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Replacement Dwelling The Rheast, Rheast Road, Santon, Isle of Man
1.0 Introduction 2.0 Planning Policy Statement 3.0 Relevant Planning History 4.0 Architect's Design Statement
Appendix A - Barry Chinn - Photomontages Appendix B - Barry Chinn - Design Statement Appendix C - Visualisations
1.1 The application site covers approximately 3,476.00 square metres ( 0.3476 Hectares) ( 0.928 Acres) and is bounded in Red on the application drawings, representing the proposed residential curtilage of the property known as 'The Rheast'. A further area of land to the South of the site is within the properties ownership and which extends to a further 10,303.90 square metres ( 1.03 Hectares) ( 2.75 Acres) and which is bounded in blue on the application drawings. 1.2 The proposed site is located immediately adjacent to the Moaney Road, which in turn is located off the main A5 'New Castletown Road' at Newtown, Santon. The site is defined on its Western and South-Western boundary by the Moaney Road; on its Northern boundary by the Rheast Road; and on its East and South-East boundaries by agricultural land, (field nos. 514241 and 510294 respectively). There are two existing vehicular access points, one located near the North-West corner of the site and served by the Moaney Road, and a second, served via a service road is located at the North-East corner of the site accessed from Rheast Road. 1.3 A topographical survey has been carried out on the site, and is included in the package of application drawings, (see K246/P/10-02 Existing Site Plan). From this survey it can be seen that the existing site ranges in level from approximately 102.00 metres at its Northern boundary to a level of 96.0 metres at its Southern corner, a fall of approximately 6.00 metres over the length of the site, the aspect being generally a South facing slope. 1.4 It is proposed that vehicular access to the application site will be adjusted to a single access taken via the existing position located on Rheast Road. It is proposed that the existing vehicular access position from the Moaney Road will be 'blocked up' (with the existing stone gate posts removed), using a new section of 'Manx' hedge to infill between the existing 'Manx' hedges as well as planting new trees and border shrubs, thereby removing the site's currently awkward, and potentially dangerous, access position from the more major Moaney Road, and reducing the visual impact. The existing Rheast Road vehicular access will be improved by the widening of the existing opening in the 'Manx' hedge through which the existing 'service road' runs, and the installation of new vehicular and pedestrian gates, taking the form of Manx stone gate posts fitted with timber gates. Visibility splays of 60 metres are hence achieved, and formed in accordance with the requirements of the Dept. of Infrastructure - Highways Division, (see drawing no. K246/P/12-01). 1.5 The foul water drainage from the proposed property will connect to a new Klargester 'Bio-Disc' system with tail drains discharging to the nearby watercourse, whilst it is proposed that the surface water drainage from the proposed property will partially be mitigated by a Sedum 'Green Roof' construction over the proposed dwelling and associated garage, with surplus water being taken via the surface water drainage system to the nearby watercourse. 1.6 The application site currently houses a 1960's rendered dormer bungalow, with red clay tiled roof, and two white UPVC conservatory extensions, as well as a separate timber garage block and stone outbuilding. The main property is positioned approximately 23.9 metres from the Rheast Road boundary, near the northwest corner of the site, and has an internal floor level located at approximately 102.5 m level, (see drwg. no. K246/P/10-04 for existing plans and elevations).
2.1 The site is not covered by any local plan as it falls outside any main settlement area, and is currently situated within a wide area designated as open countryside on the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982, and outside the AHLVSS designation. There is no site specific policy or brief, but due to the presence of the existing dwelling, the site has an established residential status, set within a larger ownership curtilage which is designated as open space/agricultural use within the plan.
There are a number of policies within the Strategic Plan which are relevant to the proposals, the first of these being General Policy 3, and more specifically sections (c) and (d) of this policy, which allows development to be permitted outside of land zoned for development under certain conditions. Section (c) of general Policy 3 states; (c) Previously developed land which contains a significant amount of building; where the continued use is redundant; where redevelopment would reduce the impact of the current situation on the landscape or the wider environment; and where the development proposed would result in improvements to the landscape or wider environment;
The existing site contains an existing single storey 1960's/1970's rendered residential dwelling with is generally of poor architectural merit, is visually unattractive and has a detrimental impact on the quality of the surrounding landscape.
The applicants believe the application proposals comply fully with section (c) of General Policy 3, these proposals significantly reduce the visual impact of this proposed residential dwelling on the site and its surrounding landscape due to:
The minimisation of the visual impact of the development can be seen by reference to the Photomontages of the proposed replacement dwelling incorporating the landscape proposals which is included within Appendix A of this document.
Section (d) of General Policy 3 states; (d) The replacement of existing rural dwellings; (Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14);
Therefore replacement dwellings in the countryside should be subject to Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14. Housing Policy 12 states that replacement of an existing dwelling in the countryside will generally be permitted unless it has lost its residential status by abandonment or is of architectural or historic interest. As the existing building was in residential use until mid 2010 it has not lost its residential status, and the existing buildings are not of any architectural or historic interest, then the proposals comply with Housing Policy 12.
