DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00195/CON Applicant: Adele Towns Proposal: Registered Building consent for the demolition elements relating the application 19/00194/B Site Address: Kent Lodge Little Switzerland Douglas Isle of Man IM2 6AE Senior Planning Officer: Mr Thomas O'Connor Photo Taken: 21.03.2019 Site Visit: 21.03.2019 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 12.04.2019 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The works hereby granted registered building consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this consent.

Reason: To comply with paragraph 2(2)(a) of schedule 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented registered building consents.

Plans/Drawings/Information: This decision relates to the following plans, documents and drawings: Survey Drawing 18/43/01 and Project Drawing 18/43/02 date stamped as received on 27th February 2019. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The site consists of a substantial early 20th Century two storey detached dwelling located on the junction of Little Switzerland with Victoria Road dwelling within the Little Switzerland Conservation Area characterised by similar substantial dwellings. The character and presence of this group of individually designed chalet villa dwellings are emphasized by

shared features such as large curtilages with boundary walls with mature garden and tree planting

2.0 PROPOSAL - 2.1 Partly retrospective with some preliminary works already commenced on the site, this application has a number of elements. These are;

• o Demolition of the centrally positioned porch conservatory to the entrance to be replaced with a stone portico with concrete profiles to match;
• o Demolition of the garage positioned on the rear
• o Demolition of part of wall and re-siting of pillars to widen of the vehicular access over an existing crossover onto the highway from the front elevation onto Little Switzerland from

• 2m to 4m in width.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 None recorded

4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site is in an area designated as Predominantly Residential use in the Douglas Local Plan 1998. As previously mentioned, the site lies within Little Switzerland Conservation Area. - 4.2 As the site is within an area zoned for development the key policies relevant to this proposal is contained within The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, specifically: - 4.3 Strategic Policy 4, which states (in part) that; "Proposals for development must:

• (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings(1), Conservation Areas(2), buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest."

4.4 General Policy 2 (Development in accordance with the land-use zoning); "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."

4.5 As the site is within a Conservation Area, Environment Policy 35 (preservation of conservation areas) is relevant; "Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development." - 4.6 It is also important to consider guidance and policy regarding development in Conservation Areas: Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man) - Policy CA/2, (Conservation Areas); "When considering proposals for the possible development of any land or buildings which fall within the conservation area, the impact of such proposals upon the special character of the area will be a material consideration when assessing the application." - 4.7 Also relevant to this application is guidance contained in Planning Circular 1/98 - 'The Alteration and Replacement of Windows'. In respect of buildings in conservation areas the standing policy advice is that original windows should preferably be repaired. If impracticable, replacement windows which would be readily visible from a public thoroughfare must have the

• same method of opening as the originals. Whatever the material used in their construction, the windows must have the same pattern and section of glazing bars as the original windows.
• 4.8 Windows not readily visible from a public thoroughfare must have the same or similar pattern of glazing bars as the originals but not necessarily the original method of opening whatever the material used in construction.
• 4.9 In respect of pre-1921 buildings within an urban setting Policy guidance advises that individual buildings or groups of buildings whose principle elevations are readily visible from a public thoroughfare , it the original windows are in place, it may be possible to repair and renovate them. If repair is impracticable the preference would be for replacement windows in principle elevations to have the same method of opening as the originals. Whatever the materials used in their construction, the windows must have the same or similar pattern of glazing bars or frame sections as the original windows.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Highway Services: No observations received - 5.2 Douglas Borough Council received 18/03/2019 - No objection - 5.3 Registered Buildings Officer- No observations received - 5.4 Neighbours: No observations received

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The key consideration is the protection of the character, and appearance of the building and an assessment of the proposed development in respect of maintaining & enhancing the integrity, character and setting of the surrounding conservation area in line with the relevant policies in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and Planning Circular 1/98 as set out in this report. - 6.2 With regard to the building itself, as indicated on the submitted drawings, the chalet villa style are a defining feature of all elevations of this corner dwelling and is indeed reflected in the overall character of Little Switzerland were it is located - 6.3 Alterations to the side and rear of the building would result in the demolition of the garage and replacement of existing utility buildings and use of the side yard with conjoined single storey flat roof wrap around to form a residential addition. Overall, this part of the development would maintain the character and setting of this mainly non-public part of the building within the conservation area in compliance with the requirements of General Policy 2. - 6.4 The development proposes widening the vehicular access onto Little Switzerland to a width of 4m over an area of an existing vehicular cross-over onto the highway. This would comply with 'Manual for Manx Roads' design standards, and would allow for sufficient pedestrian access to the dwelling front door. Widening of the access in this location would not adversely affect the setting and character of the conservation area and be in compliance with the requirements of General Policy 2. - 6.5 A small but prominent conservatory enclosing the main entrance to the house that faces onto Little Switzerland would be removed and replaced with an open two stone pillars with flat roof concrete portico to match. This would remove an arguably anachronistic enclosed conservatory structure and replace with an entrance that is more architecturally consistent with the character of the building. In this respect, this part of the proposal would serve to improve character and setting of the building within the conservation area in compliance with the requirements of General Policy 2.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 Strategic Policy 4 and Environmental Policy 35 sets out the test for development in Conservation Areas in that it must 'preserve or enhance' the Conservation Area. The proposed alterations to this building occupying a prominent corner location within the Little Switzerland Conservation Area would, on balance, result in a series of material improvements to the building itself that would serve to enhance its character within the setting of the local street scene in this part of the conservation area and therefore meet these tests set by of General Policy 2 and Strategic Policy 4 and Environmental Policy 35.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013, the following 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;
• (c) Manx National Heritage; and
• (d) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated

8.2 In addition to those above, the Regulation 9(3) 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.

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 : 18.04.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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