DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/01070/B Applicant: Mr Ian Craine Proposal: Alterations, installation of replacement windows and replacement of two ground floor windows with timber double doors Site Address: 10 Water Street Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 1JP Planning Officer: Mr Nick Salt Photo Taken: 16.10.2019 Site Visit: 16.10.2019 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 04.11.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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 replacement windows must follow the existing glazing bar patterns of the windows which they replace, or in cases where windows had been removed as of 16th October 2019, replicate the adjacent window on the same elevation of the site property.

Reason: To ensure the preservation of the character and appearance of the site and Conservation Area in accordance with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

C 3. The timber double door hereby approved as per 2991/19 Drawing No.100 shall be not be used to provide access into the building for any motor vehicle. Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision is based on 2991/19 Drawing No.100 - Existing and Proposed Plans and Elevations and Site and Location Plans, date stamped received on 23rd September 2019.

_______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is a two storey corner property on Water Street in Ramsey, a narrow side street linking Peel Street and Tower Street in the town centre. The access lane of Cannell's Lane runs along the north-western elevation of the property. The building itself is traditional but of no particular architectural merit. There are a number of timber frame windows on the south elevation facing Water Lane which are of standard top opening casement design, as well as a single doorway. The site property is being used to store plastering materials. - 1.2 The street generally, whilst being within the Ramsey Conservation Area, is a mix of styles with some stonework and traditional design mixed with car park areas and garages. The frontages along the western end of Water Street near the site feature traditional timber framed windows. - 1.3 The site itself features timber windows throughout, most of which are non-opening particularly on the Cannell's Lane elevation (one side opening casement). Three of the windows were noted as damaged or completely removed - it would appear that this is due to vandalism.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposal is for the replacement of the windows on the Cannell's Lane and Water Street elevations with uPVC framed units to match the existing glazing bar patterns. The exception is the 2 ground floor windows on the Water Street elevation which would be removed along with part of the wall to accommodate a 2.7m wide, 2.6m high pair of inward opening timber garage doors. Additionally, whereas all but one of the Cannell's lane windows are nonopening, the replacements would all have side opening panes as per the existing top left window (when facing). The existing walls would also be re-rendered.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 12/01541/B Conversion of exiting building to a dwelling with integral parking, Permitted. This application sought the reuse of the site as a dwelling with the demolition of the Water Street end of the building to accommodate this (the area where the roller door is proposed). - 3.2 More recently (19/00250/B) a planning application for the replacement of the two ground floor windows with a modern garage door was refused. This decision was upheld at appeal. The reason for refusal given was:

"The proposal is contrary to Circular 1/98, Policy R/E/P6 of the Ramsey Local Plan 1998 and General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 in that it would fail to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the streetscene and the wider Ramsey Conservation Area as a whole."

- 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 The application site is located within an area of "Mixed Use - Town Centre" and within the "Conservation Area" on the Ramsey South Local Plan, 1998. Within the Ramsey Local Plan Written Statement 1998 (Planning Circular 2/99). - 4.2 Due to the site location, zoning and the type of proposal, the following policy is relevant for consideration:"General Policy 2: 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;

(g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
(h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space;
(i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways."

4.3 Environment Policy 35 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 Ramsey Local Plan 1998 contains the following policy which is relevant to the application Policy R/E/P6 Terraces states:

"There will be a general presumption in favour of retention of traditional uniform frontages on all pre 1920's buildings in terraces by:

a) retention of traditional doors and windows (size, style, glazing, pattern and section)."

4.5 Where windows are to be replaced in Conservation Areas, Planning Circular 1/98 is a consideration: "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 their construction."

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Ramsey Commissioners have no objection (28.10.19). - 5.2 DoI Highway Services do not oppose the application (16.10.19).

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The main considerations in the assessment of this application are the visual impact on the street scene and character and appearance of the Conservation Area, and any potential highway safety concerns. - 6.2 Visual Impact

6.2.1 The application site is located within the town centre and within a conservation area identified under the Ramsey Local Plan, 1998. Given the nature of the proposed development it is therefore appropriate to assess the proposal against the policies identified earlier within the report (i.e. General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016).
6.2.2 The issue to consider here is whether the proposal would 'preserve or enhance' from the character and appearance of the Ramsey Conservation Area. Water Street connects with the main pedestrian area in Ramsey and whilst the site is some 60 metres west of this area, and Water Street does not retain a uniform traditional appearance, removal of traditional features would still worsen the appearance of the street scene. The renovation of the building is broadly

welcome and would be of benefit to the street scene, however this must be done with a view to the long term preservation of the traditional character of the area.
6.2.3 The existing windows are visibly in a poor state of repair, with some having been smashed in and one completely boarded up. The proposed replacements would all follow the same glazing bar pattern (4 pane on Cannell's Lane and top opening casement on Water Street) with the exception of the two ground floor windows on the Water Street elevation. Most of the windows on the Cannell's Lane elevation are currently non-opening - they would be replaced with side opening casements. The material (upvc) and method of opening would therefore differ and so the proposed windows would not strictly accord with Planning Circular 1/98. However, the windows as existing are not of any particular merit, and the introduction of opening methods would likely be of benefit to the amenity of the occupants. Therefore is it considered that the replacement windows proposed are acceptable as an exception to the Circular as they would preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. The applicant has verbally explained that he wishes to minimise the opening areas in order to make it more secure, having experienced break ins recently.
6.2.4 The main issue with the previous similar application for this site was the installation of the garage door in place of the two ground floor windows on Water Street. This proposal is similar in that garage doors are proposed - but differs as they would be solid timber doors opening inwardly. The consideration here is whether this proposal adequately addresses the previous reason for refusal and the comments from the report of the Independent Planning Inspector following the appeal of that refusal. The previous garage door proposed was described as "blatantly utilitarian" and was regarded to be out of keeping with the Conservation Area as a whole - despite the previous alterations and disrepair of the site building.
6.2.5 Whilst the previous planning application (19/00250/B) was refused at appeal, it is considered that the wider proposal for the replacement windows and refurbishment of the exterior would enhance the conservation area appearance. The previous application was for a roller-shutter modern garage door, whereas the proposed timber doors, whilst they would not accord with Planning Circular 1/98, would not be out of keeping with the residential/industrial appearance of Water Street and this part of Ramsey Conservation Area.
6.2.6 The use of timber doors would allude to the traditional uses and appearance of the street, similar to elsewhere in the area and would be acceptable on balance as a specific exemption to the requirements of Planning Circular 1/98 in that the essential character of the Conservation Area would be preserved.

6.3 Highway safety

6.3.1 Unlike the previous proposal, DoI Highways have no objection. In order to reduce the risk to highway safety however, the door must not be used for the purposes of any vehicle access. The applicant has confirmed that the new opening is not intended to be used a vehicular access point into the building. Any approval on such a door on a side street like this should attach a condition stating that the garage door shall not be used for vehicle access at any time. If not used for vehicle access, there would not be an unacceptable risk to highway safety resulting from the proposal.
7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 As outlined above, the proposal is considered on balance to be acceptable in terms of Environment Policy 35 in that it would preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, and whilst it would not fully accord with Planning Circular 1/98, the greater weight of primary policy contained in the Strategic Plan swings the balance of the acceptability of this proposal as a site specific exemption. The application is therefore recommended for approval. - 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; o 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

o 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: 07.11.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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