DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 24/00892/B Applicant: Mr Robert Currey Proposal: Removal of existing render, installation of French doors and change of use from residential to tourist accommodation Site Address: Mwyllin Y Quinney Old Castletown Road Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1EX Planning Officer: Hamish Laird Photo Taken: 02.09.2024 Site Visit: 02.09.2024 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 09.09.2024 _________________________________________________________________

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.

• C 2. For the avoidance of doubt the property may be used and switched between a permanent residential use or for tourist uses.

Reason: Either a permanent residential or tourist use are acceptable and this will allow either one of these uses to operate at any one time.

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

The proposal is considered to comply with the relevant polices of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and there is no demonstrable harm to the above outlined interests arising from the application. The living conditions of the neighbouring properties would not be made worse because of the proposal as the physical works proposed are limited to the removal of external render on the dwelling and the insertion of French doors in the ground floor rear elevation to serve the dining room. The property is presently lawfully occupied as a unit of residential accommodation, and the circumstances of any future occupancy would not change, only the frequency and overall number of occupants during the tourist season. There would be no adverse impact on the character and appearance of the property within the street scene, or to the character and appearance of the surroundings and the Conservation Area. The application accords with the provisions of Environment Policy 10, 13, 22, and 23, Business Policy 13, General Policy 2 and Community Policies 7 and 11 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and is recommended for approval.

Plans/Drawings/Information; The development, hereby approved, shall be carried out in accordance with the following plans and documents:

Drawing No. C/8139/3(A) - Site Location Plan showing the site edged red; and adjoining land edged blue in the applicants ownership/control @ scale 1:2,500 ; and, Block Plan showing the site edged red @ scale 1:500; Drawing No. C/8139/2(A) - Proposed Plans; Elevations, and Section A-A;

All date-stamped received on 12th August, 2024. _______________________________________________________________ Right to Appeal None ___________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site comprises a traditional, Manx two-storey, detached, double-fronted, slate roofed, dwelling of faded white Lime washed, rendered walls, with gables in stonework with a single garage attached to its NE side. It has chimney stacks at each gable end. It is set back from the Old Castletown Road, roadway in stands in spacious, albeit unkempt grounds. It is currently in the process of being refurbished. A ruined stone outbuilding stands in the rear garden area serving the dwelling. The site lies in the countryside outside of any recognised settlement boundary. It is noted that the site lies within a larger area of land edged blue on plan which includes surrounding woodland and land within the curtilage of and including The Mill House.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposal seeks planning approval for the removal of the render to reveal the stonework underneath; to install French doors; and, for the additional use of the property as tourist accommodation in addition to its existing lawful residential use.

- 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 None. - 4.0 THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

4.1 The site falls within the countryside in an area zoned as not for any particular purpose on the Draft Area Plan for the North and West (2024). The site is not a Registered Building or within a Registered Tree Area. It is not in a Conservation Area.

4.2 In terms of paragraphs and policies within the Strategic Plan, Business Policy 13 sets out a general presumption in support of private dwellings as tourist accommodation provided it does not compromise the amenity of the neighbours, Environment Policy 23 also addresses changes to neighbouring amenity as a result of development. Environment Policy 35 relates to development proposals within Conservation Areas. The general design standards set out in GP2 and the Residential Design Guide 2021 should also be taken into consideration along with Environment Policies 10 and 13, Community Policies 7 and 11 in respect of flood risk, minimising criminal activity and reducing spread of fire. - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services (16/8/2024) - comments: " 24/00892/B - After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as the proposed use would have a similar or less parking demand to the existing use."

5.2 Santon Commissioners - no comments had been received by the report drafting stage at 9/9/24. THIRD PARTY/NEIGHBOUR REPRESENTATIONS

5.3 No letters of representation had been received by the Report drafting stage 9/9/24. ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The application seeks approval for the additional use of a residential property as tourist accommodation. Changes are also proposed to the external appearance of the property. These involve the removal of the existing render applied to the principle elevation facing the road; and, the SW side elevation facing in the direction of Ballasalla. It also proposes the installation of French doors to the rear (NW) elevation.

6.2 The proposals also involve changes to the internal layout of the property, namely, the blocking up of a doorway from the hall into the kitchen; and, the conversion of the first floor boxroom into an en-suite bathroom to serf e bedroom 2. These internal changes do not require a specific planning permission.

