DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00198/B Applicant: Mr & Mrs Donald Edwards Proposal: Alteration and erection of extensions Site Address: Sunlaws Whitebridge Avenue Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 3PW 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: 24.04.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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.

• C 2. All external facing and roofing materials to be used in the development, hereby approved, shall match those of the existing building where appropriate, in respect of their type, colour and finish.

Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area in accordance with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following plans, documents and drawings: Location Plan & Site Plan 19 1302/1; Survey Drawing 19 1302/02; Proposal Drawing 19 1302/03 and Photographs. Date stamped as received on 25th February 2019

_______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site consists of a detached bungalow with front and rear curtilage located within a residential street of similar dwellings within Ramsey

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 This application seeks to extend the dwelling to create an additional 95 sum of floor space by erecting the following:

• o A combined extension to the garage and an utility room 7.275m in width by 2.96m deep located on the front elevation facing over the existing driveway onto the road. Height of this structure would be 2.8m to the eaves and 4.6m to the ridge of the subsidiary gabled roof. A 2.6m wide x 2.7m high top opening garage door would be located in this east facing elevation
• o Attached to this would be an extension to the rear of the garage and utility room 13.7m wide by 8.9m deep to adjoin the main rear elevation of the bungalow. The main roof line of the bungalow would be extended over this with a height of 2.8m to the eaves and

• 4.9m to the ridge line of the roof. Main fenestration would consist of patio windows (6) facing

• onto the rear garden area with high level windows facing over the boundary;
• o The erection of a bedroom extension on the rear (west) elevation 7.05m in length by 6m width with heights of 8.8m to the eaves and 4.4m to the ridge of the subsidiary gable roof. Main fenestration consisting of triple patio doors would face inward onto the rear garden with high level window onto north facing boundary.
• o Reopening of three sets windows facing northern boundary to serve bedrooms

2.2 As indicated on the submitted drawing 19 1302/03 external finished would consist of:

• o A smooth render off white masonry paint;
• o Existing roof tiles to be removed and replaced throughout with a flat dark grey/anthracite fibre cement roofing slate;
• o Black upvc fascia boards and soffits;
• o White upvc windows to be replaced and new windows to consist of anthracite grey double glazed units;
• o Installation of rooflights namely 2 x 1140 by1180mm on the east facing roof to serve kitchen; and a single 940 by 1180mm unit in the north facing roof to serve the bedroom.

2.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 2.1 18/00582/B - Alterations and erection of an extension (to rear) , permitted.

- 4.0 PLANNING STATUS AND POLICY

4.2 The application site is within an area recognised as being an area of 'proposed residential', under the Ramsey Local Plan 1998. The site is not within a Conservation Area. - 4.3 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan

4.4 General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 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; (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local

highways.

4,5 Housing Policy 14. In paragraph 8.12 Extensions to Residential Property states that as a general policy extensions to dwellings in built up areas or sites designated for residential use not controlled by Conservation Area or Registered Building policies, that there will be a general presumption in favour of extensions to existing property where such extensions would not have an adverse impact on either adjacent property or the surrounding area in general.

4.5 Residential Design Guide March 2019 provides advice on where extensions and alterations can be designed so as not to have an adverse impact on the streetscene or on the living conditions of those in nearby dwellings.

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Ramsey Town Commissioners, letter dated 25/03/2019 - No objection

5.2 Highways - No observations received - 5.3 Neighbours - No observations received

6.0 ASSESSMENT Character and appearance

6.1 The proposed extensions are substantial in in terms of the increase in footprint. The rear bedroom extension to be located on the north east elevation is similar in area and design to that recently planning permission in 18/00582/B and the other rear elevation element is consists of an infill extension behind the garage on the south west elevation. Other than an extension of the existing gable to cover this part of the extension that maintains the existing main roof line, the rear extensions would not be readily visible from the front elevation with the rear bedroom addition being well contained visually within the rear garden area.

6.2 Though substantial in itself, the front elevation garage and utility area addition on the south west elevation would remain subsidiary in terms of scale with the front elevation utilising a subsidiary gabled roof design that would reflect the overall character and design of the dwelling. The proposal therefore would not unacceptably harm the characteristics of the existing building or the character of its surroundings. In this respect, the proposal complies with GP2. Impact on neighbours - 6.3 The proposal is for a relatively large extensions, one to the rear on the on the northern western boundary adjacent to the neighbouring property at 'Park Hall Lodge' and one on the side south western boundary of the site, adjacent to the property known as 'Cottingley'. - 6.4 The proposed side extension would be set back some 1.5m from the well screened boundary with Cottingley and some 3m distant from the side elevation of this neighbouring dwelling over a 1.8m high timer fence with dense boundary hedging The gable elevation of Cottingley has only a single small obscure glazed window facing onto the site which does not

• appear to serve a main living window and is already further obscured and screened by the boundary hedge and fence.
• 6.5 The existing main roofline would extended some 5.5m southward towards Cottingley with a separation distance across the boundary of some 3m between the gable elevations of these two dwellings. As already indicated, Cottingley has no main living room windows on this gable elevation and there is a 1.8m high close boarded fence on this boundary supported by dense boundary hedges. As such, the proposed extension to the roof would not overshadow or otherwise adversely affect the residential amenities of this dwelling.
• 6.6 With respect to the proposed bedroom extension to be located on the north east boundary with the property at Park Hall Lodge, the roof of the proposed bedroom, this is similar to that previously approved (18/00582/B). As previously approved, this extension would be below the ridgeline of the existing bungalow, with the slope falling towards the neighbouring dwelling. Window opening would be reopened on this elevation but these would face the side elevation of the garage of the neighbouring property and therefore have no impact upon the neighbour' residential amenity in terms of overlooking.
• 6.7 The addition to the front would extend 2.96m forward of the main elevation of the dwelling. Though a substantial addition in itself, this part of the proposal would utilise a subsidiary gable roof and maintain the overall scale and appearance of the dwelling when viewed from the highway within a building line of individual and extended mainly single storey dwellings, some with front additions. As such the proposed front extension would remain in character with the local street scene.
• 6.8 The 45 degree rule advised in the newly published Residential Design Guidance would not apply to the extensions proposed in this application as the proposed south west facing side extension would face over a well screened boundary onto a single secondary non living room window to Cottingley and to the north east, have sufficient separation provided by a dense boundary screening on the boundary with Park Hall Lodge together with an intervening garage on this property to maintain a satisfactory distance between the proposed bedroom extension and main living room windows to the rear of this property. Therefore the proposed development would is unlikely to result in a significant adverse impact upon the living conditions of neighbouring residents, subject to controls. In this respect, the proposal complies with GP2. Parking and highway safety

6.6 Though the front extension would encroach somewhat into the off street parking provision available on this site, the remaining parking area remains substantial and adequate to provide for a dwelling of this size. Parking is therefore adequate and complies with the standards set out in the Appendix 7 - Parking Standards. The proposal is therefore in accordance with GP2. - 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposal is considered acceptable in accordance with the designation within the Local Area Plan and the appropriate policies within the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. - 8.0 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: 24.04.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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