DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 24/00018/B Applicant: Mr & Mrs Karl Waggett Proposal: Removal of existing chimney stack Site Address: Gollane Jurby Road Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 3NZ Principal Planning Officer: Belinda Fettis Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 06.05.2024

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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The chimney is not dominant in the streetscene and its' removal would not cause harm to the dwellinghouse or the character of the streetscene or residential amenity. Therefore by virtue of the overall neutral impact the proposal is not contrary to the aims and objectives of the Design Guide or General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan (2016).

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following detail, plans and drawings received on the 15th of January 2024.

• - Site Location Plan drawing no.22 1708 CS 01
• - Existing and Proposed Elevations Plan drawing no.22 1708 CS 02 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

- 1. THE APPLICATION SITE

• 1.1. The application site relates to a detached dwellinghouse known as 'Gollane'. The dwellinghouse occupies a corner plot on Jurby Road (A13) at its' junction with Whitebridge Avenue in Ramsey. The site comprises private driveway off-road parking from Jurby Road and surrounding gardens. The dwelling has two chimneys.
• 1.2. In this locality Jurby Road is characterised by the mature trees and vegetation within gardens adjacent the road. In most cases the vegetation affords the passer-by glimpses of the buildings behind them more than openly visible. There is a mix of architecture, finishes and, single and two storey properties.

- 2. THE PROPOSAL

• 2.1. This application seeks approval for the removal of a chimney stack.
• 3. PLANNING HISTORY

• 3.1. There are previous applications associated with the site however none are considered material in the assessment of this application.
• 4. PLANNING POLICY

• 4.1. Under the 1982 Ramsey Local Area Map 1 the site is within an area designated as Predominantly Residential. The designation is carried forward to the proposed Area Plan for the North and West; Draft Proposals Map 4 which is in the process of adoption.

• 4.2. The site is not a Registered Building or within a Conservation Area, nor within the setting of either. Policies within the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and Design Guide are used to assess the proposal.
• 4.3. Strategic Policy 3 requires development to ensure that the individual character of an area is protected or enhanced. Where development is in keeping with its designation within the area plan, it still needs to meet the relevant criteria of General Policy 2, (a) to (n).
• 4.4. Section 5 of the Design Guide provides specific advice on chimney stacks and flues, acknowledging that chimney stacks make an important contribution to the character and appearance of dwellings, the streetscene and the skyline. Therefore the loss of a chimney stack should be carefully considered.
• 5. REPRESENTATIONS

• 5.1. The following representations can be found in full online, below is a short summary; 5.2. Ramsey Town Commissioners: No objection (1.03.2024).

• 5.3. Highways: No interest (22.01.2024)
• 6. ASSESSMENT

• 6.1. PRINCIPLE 6.1.1. Generally domestic alterations are acceptable, but the key considerations for this assessment is whether the proposal would have a detrimental impact upon the character of the dwelling and or the locality, and whether there would be any harm to residential amenity.

- 6.2. CHARACTER

• 6.2.1. The dwellinghouse is single storey to Jurby Road with a small dormer window and two chimneys, one on the east and one on the south of the roof. Although there are two chimneys they are viewed together in limited visuals due to the mature vegetation, however they are both visible from the public walkway along the southern boundary; between Whitebridge Avenue and Westlands Close.

• 6.2.2. Paragraph 5.1.1 of the Design Guide states, "Chimney stacks make an important contribution to the character and appearance of dwellings, the street scene, and the skyline. They are also often particularly important features of many dwelling designs, which as well as being functional, also provide interesting and distinctive patterns in the roofline, and often make a positive contribution to the particular quality and general appearance of an area."
• 6.2.3. Because of the mature vegetation in the locality the skyline is not dominated by chimneys in any visual; it is dominated the vegetation. As such removal would result in a neutral impact upon the site and locality, neither protecting nor enhancing the dwellinghouse or the streetscene.

- 6.3. NEIGHBOURING AMENITY

• 6.3.1. Removal of the chimney would not cause harm to residential amenity.
• 7. CONCLUSION

• 7.1. The chimney is not dominant in the streetscene and its' removal would not cause harm to the dwellinghouse or the character of the streetscene or residential amenity. Therefore by virtue of the overall neutral impact the proposal is not contrary to the aims and objectives of the Design Guide or General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan (2016).
• 8. RECOMMENDATION

• 8.1. On the basis of the above, the recommendation is to approve the proposal.
• 9. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

• 9.1. By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• o 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
• o Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 9.2. 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 Acting Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 10.05.2024 Determining officer

Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management

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