Housing Policy 13 relates to rural dwellings which have lost their residential status, which is not the case with the application site and therefore housing Policy 13 does not apply in this case.
Housing Policy 14 States;
Where a replacement dwelling is permitted, it must not be substantially different to the existing in terms of siting and size, unless changes of siting or size would result in an overall environmental improvement; the new building should therefore generally be sited on the footprint of the existing, and should have a floor area which is not more than 50% greater than that of the original building (floor areas should be measured externally and should not include attic space or outbuildings). Generally, the design of the new building should be in accordance with Policies 2-7 of the present Planning Circular 3/91, (which will be revised and issued as a Planning Policy Statement).
Exceptionally, permission may be granted for buildings of innovative, modern design where this is of high quality and would not result in adverse visual impact; designs should incorporate the re-use of such stone and slate as are still in place on the site, and in general, new fabric should be finished to match the materials of the original building.
Consideration may be given to proposals which result in a larger dwelling where this involves the replacement of an existing dwelling of poor form with one of more traditional character, or where, by its design or siting, there would be less visual impact.
The existing dwelling is a dormer bungalow some 163.9 sq.m. (1765.0 sq.feet) in plan area, measured externally. The existing dwelling is located to the North-East corner of the site close to the Rheast Road, and as such is readily visible in the area. It is constructed from rendered masonry which is painted white, and has two white UPVC conservatories on its Eastern and Southern elevations. The building has a steeply pitched roof finished in red clay tiles. As a result, the existing building, whilst being a bungalow, has a high visual impact within the area as is readily seen from the existing photos in the Photomontages contained in Appendix A of this document.
It is proposed that the replacement dwelling will be situated further to the South of the existing property, with a North to South orientation, the principal entrance elevation being on the Northern side. Whilst this may not be fully in accordance with HP14, there are a number of reasons for doing this which can be summarised as follows;
In addition to the reduced visual impact, the proposed replacement dwelling will have a far lower environmental impact than the existing dwelling which should also be considered and which can be summarised as follows;
The proposed dwelling covers an area of 556.7 sq.m. (measured around the external walls) which, whilst the floor area of the proposed dwelling is significantly greater than that of the existing dormer bungalow, it should be noted that a great deal of care has been taken to mitigate any visual impact of this proposed dwelling on its surroundings, to a level considered to be lower than that of the existing dormer bungalow. This is achieved via the re-location of the proposed dwelling further to the South of the existing dormer bungalow to a position further away from the Rheast Road boundary (ie. approx. 33.4 metres away), and the reduction in the ground floor level of the proposed dwelling to reduce its overall height. This has allowed the inclusion of greater mitigating landscaped planting which is clear from the landscape photomontages prepared by Barry Chinn, the Landscape Architect, and which are contained in Appendix A of this document. A separate design statement by the Landscape Architect is also contained in Appendix B of this document.
Further mitigation is also achieved via the overall design of the dwelling, with an array of articulated massing, used in conjunction with the selection of natural / indigenous materials. A 'Manx' stone 'plinth' is incorporated into most areas at ground floor level, as well as significant amounts of timber cladding to areas at first floor level within all four proposed elevations, in order to achieve a 'softened natural' architectural composition. This overall design approach, together with the 'green' Sedum roof covering and re-location of the dwelling on the site, minimises / mitigates the visual impact of the proposed dwelling. Accordingly, the applicants believe the proposal, which is of an innovative modern design, has as an overall proposal, minimised the impact upon, and integrates into, it's rural context, and therefore is in accordance with Housing Policy 14. Visualisations of the proposed replacement dwelling are contained in Appendix C of this document to further highlight the massing, quality of design and array of materials utilised within the proposal.
3.1 Application withdrawn for the erection of a replacement dwelling.
Planning application number PA10/01466/B, dated 23rd November 2010. 3.2 'Approval' granted for the creation of vehicular access and driveway.
Planning application number PA08/01465/R, dated 15th September 2008. 3.3 'Approval' granted for the erection of a garage.
Planning application number PA07/01383/B, dated 10th September 2007. 3.4 'Approval' granted for the erection of a garage to replace existing.
Planning application number PA06/01215/B, dated 8th September 2006. 3.5 'Approval' granted at Review for the alterations to dwelling including erection of conservatory porch and flag pole, creation of new driveway, and extension to garage. Planning application number PA97/00400/B, dated 11th July 1997. 3.6 'Approval' granted for the erection of two conservatories. Planning application number PA98/01699/B, dated 26th February 1966 3.7 'Approval in principle' granted at Review for the extension to dwelling. Planning application number PA96/00281/A, dated 25th June 1996 3.8 The applicants are not aware of any further planning applications on this site in the recent past.
During the design process, the applicants architect has carried out consultations with;
Mr. S Stanley - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Planning Officer, \& Ms Hazel Fletcher - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Ian Wade - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer. The advice given within these pre-application consultations has been incorporated into the drawings and information which form the basis of this application.
