DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00263/B Applicant: Susan Elizabeth Gee Proposal: Installation of replacement windows on rear elevation Site Address: 7 Summerhill Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 4PG Senior Planning Officer: Mr Thomas O'Connor Photo Taken: 10.04.2019 Site Visit: 10.04.2019 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 02.05.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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. Windows and doors to be installed shall be in accordance with those indicted in the approved technical detail Quote No. DG1058 from Douglas Glazing Ltd submitted in support of this application. All work of making good to the fabric of the building, where necessary, shall be finished to match exactly the existing building fabric in respect of type, size, colour, bond, pointing, coursing, jointing, profile and texture.

Reason: In the interests of maintaining and enhancing the character and appearance of the site located within the Douglas Promenades Conservation Area.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following plans, documents and drawings: Location Plan; Site Plan; A technical extract Quote No: DG1058 from Douglas Glazing Ltd indicating details of replacement windows and; Two annotated photographs indicating changes to windows. Date stamped as received on 8th March 2019

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons None

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The site consists of a three storey 19th century town house dwelling within a terrace of similar located within the Douglas Promenades Conservation Area. On the rear elevation, the external wall finish is of a pebble dash render on the two storey rear gable addition with a smooth render to the single storey extension. Fenestration to the rear is mainly of timber construction with the majority of windows being of a top opening casement type. Guttering and rainwater goods are all in white upvc.

2.0 PROPOSAL - 2.1 This application seeks to replace the timber framed top opening windows with the following:

• o Upper floor of two storey side addition: Removal of the upper storey timber framed top
• opening window on this side elevation and its replacement with an upvc framed top opening window within the same opening;
• o Ground floor rear extension: Removal of two timber top opening casements and their replacement with white upvc top opening windows of the same configuration within the same
• openings.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 19/00219/B Installation of replacement windows, door and fascia / guttering to front elevation

• permitted

- 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 indicated, the site lies within Douglas Promenade 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 Douglas Promenade 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.

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Highway Services: received 19/03/2019. No highways interest. - 5.2 Douglas Borough Council received 01/04/2019 No objection. - 5.3 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. - 6.2 Though windows to the front elevation have already been subject to alteration with upvc replacements recently approved, the rear elevations are not readily within the public view and have remained of a modern timber top opening construction. Three of these windows, which are the subject of this application, are now in a poor state of repair and require replacement - 6.3 Guidance contained in Planning Circular 1/98 in respect of the alteration and replacement of windows to buildings in conservation areas advises that original windows should preferably be repaired. This is clearly impracticable in this case as modern top opening casements have been in place on the rear elevation of this house for a number of years. As already stated the current windows are of poor repair and the upvc replacements would succeed in matching what is currently there in terms of design and occupying the original openings. The pattern and sections of the original rear windows are now unknown with the current windows unlikely to reflect the original fenestration originally used on this Victorian building. - 6.4 Though it would be desirable in principle to have a type of window that in terms of pattern, opening and design would reflect the original this would now be clearly impracticable on the rear of this building. The preference would therefore be for replacement windows to demonstrate a material improvement in respect of what is already there. Utilising the same window openings, the proposed windows would be clear glazed, and retains the now existing top opening design on the upper floors. - 6.5 The replacement windows would maintain the lines of the building at ground floor level and upper storey level on the rear elevation and arguably be an improvement in terms of design and quality to what is there now. - 6.6 On balance, the character and setting of this private rear elevation of the building would benefit from enhancement and improvement proposed to the improvement of the setting of the conservation area which would be maintained and enhanced in compliance with the requirements of General Policy 2.

6.7 in terms of form detail and appearance compared to the windows that they would replace, the replacement windows would be continue to reflect a continuity of design comply with guidance contained in Planning Circular 1/98 in respect of replacement of windows to buildings within a conservation area where the existing timber windows are no longer suitable for repair.

- 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 the rear of this building within the Douglas Promenade Conservation Area would, on balance, result in a material improvement to the that would serve to enhance its character he rear of the building within its setting and therefore meet these tests set by of General Policy

2 and Strategic Policy 4 and Environmental Policy 35.

- 8.0 INTERESTED PERSONS 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 the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 07.05.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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