Erection of a detached dwelling and associated detached garage

Why Was This Refused?

• ✓Poor vehicle access, manoeuvring space, and visibility onto Cooil Avenue creating highway safety concerns
• ✓Height and proximity of the proposed dwelling to rear boundaries of neighbouring properties
• ✓Likely harm to the living conditions of adjacent residents, particularly Thie my Chree
• ✓Site lies to the rear of existing dwellings fronting Cooil Avenue, with an existing outbuilding or stables on the land
• ✓Vehicles observed parked on Cooil Avenue directly in front of the proposed access point during the site visit
• ✓highways
• ✓access
• ✓provisions for access including manoeuvring space and visibility of and for vehicles emerging from the site are so poor as to be detrimental to highway safety
• ✓development, by virtue of its height and proximity to the rear boundaries of existing dwellings would adversely affect the living conditions of those in adjacent property

This application sought permission to erect a detached dwelling and associated detached garage on a parcel of land to the rear of three properties fronting Cooil Avenue in Kirk Michael, Isle of Man. The site contains an existing outbuilding or stables with a footprint of approximately 18.5m by 5.8m. The application was refused by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture on 9 December 2019. Two clear planning concerns drove the decision: the access onto Cooil Avenue was found to offer inadequate manoeuvring space and poor visibility for emerging vehicles, creating a highway safety risk; and the proposed dwelling's height and position close to the rear boundaries of neighbouring homes was considered likely to harm the living conditions of those residents, particularly the occupants of Thie my Chree. The officer's site visit noted that parked vehicles on Cooil Avenue were already obstructing the proposed access point, and that the road surface showed signs of wear including potholes. Both the officer's recommendation and the formal decision were to refuse.

The application was refused on two grounds. First, the access arrangements — including manoeuvring space and visibility for vehicles leaving the site onto Cooil Avenue — were considered so poor as to pose a risk to highway safety. Second, the proposed dwelling's height and closeness to the rear boundaries of neighbouring properties, particularly Thie my Chree, was judged likely to harm the living conditions of those residents.

Policies Assessed (3)

Planning History (8)

Documents (33)