The proposals take the form of a two-storey residential dwelling which utilises the natural contours of the site via cut and fill excavations conceived to minimise the height and visual impact of the proposed dwelling. The mass of the roof line to the main two storey dwelling is reduced via the combined use of: a low mono pitched roof line, ( 20 degrees), of Sedum 'blanket' roof construction, which slopes down from two storey level on Northern and Eastern elevations, to single storey level at the corner point of its Southern/Western orientation; together with areas of flat roof, which 'wrap around' and form a counterpoint to the 'green' pitched roof. This arrangement of roof forms facilitates the integration of a narrow band of clerestory glazing around the Northern and Eastern elevations, hence allowing natural light to penetrate into the centre of the dwelling. The garage forms an annex to the approach elevation, and also has a low, ( 10 degree), mono pitched roof, again extensively planted using a Sedum 'blanket' roof covering to give a 'green/natural' appearance.
The external wall construction has substantial amounts of timber cladding at first floor level, (Larch or Beech) giving a 'natural' feel to the architectural language, as well as being an environmentally sustainable building material. Large amounts of high efficiency double/triple glazing, is also proposed for the Southern and Western elevations, hence maximising the environmentally beneficial effects of passive solar gain. Areas of 'Manx' stone construction are to be found at ground floor level on all elevations of the main house, forming a 'base' which serves aesthetically to 'breakup' the massing of the proposed two storey dwelling. Areas of the Southern and Western elevations, as well as chimneys are also picked out in 'Manx' stone construction and provide zones of relief / highlight within the overall composition. The rough textured 'Manx' stone is juxtaposed against the crisp sharpness of larger areas of glazing. Smooth render finishes are also used in strategic areas to breakup massing and generate visual interest, such as at 'plinth' level around the garage.
In addition to:
This proposed dwelling will employ a variety of environmentally friendly technologies to provide its servicing requirements, these can be summarised as follows:
Solar Panels - Solar panels are to be mounted on the south facing roof slope of the dwelling to provide hot water heating. This will provide the majority of the hot water heating requirements for the dwelling for the year, minimising the need for fossil fuels.
Ground Source Heat Pump - A ground source heat pump is to be used as the back-up boiler system for space heating for the dwelling, a system which utilises ground 'slinkies' buried within trenches to generate heat via an electrical compressor system. This form of heat production is extremely efficient, developing 4.5 Kw of heat output for each 1 Kw of electricity used in powering the system. The ground source heat pump is to be linked to an under-floor heating system which provides space heating at significantly lower input temperatures than traditional boiler and radiator systems, typically using less than half the energy to produce the same internal temperature.
Whole House Ventilation System - Ventilation system designed to recover 'waste' heat generated in areas of the dwelling such as kitchens, and bathrooms, as well as areas benefiting from passive solar gains such as the south facing void over double height lounge, (buffer space). Using a heat exchanger this 'recovered' heat is then used to pre-heat fresh incoming air supplies.
Foul Water Bio-Disc - In order to deal with the foul water drainage from the dwelling it is proposed to utilise a 'Klargester Bio-Disc' which is essentially an individual packaged sewage treatment plant which takes domestic effluent, and after treating it, produces a cleaned effluent which can safely be discharged to a tail drain, soak-away or water course. The bio-disc will be sized to suit the maximum effluent output from the dwelling.
The need to provide adequate space for the inclusion of these technologies, including separation distances between the dwelling and the bio-disc, the dwelling and the water storage tank and associated soak-away, and between each of these items from each other has necessitated the defining of a slightly enlarged residential boundary for the dwelling which has been clearly denoted on the application drawings, it being bounded in red on the site
Whilst the proposal is uncompromisingly modern in its form, the utilisation of a 'green' Sedum roof, and a variety of sustainable, locally sourced, natural materials, as well as the proposed dwelling's re-located positioning lower down the site, all significantly contribute to a reduced visual impact on its surroundings in relation to that of the existing property which accords with HP14.
The design and specification of the proposed dwelling aims to significantly reduce its carbon footprint, whilst minimising the levels of heating required due to: integration of super-insulation and air tightness levels in the construction; making maximum use of passive solar gains via design and orientation; use of ground or air source heat pumps; whole house ventilation systems; as well as the positive benefits in relation to enhanced insulation properties, rainwater attenuation, and absorption of environmental carbon dioxide achieved using a Sedum roof covering. Accordingly the proposal has a raft of measures which result in an environmental improvement in accordance with HP14, both locally and nationally.
The applicant believes that whilst the proposal is larger than the existing property, the proposal is an innovative, modern design of high quality both in terms of design and materials. It incorporates the re-use of Manx stone walling stone from existing site features, and whilst it is larger than the existing dwelling has a significantly reduced visual impact than the existing dwelling due to its' more muted palette of materials. The existing dwelling is in the applicants opinion of poor architectural form, with a steeply pitched red clay tile hipped roof, and a profusion of white UPVC conservatories, coupled to white rendered masonry walls which result in a highly visible dwelling within the local area, as the existing photomontage images in Appendix A attest.
The applicant believes therefore, that the proposal replaces a dwelling of poor form and high visual impact, with a dwelling which, whilst being larger than the existing, is of a higher design and material quality, but with a lower visual and environmental impact, and therefore that the proposal accords with HP14 of the loM Strategic Plan 2007.
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