Planning Statement

PLANNING STATEMENT FOR ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS OF PARADISE (FORMERLY PARADISE FIELD), MILL STREET, CASTLETOWN IM9 1AQ

• 1.0 Introduction
• 1.1 Paradise Field, now known simply as Paradise, is a detached dwelling which sits in its own grounds of 0.3ha (almost an acre) in Castletown within the town’s Conservation Area. It is accessed from Mill Street to the east, has a public footpath running to the north which links Mill Street to Malew Street and off which there is pedestrian access to the site. To the west of the site are the rears of 84 - 106 (even nos) Malew Street and to the east are Paradise Court apartments and Sycamore House. To the south is the side of 23, Mill Street alongside which is a greenhouse which was rebuilt and the subject of a certificate of lawfulness (see Planning History).
• 1.2 The house is not particularly old (approved under IDO 5738 in 1949) and sits to the south of a large area of garden. To the east of the house is a group of buildings - part of the same curtilage - which comprise ancillary accommodation for the main house (understood to be used by the previous owner as a home office) and a garage and a derelict outbuilding to which the garage is attached.
• 1.3 The dwelling and some of the outbuildings are visible over the top of the stone wall which abuts the footpath to the north of the site. This is a narrow route and generally unsupervised from surrounding property..
• 1.4 The outbuildings are also visible from Mill Street in between Paradise Court and Sycamore House.
• 1.5 The site slopes downward towards Mill Street and there is an open area between the outbuildings and the road which is becoming occupied by self seeded trees with one large sycamore which overhangs Mill Street although the root spread is likely to be largely or completely contained within the site, due to the difference in level between the base of the trunk and the road.

Front of house

Rear of house

View of the house from the footpath

Outbuildings used for ancillary accommodation relative to Paradise

Garaging attached to older outbuilding

Mill Street showing the sycamore overhanging the road

View of the existing outbuildings from Mill Street

View of the existing outbuildings from Mill Street (above and below)

1.6 The boundary of the site with Mill Street is formed by a wall which is partly renderedblockwork, partly exposed limestone and partly rendered stonework - see below..

• 2.0 Planning policy
• 2.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South as Predominantly Residential. The site also lies within the town’s Conservation Area (the green line below). Castletown is a Service Centre where a range of housing and employment opportunities should be available at a scale appropriate to the settlement (Spatial Policy 2). This is the second level in the settlement hierarchy, with only Douglas higher.
• 2.2 The residential designation brings with it a presumption in favour of residential development or development which is compatible with residential use. General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan sets this out:

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:

• (a) is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief;
• (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; (d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses;

• (e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea;

• (f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks;
• (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;
• (j) can be provided with all necessary services;
• (k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan;
• (l) is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or flooding;
• (m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and
• (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption.

• 2.3 Development is generally directed towards settlements and sustainable locations (Strategic Policies 1, 2 and 10, Spatial Policy 5 and Housing Policy 4).
• 2.4 The Conservation Area status of the site obliges development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area and that the special character of the area is taken into account (Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man CA/2).

• 2.4 None of the buildings on the site is Registered although planning approval is required for the demolition of any building within a Conservation Area. There is a presumption against the loss of buildings which contribute positively to the character of the area or its special characteristics (Environment Policy 39 and CA/6 of the Planning Policy Statement 1/01 Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man).
• 2.5 The 1860s mapping on the following page shows some outbuildings on the site, including where is now the garage and the older building to which it is attached which is visible from Mill Street (left). There is no dwelling apparent at this time.

• 2.6 The smaller outbuilding, currently alongside and used as ancillary accommodation, does not seem to appear on the site at this time.
• 2.7 Whilst areas within the town near the harbour and Silverburn are shown on the national flood risk maps as being at risk of tidal flooding, this does not extend into the site or west of the western side of Mill Street.
• 2.8 The sycamore which sits within the site immediately adjacent to Mill Street and 1, 2 and 3 Paradise Court is Registered (RT1198).
• 2.9 As the site is within a Conservation Area, there is limited Permitted Development available for the site. This allows, under certain conditions, replacement windows and doors, extensions, polytunnels, greenhouses, sheds and many more alterations or buildings.

