DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/01126/B Applicant: Mr Stephen & Mrs Fiona Harcourt Proposal: Installation of a replacement window Site Address: Cranford 116 Woodbourne Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3BA Planning and Enforcement Assistant: Mrs Vanessa Porter Photo Taken: 19.11.2019 Site Visit: 19.11.2019 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 26.11.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 7th October 2019:

• o Site/Location Plan
• o Drawing of the proposed casement window
• o Photo of existing window _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The application site is within the curtilage of Cranford, 116 Woodbourne Road, Douglas which is a three storey semi-detached property situated to the east of the highway and is currently a nursery school on the ground floor level with private accommodation to the first and second floors. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval to replace a window to the rear of the property. The current window is a white PVC casement window of which the approval is for a like for like replacement. PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The previous planning applications are 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, Environment Policy 35 and Planning Circular 1/98.

4.2 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;

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 Sets 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 (30.10.2019).

5.2 Douglas Corporate have considered the proposal and have no objection (01.11.19). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are; (i) the impact of the proposed development on the character of the 116 Woodbourne Road and (ii) whether the windows preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Woodbourne Road Conservation Area. Also of relevance to consider against the assessment of this application is Environment Policy 35 and Planning Circular 1/98.

6.2 The window can only be viewed from the rear of the property when moving through the rear alley which connects York Road with Withington Road. The window itself being on the first floor isn't very visible from the rear and with the window being a like for like replacement the character of the existing property and streetscene would not be impacted.

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 pvcu 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 dwellinghouse 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 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: 02.12.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

Customer note

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