DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/00198/B Applicant: Cheeseden Investments Limited Proposal: Conversion of stables to living accommodation Site Address: The Stables Billown Mansion Billown Malew Isle Of Man IM9 3DL Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 20.04.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. All external facing materials shall be installed to match the existing external finishes. Reason: In the interest of visual amenity.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The application accords with Planning Circular 8/89 and Housing Policy 11 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawing numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 and site photographs all date stamped and received 20/02/2020. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The application site is the extent of an existing detached building located within the wider Billown Mansion Estate, Malew. The existing building has an 'L' shaped arrangement and comprises stables at ground floor and converted living accommodation at first floor. The building is access via a private access driveway running through the private estate and is surrounding by an area of paved hardstanding. - 1.2 The existing building is stone built with a red tiled roof, there are a number of peaked dormers throughout the roofscape and all the windows and doors within the stone facing elevations have a surrounding white render band. The building is currently used as living accommodation on the first floor and stables on the ground floor. PROPOSAL

2.1 The current application proposes the conversion of the ground floor stables and storage space into a self-contained flat, not dissimilar to the arrangement on the upper floor. The works include the replacement of existing stable doors with a smaller window and finished in stonework to match existing, and the replacement of the second set of stable doors with new glazed patio doors to the rear. PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The upper floor of the stables was converted into living space under PA 01/00249/B. PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site is situated within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South as 'Low Density Housing in Parkland' (LDHP). The written statement accompanying the plan states that until such a time that a Planning Policy Statement is provided for LDHP applications shall be considered against Planning Circular 8/89 and the relevant policies of the Strategic Plan. PC 8/89 states buildings must be substantial, designed to highest quality and sited within at least 1 acres of its own grounds and General Policy 3(b) supports the conversion of rural buildings subject only to the tests of Housing Policy 11: "Conversion of existing rural buildings into dwellings may be permitted, but only where:

• (a) redundancy for the original use can be established;
• (b) the building is substantially intact and structurally capable of renovation;
• (c) the building is of architectural, historic, or social interest;
• (d) the building is large enough to form a satisfactory dwelling, either as it stands or with modest, subordinate extension which does not affect adversely the character or interest of the building;
• (e) residential use would not be incompatible with adjoining established uses or, where appropriate, land-use zonings on the area plan; and
• (f) the building is or can be provided with satisfactory services without unreasonable public expenditure. Such conversion must:

• (a) where practicable and desirable, re-establish the original appearance of the building; and
• (b) use the same materials as those in the existing building.

Permission will not be given for the rebuilding of ruins or the erection of replacement buildings of similar, or even identical, form. Further extension of converted rural buildings will not usually be permitted, since this would lead to loss or reduction of the original interest and character."

REPRESENTATIONS

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

5.1 Malew Parish Commissioners -no objections (11/03/2020). - 5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - Do not oppose (10/03/2020).

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The existing stable building is fairly sizEable, is of historic and architectural interest, is capable of renovation and sits within a much larger private estate extending around 24 acres. The ground floor is capable of accommodating the proposal and its residential use would not be incompatible with adjacent properties or the land use designation of the Area Plan. The external alterations required to facilitate the proposal are not expected to result in any harm to the overall visual quality or appearance of the building and there is sufficient space surrounding the building or within land owned by the applicant to accommodate parking for both the existing first floor flat and the ground floor conversion without harm to the safety of the private access road. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The application is considered to comply with the tests of Planning Circular 8/89 and Housing Policy 11 of the Strategic Plan and is recommended for approval. 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.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 20.04.2020 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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