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Application No.: 17/00477/B Applicant: Peel And Western District Housing Committee Proposal: Part demolition of existing apartments and bungalows and construction of 19 new apartments, refurbishment of 20 existing apartments and alterations to create 6 semi-detached bungalows Site Address: Westlands Peel Isle of Man IM5 1JT Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: 01.06.2017 Site Visit: 01.06.2017 Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE DUE TO THE SCALE OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE HISTORY OF THE AREA
1.1 The site is the curtilage of existing built development which sits on the southern and eastern side of a short cul de sac called, Westlands, to the east of Albany Road. The cul de sac is entirely occupied by sheltered housing operated by the Peel and Western District Housing Committee in the form of semi-detached bungalows at the western end of the cul de sac and a two storey building, roughly L shaped. The site has a range of semi-detached, detached and terraced dwellings to the south which front onto the northern side of Douglas Road. To the west is 29, Albany Road, a detached two and a half storey brick dwelling. To the north are numbers 8-17, Kerroo Coar and a developing site involving the replacement of the Corrin Memorial Home and Peel Medical Centre which was rebuilt under 08/02086/B. To the east of the site are detached dormer bungalows off Tynwald Close and terraced houses (numbers 85 - 70 inc.) which are part of Rheast Bridson. - 1.2 The buildings on the site are of a certain age with little in the way of detailing or architectural merit featuring tiled roofing, dashed walls and horizontally proportioned windows. THE PROPOSAL
2.1 Proposed is the demolition of six of the existing bungalows, part of the western element of the two storey main building and the refurbishment of the remaining bungalows and the erection of replacement fabric at the southern end of the two storey block. The existing accommodation comprises 25 apartments, 24 bungalows and a warden's bungalow. The existing apartments are described by the applicant as being of mixed sizes between 36 and 44 sq m which are below current housing standards. What is proposed is the conversion and extension of the site to result in 32 one bed apartments, 3 two bed apartments and 6 bungalows reflecting the current need for that type of accommodation as well as the accommodation of a communal lounge, laundry, hair dressing salon, stores, warden's office and facilities to keep mobility scooters within the building. Overall, the three phases result in 22 additional units of accommodation with a general reduction in numbers in the existing developed sites (B and C) and the creation of brand new units on the undeveloped site (A). - 2.2 Earlier phases of the overall scheme involved the building of a new sheltered apartment building on Douglas Road and the refurbishment and part re-development of the existing sheltered housing complex off Tynwald Close. These also involved the construction of a bio-mass boiler system to serve all of the phases including the one now proposed, accessed by a new soft dig pipe route. In terms of drainage the development will be connected to the main foul and surface water system.
3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Peel Local Plan as Residential. As such, the development should be considered in the light of the general standards of development as set out in General Policy 2 as follows:
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:
3.2 The Plan also requires us to plan for the efficient and effective provision of services and infrastructure and to direct and control development and the use of land to meet the community's needs, having particular regard to the principles of sustainability whilst at the same time preserving, protecting, and improving the quality of the environment, having particular regard to our uniquely Manx natural, wildlife, cultural and built heritage (Strategic Aim) and to make the best use of resources by:
3.3 Environment Policy 43 aims to regenerate areas which are run-down and whilst it also encourages the re-use of existing sound built fabric rather than their demolition, in this case, the existing fabric is tired and not particularly attractive and would benefit from a more modern refinishing and design. PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 The site itself has been the subject of a number of applications for alterations and extensions, all of which have been approved. Permission has been granted for the redevelopment of the site alongside for the medical surgery (08/02086/B) and the sheltered accommodation under 15/01109/B and 16/00190/B. Phase 1, alongside Douglas Road was approved under 14/01136/B and is well under way. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Department of Infrastructure, Housing Services advise that there is no need to enter into a legal agreement to deliver the housing as the site is owned by a housing authority (09.05.17).
5.2 The owner of 10, Rheast Bridson does not object to the application but expresses concern at the continuous redevelopment going on about his property with other phases of the sheltered housing redevelopment and asks that the vehicles of people working on the site are prioritised so that local residents are not inconvenienced or disadvantaged in their own domestic parking and access arrangements (06.05.17). - 5.3 The owner of 5A, Rheast Bridson expresses concern at the loss of public parking for the users of Kerroo Coar and Rheast Bridson and seeks assurance that construction traffic will not use Rheast Bridson and Kerroo Coar. She also queries whether pedestrian access will be maintained to the bus stop in Tynwald Road via Tynwald Close as well as access to the medical centre from Rheast Bridson and she comments that much is made of the quality of life for residents of the site but not that of those in adjacent private property (19.05.17 and 17.05.17). - 5.4 The owner of Cronk Baare, Tynwald Road objects to the application on the basis that the new road layout will bring traffic closer to their property with resultant noise and nuisance along with the relocated bin storage area which will also result in additional disturbance. The new area of built form will be closer to them and will result in overshadowing and loss of outlook and the inclusion of a panoramic window on the western end of the building will intrude into their privacy. The raising of the ridge line will result in an adverse visual impact for them and the inclusion of additional street lighting will adversely affect them along with the lights of vehicles driving in the direction of their property. No discussion was held with them prior to the submission of the application (21.05.17). - 5.5 Peel Town Commissioners advise that they do not object to the proposals subject to the attachment of a condition although there is no recommended condition included. They note the deficiency in parking (ie lower than one per unit) but also note that there is flexibility in the parking standards to allow a lower standard if evidence exists to demonstrate that the parking provision will meet the needs of the development (01.06.17).
