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Towards the street side, the existing low level pebble-dashed walls either side of the entrance will be replaced with rendered walls of similar height to keep the continuous line of garden walls along the pavement and to separate public and private areas.
Manx stone garden walls are present to both sides of the garden to the north and will be conserved. They are generally in good condition.
The back wall towards the harbour access area was rebuilt and adapted several times in the last century and is currently finished in render; the proposal is for this to be partially removed to allow construction access and to then be re-build with a white-rendered finish and a vehicular access gate of metal and timber to compliment the main building finishes.
Hard landscaping to the rear will be limited to a terrace immediately adjacent to the house and a drive, with the majority laid to lawn with planted borders.
The proposed refurbishment of the existing cottage includes the addition of highperforming insulation in wall and roof build-ups to minimise energy consumption. Both walls and roofs currently have little or no insulation. The new build extension will be highly insulated and comply or exceed the requirements of the current building regulations. New window and door elements will be appropriately designed and detailed to achieve high air-tightness and minimise heat loss with good thermal performance.
Due to the orientation of the building, opportunities to maximise passive solar gains or effectiveness of PV / solar panels without undue impact on the sensitive south elevation are limited, but a small area of solar hot water panelling is proposed in the roof area of the infill element next to 22 Lime Street. Environmentally friendly controls to heating are also proposed to maximise building efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint.
A proposed brown roof will add benefits with regards to ecology and biodiversity and assist with water attenuation.
The use of the property will remain as residential; no change of use is proposed. The proposed extension of the building will increase the building's gross external area by approx. 70 sqm, a moderate increase of just over $30 \%$ to the existing. The footprint of the building on the ground floor is only increased by 8 sqm to ensure that the façade along the north elevation stays within a similar line as the adjacent properties and does not give the appearance of the site being overdeveloped.
The proposed extension of the building and resulting approximate area increase are illustrated below.
While part of the extension towards the north includes a three-story element, the overall height of the proposal was considered appropriate in scale to its environment and neighbouring properties in pre-application discussions. The varied expressions of set back and projecting gable elements was continued with the projecting gable having a pitched roof, following these initial discussions with planning and conservation area officers, to follow the architectural language of the surrounding area. The resulting height of this part of the extension was considered less dominating than an extension in footprint that would be necessary to provide the same amount of accommodation.
An illustrative view from ground level can be seen below: {{image:185982}}
Consideration has been given to the views from Lime Street and the height of the extension has been limited to a level that does not detract from the aesthetic of the sympathetic refurbishment of the retained elevation.
A section through the highest part of the extension looking west on Lime Street is shown below:
The proposed extension has been positioned to avoid undue impact on the neighbouring properties - with the larger of the two extension elements being located towards the east side, the majority of any overshadowing will occur on the applicant's side and minimise impact on the neighbours.
One shallow window is proposed on the east facing party wall: this will be on the top floor and located at high level so as not to allow views down onto the neighbouring property or garden to avoid overlooking. This window will have an overall area of less than 1 sqm.
A dormer window of modest size is proposed on the west wall; this will allow access to the brown roof area on the lower part of the extension, is set back quite far from the building edge / site boundary and will not overlook the neighbouring properties.
A terrace is proposed on top of the existing garage - this follows the examples of adjacent building at 18 and neighbouring 20 Lime Street, where terraces have been added as part of extensions in recent years.
While the main access and address is off Lime Street, a garage is located on the north/harbour side of the building with access from the harbour side access route. The proposal is to maintain this existing access route and the garage in its current size. Space is available in the driveway to allow parking for a second car.
The application site is partially in an area which is identified as being of high risk of tidal flooding. The Flood Map produced by the Isle of Man's Flood Risk Management Authority indicates that the garden area towards the harbour / bay side may get flooded in extreme weather and tidal conditions. The existing building itself and it entrance towards lime street are located approx. 150 mm higher and sit just outside of the tidal flooding zone.
The existing ground floor entrance level will be maintained and continued throughout the ground floor; no specific flood protection measures are therefore required for the proposed development.
The last known planning submission for the site dates back to the 1980s when planning approval for the ground floor extension and lean-to roof were granted.
The applicant has contacted the neighbours at 19 / 20 Lime Street (these are in one ownership) and 22 Lime Street to make them aware of the proposed refurbishment / extension and a preliminary set of drawings and illustrations was presented to them. No adverse comments have been received.
As outlined above, the applicant has also undertaken pre-application consultation with the planning and conservation area officers that has assisted in developing and approving the scheme further.
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