Tourist use:

6.3 With regard to the additional use of a residential property as tourist accommodation, this can be generally to be supported so long as it does not compromise neighbouring amenity. However there have been a number of concerns raised to this proposal from the occupants of neighbouring properties where the majority appear "owner occupied". Although there is generally a view in favour of using domestic properties as tourist accommodation, there can be times whereby this is opposed and as evidence by the level of objection received from the neighbouring properties. There have been a small number of refusals given to applications looking to gain the same permission; the use of flats for tourist accommodation could potentially have a damaging effect on the amenities of others through the comings and goings of tourists in comparison to permanent residents.

6.4 In cases like this it is less problematical in considering proposals relating to properties which are located within the countryside rather than an urban setting which tend to be more constrained in terms of neighbouring residential occupants living close-by where they may be disturbed by the tourism use. Here, there is already a degree of activity in the area, mainly coming from the A5 Castletown/Ballasalla - Douglas road located approx. 120m to the west, plus the Old Castletown Road itself, which tend to be busier with tourism related traffic in the spring/summer months, and it may be difficult to discriminate the behaviours and particularly traffic movements stemming from tourism as opposed to permanent residents. It may be that as a tourist, a person may be out a lot of the time but may also have a greater number of late nights and be disruptive on return. On the other hand, permanent residents (there are two neighbouring properties here) may be at home more and could be more likely to invite friends or family over for dinner or parties that may be noisy. In general, the majority of people tend to behave well and raise no concerns, although there will always be a percentage that may not behave.

6.5 The site is already in residential use and an additional use for tourism would simply add to the potential for full-time occupancy of the property. - 6.6 It is not expected that there will be any new or increased demands on parking between the existing residential use, or because of the proposed tourist use. There are bus stops located on the A5, although given the rural location any tourist use would most likely be by car users, and possibly cyclists. There are public car parks in Castletown/Ballasalla and Douglas as

• well as on-street parking in these settlements which could be used either by the current occupants or by any anticipated tourists. There is a railway station close by (15 minutes walk away) at Santon for the Isle of Man Railway running between Douglas - Ballasalla - Castletown and terminating at Port Erin , with other stops in between. These transport related aspects in this case are not considered to be determining factors in any consideration of this proposal.
• 6.7 This application is for the additional use for tourism and so the use can easily switch between the existing residential/office use and tourism. It is noted that although the nature of the tourist use might be slightly different from permanent residential accommodation, the use of the site for private rental accommodation would not require planning approval and could result in frequent and continual turnover of residents. The property is also not sized to accommodate large numbers of guests. Therefore, on balance it is considered the use could have a similar impact, whether it is used for tourist or permanent residential use. Business policy 13 indicates that such a use will generally be acceptable providing that it does not compromise the amenities of neighbouring residents - which here it would not. Balancing the above narrative; the lack of any objection to of this proposal from any neighbours and the lack of any response from the Commissioners, this aspect is seen to be unlikely to have an unacceptably harmful impact upon the living conditions of occupants of the neighbouring properties and, is considered to be acceptable.
• 6.8 The proposed changes to the dwelling such as the removal of the render and exposure of the underlying stonework would improve its character and visual quality and would not result in any adverse visual impact. Similarly, the insertion of French doors in the ground floor rear elevation to serve the lounge from the rear garden area would have no bearing on character, appearance and the visual quality of the dwelling in relation to its surroundings.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 For these reasons the proposal is considered to comply with the relevant polices of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and there is no demonstrable harm to the above outlined interests arising from the application. The living conditions of the neighbouring properties would not be made worse because of the proposal as the physical works proposed are limited to the removal of external render on the dwelling and the insertion of French doors in the ground floor rear elevation to serve the dining room. The property is presently lawfully occupied as a unit of residential accommodation, and the circumstances of any future occupancy would not change, only the frequency and overall number of occupants during the tourist season. There would be no adverse impact on the character and appearance of the property within the street scene, or to the character and appearance of the surroundings and the Conservation Area. The application accords with the provisions of Environment Policy 10, 13, 22, and 23, Business Policy 13, General Policy 2 and Community Policies 7 and 11 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and is recommended for approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

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 above who should be given Interested Person Status.

8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot 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 and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded interested person status and/or rights to appeal.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 11.09.2024 Determining Officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

Customer note This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the office copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online service/customers and archive record.