DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00948/B Applicant: Alan John Bell Proposal: Installation of replacement windows Site Address: Flat 2 Chandler House 1 Ridgeway Street Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 1EW Planning and Enforcement Assistant: Miss Vanessa Wilson Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 29.10.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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 27th August 2019:

• o Site/Location Plan
• o Photos of the existing apartment
• o Details of the window opening and sizes
• o Section 8 of the Application form which states a like for like replacement in uPVC. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The application site is within the curtilage of Chandler House on Ridgeway Street, Douglas. The apartment in question is location on the second floor at the corner of Ridgeway Street and North Quay. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval to replace the existing black timber sliding sash windows with uPVC windows of the same size, shape and opening. PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There is one previous application which was for the installation of aluminium windows in 1996 (96/01098/B) PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as Mixed use (Town Centre) on the Douglas Local Plan 1998, Map 1. The property is also within a Conservation area. Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider General Policy 2, Environment Policy 35 and Planning Circular 1/98.

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'. - 4.4 Planning Circular 1/98: The Alteration and Replacement of Windows which states; Category b) Buildings in a Conservation Area "if the original windows are in place they should preferably be repaired. If repair is 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 and the same frame sections as the original windows. 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 the construction."

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Highway Services have No Highways Interest in this application (09.09.2019).

5.2 Douglas Corporation has considered the proposal and have no objection (12.09.19). 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 Chandlar House and the wider street scene.

6.2 The replacement windows are to be a like for like change but with uPVC instead of timber, this will keep the overall character of the property and will preserve the character of the Conservation Area.

6.3 The windows policy states that there is no preference in the material used in windows within a Conservation Area as such the proposed uPVC windows are recognised as an acceptable alternative to timber. The proposal is deemed acceptable in accordance with the policies that seek to preserve the character and appearance of the property and is not considered to have an adverse impact on the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. CONCLUSION - 7.1 For the above reasons the proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2, Environment Policy 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: 30.10.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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