6.1 The use of the site is acceptable and the development will result in an overall reduction in units by eleven with a corresponding increase in parking spaces by around five. The issues are whether the proposal will result in an acceptable visual impact and also whether there would be any adverse impact on the living conditions for those living close to the site. Parking
6.2 Whilst the Commissioners have raised concern at whether the proposed car parking provision is satisfactory, the development reduces the number of units on the site whilst increasing the number of spaces. At the site visit, there were a few spaces free but a delivery vehicle had parked close to a number of parked cars and one of the residents expressed concern that delivery vehicles often parked in areas which were not allocated spaces to be close to the entrances, blocking in other vehicles, which was a nuisance. As such, it is clear that the development needs to provide as many spaces as possible. The proposed development has an allocated drop off point near the main entrance, which could be used for deliveries and the layout should lead to less frequent parking in inappropriate areas. The bin store at the side has an area in front which is not an allocated space, where a refuse vehicle can access the bin store facility. - 6.3 The Strategic Plan recommends that sheltered housing provides one space per three units and the proposed development exceeds this by providing one per unit. Visual impact - 6.4 The existing building is of poor form from every perspective and what is proposed is smarter and more interesting. As such, it is considered that the visual impact is acceptable. The character of the existing building is one of a large mass within landscaped grounds with dominance of car parking and what will result from the development is a slightly larger but better designed and finished building, with more landscaping and better arranged parking. Impact on neighbours - 6.5 There will be an impact during construction on those in neighbouring property, particularly in Rheast Bridson. However, the management of the construction is not something normally controlled by the planning system. - 6.6 Pedestrian access will be maintained to the medical centre through the site. - 6.7 The scheme will result in a new, two storey mass of building where there are currently single storey properties. The proposed development results in a higher, more concentrated mass of building with most adjacent properties having buildings removed from immediately behind them. There is a concern, raised by a neighbour whose property lies in excess of 20m in terms of the closest part of their rear garden to the closest part of the new two storey building, that the new building will have an adverse impact on their outlook, privacy and light and that the layout results in a road layout nearer to their property with the associated traffic noise and disturbance. The applicant has responded to these concerns by explaining that the nearest part of the new roadway will be 33m from the nearest occupied part of this property and that users of the road will be limited through design to speeds of around 10mph with a consequent reduction in noise levels. They also note that there is a 3m high wall bounding the complainants' property with a mature tree also within their curtilage. Similar comments about proximity and boundary treatment are made in respect of the bin store activity. They also comment that the outlook from Cronk Baare is not directly towards the higher element of the new building and will be at an oblique angle some 60m away and that the window referred to serves a communal room whose use will be intermittent and should not result in people sitting for prolonged periods looking out of the window in their direction. - 6.8 The new, higher element will clearly be seen from a number of properties adjoining the site, however, as the proposal involves the removal of a number of single storey units, and concentrates the mass of building within the site, with more open areas. It must also be considered that the existing main building is of poor form with the bungalows of limited architectural merit, and can also be seen from adjoining property. The consideration must be a balance of these elements and it is considered that whilst additional building mass may be seen, the orientation and distance from these neighbouring properties results in a development which would not unreasonably affect the amenities of these dwellings. Conclusion
6.9 The proposed development is considered to result in a more attractive building with better designed living units which have more parking afforded to them and is an improvement on the existing, complying with Strategic Plan policies on sustainable development, improvement of existing fabric and accessible designs and locations, and is recommended for approval.
7.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
In addition to those above, article 6(3) of the Order requires the Department to decide which persons (if any) who have made representations with respect to the application, should be treated as having sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application.
In this instance, it is recommended that the following persons have sufficient interest and should be awarded the status of an Interested Person in accordance with Government Circular 0046/13:
the owners of Cronk Baare whose property abuts the site. In this instance, it is recommended that the following persons do not have sufficient interest to be awarded the status of an interested person in accordance with Government Circular 0046/13:
the owners of 5A and 10, Rheast Bridson are not sufficiently close to the development to be affected by it even though they may be affected by the construction process, which is generally not a material consideration.
With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word 'Department' to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order.
Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 07.07.2017 Conditions and Notes for Approval: C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
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.
Reason: The landscaping of the site is an integral part of the scheme and must be implemented as approved.
Reason: To ensure that the users of the development have sufficient and safe vehicular parking and turning facilities available to it.
This approval relates to drawings SC1210C/P/10-02, SC1210C/P/10-03, SC1210C/P/10-04, SC1210C/P/10-05, SC1210C/P/10-06, SC1210C/P/10-07, SC1210C/P/10-08, SC1210C/P/10-09, SC1210C/P/10-10, SC1210C/P/10-11, SC1210C/P/11-01, SC1210C/P/11-10, SC1210C/P/12-01, SC1210C/P/12-02, SC1210C/P/12-03, SC1210C/P/12-04, SC1210C/P/12-05, SC1210C/P/12-06, SC1210C/P/12-07, SC1210C/P/100-03, PL398/06B, EX/200, 2016s4336-C-304-305 REV P2 all received on 28th April, 2017 and
SC1210C/C/10-00 and SC1210C/P/10-01 both received on 8th May, 2017.
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.
Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 17.07.2017 Signed : Miss Corlett Presenting Officer Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO
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