DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00810/B Applicant: Martin Charker Proposal: Installation of new window to rear elevation Site Address: 73 Woodbourne Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3AQ Planning and Enforcement Assistant: Miss Vanessa Wilson Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 28.10.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 17th July 2019:

• o Site/Location Plan
• o Details of the window opening
• o Drawing of rear elevation and side elevation to show window positioning _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of 73 Woodbourne Road, Douglas, which is a mid-terrace two storey townhouse with accommodation within the roof space. Albany Lane travels to the south of the application THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval for the installation of a window to the ground floor level on the rear elevation. The window will measure 1m x 1.2m and will be white uPVC. PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The previous planning application is not considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application. PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as Predominantly Residential on the Douglas Local Plan 1998, Map 2. The property is also within a Conservation area. Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35.

4.2 General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 General Policy 2 states "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;

4.3 Environment Policy 35 which states: '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'.

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Highway Services have No Highways Interest in this application (02.08.2019).

5.2 Douglas Corporation have considered the proposal and have no objection (09.08.19). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of the planning application are the potential impacts of the proposal on the character and appearance of 73 Woodbourne Road, Douglas and the wider street scene.

6.2 To the rear of 73 Woodbourne Road there is an alleyway which leads from Albany Lane to Albany Road which services the rear of the properties on Woodbourne Road and Albany Street. There have been several properties which have removed their rear walls to create car parking along this rear lane. The property in question has removed their rear wall at some point to create parking.

6.3 The window which is proposed measures 1 metre by 1.2 metres which is a suitable sized window for the rear facade. - 6.4 With the property being within a Conservation Area it is relevant to consider Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan. The works proposed due to them being in the rear are unlikely to be within general public view due to the alley way being a service for the two rows of properties. Whilst the introduction of the window will not necessarily improve the

Conservation area the introduction of the window will not harm the Conservation area as such the window should have a neutral effect.

CONCLUSION

7.1 For the above reasons the proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 and Environmental Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore acceptable. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons 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 or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 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 in Article 6(4) 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: 29.10.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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