. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

none _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of 3 Ballamillaghyn, a single storey detached dwelling located within the small estate comprising 30 dwellings. The dwelling sits on the northern side and bounds a tree lined agricultural field to the rear.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval for the installation of a flat roof dormer on the rear elevation 2.5m wide and approx. 1.5m tall.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The application site has been subject to a number of previous applications for alterations and extensions to the existing dwelling; most recently 15/00159/B was approved for the replacement of the glazed conservatory roof with new solid roof tiles to match the main house.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site falls within an area zoned as 'Predominantly Residential' on the Braddan Local Plan 1991, and the site is not within a Conservation Area. The application falls to be assessed against the general standards towards development set out in General Policy 2 and paragraph 8.12.1 of the Strategic Plan 2016, and consideration shall also be given to the recently released Residential Design Guide 2019. - 4.2 General Policy 2 states (in part): "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;"

4.3 Paragraph 8.12.1 states:

"As a general policy, in built up areas not controlled by Conservation Area or Registered Building policies, there will be a general presumption in favour of extensions to existing property where such extensions would not have an adverse impact on either adjacent property or the surrounding area in general."

4.4 Section 4.6 of the Residential Design Guide 2019: "4.6 DORMER EXTENSIONS

• 4.6.1 Dormer extensions are often problematic as they can adversely affect the character and appearance of both the individual property and the wider streetscene. Unless they are for nonhabitable rooms such as bathrooms with obscured glazing, they can also create overlooking. They are unlikely to be supported where they are publically visible, unless they already form a positive characteristic of the property or streetscene.
• 4.6.2 There are various types, and applicants should consider which is most appropriate for their house. Traditional properties should avoid having flat roof dormers, as pitched roofed dormers may be more appropriate. Flat roofed dormers can appear as clumsy additions to a roof pitch if they are overly long or tall, or if they are as tall as the ridge. Therefore they are only generally appropriate on more modern properties (1960/70's bungalows) and/or properties where the area is characterised by houses with flat roofed dormers. Finishing the front and cheeks of the dormers in a tile or tile like material can reduce this impact.

• 4.6.3 The position within the roof plane, size and proportion are also important aspects to consider. The size of any dormer should be secondary to the size of the roof in which it will be positioned. Therefore, dormers that would be as wide as the house and run flush or close to the elevations/roof ridge of the house will not normally be supported."

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division - do not oppose (29/11/2019) - 5.2 Braddan Parish Commissioners - no objection (03/12/2019)

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The RDG indicates that there can be a level of acceptability for flat roof dormers on 60/70's bungalows or more modern properties as is the case here. The dormer is sized as to remain secondary to the roof slope and given its location at the rear and in set position the general visual appearance of the dwelling particularly from the streetscene is to remain unchanged. The proposal will introduce a first floor window which may likely increase the overlooking to parts of each of the immediate neighbours rear gardens beyond the existing arrangement, however given the positioning and orientation of the application dwelling compared with the neighbouring dwellings it is not considered that this overlooking is to such a unacceptable degree as to cause harm to the neighbours living conditions or to warrant a refusal on the application.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 Overall it is concluded that the planning application accords with those aforementioned policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and the Residential Design Guidance and should be recommended for approval.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

8.2 The Planning Committee 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 in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 06.02.2020 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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