• 3.0 Planning history
• 3.1 The site has been the subject of applications for:

90/00114/B - re-roofing of games room 90/00820/B - installation of gas tank - refused 01/00362/B - erection of conservatory 22/01092/LAW for the creation of the garage and greenhouse

• 3.2 There have been a number of applications for the development of the land to the east, fronting onto Mill Street

• 87/04003/A - approval in principle for demolition of old smithy and cottage and erection of single storey dwelling - refused
• 88/00417/A - demolition of existing cottage and erection of single storey dwelling and garage, alongside Paradise, Mill Street
• 89/00420/B - erection of dwelling and garage, 27, Mill Street 94/00466/B - erection of a terrace of four houses and six apartments 04/00382/B for two town houses 08/01841/B - erection of two dwellings

• 4.0 The proposed development
• 4.1 Proposed is a series of alterations to the dwelling and the replacement of the existing conservatory with a new sun room. An existing chimney stack is to be removed, all existing uPVC fascias, guttering and barge boards to be replaced and all existing dashed render walling is to be smooth rendered with a paint finish. A small bay window is to be removed at the rear of the kitchen.
• 4.2 Whilst there is Permitted Development for the replacement of windows and doors, in this case the pattern of glazing bars is to be changed, Similarly, whilst there is PD for replacement doors, in this case the door frames are also to be replaced and the appearance will change. Also, whilst there is PD for extensions, it is likely, looking at the nature of the walls of the property that it has been previously extended since its original construction and as such the proposed addition through the replacement of the existing conservatory will result in the proposed extension being larger than what would ordinarily be permitted under the Order.
• 4.3 The proposed replacement windows will be simpler than what exist, without the glazing bars. The existing windows are uPVC framed with internal plastic glazing bar strips and not the original windows in the property. The replacement doors will match the windows in terms of a larger area of glazing compared with what exists.
• 4.4 The proposed replacement sun room will have a flat roof with parapet wall and hipped glazed roof light in its centre. The walling will be rendered and a set of four bifold doors installed in the rear with A window in the eastern side. The sun room will extend across the whole of the original rear elevation.
• 4.5 New bifold doors are to be installed in the rear of the existing games room, replacing four individual windows and the conservatory which currently extends across the rear of the games room is to be removed.
• 4.6 The chimney to be removed sits on the rear plane and an existing flat roofed dormer which sits alongside is also to be removed.

• 5.0 Planning assessment
• 5.1 There should be a basic presumption in favour of residential development here given the land use designation and the location within a sustainable settlement. The fact that the site is within a Conservation Area should not preclude development, only ensure that development is of an appropriate design and quality to the character and appearance of the area.
• 5.2 The proposed development needs to comply with the requirements of General Policy 2 and also will need to demonstrate that it preserves or enhances the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. The only accompanying text for the Conservation Area in Castletown is the study undertaken in 1994. This talks of the preponderance of limestone, render and slate, the quality of the buildings and the historic street pattern. It also refers to the unique character of Castletown and warns that most buildings will be seen from somewhere and indeed here there are potential vantage points from Mill Street and the public footpath to the north of the site.
• 5.3 The starting point for the assessment of any proposal for the alteration of existing buildings is whether they contribute positively to the character and appearance of the area. The existing dwelling is very much a building of its time and not consistent with any of its neighbours which are either older or newer. In addition to it not appearing to possess any particular attributes which could be considered to contribute positively to the special character of the CA or the area more generally, it has been altered and extended over time with features which may now be considered incompatible with the character of the original house, and the structural condition of the house is not particularly good. Its thermal properties will be reflective of a building built in the 1950s and would not be likely to pass Building Regulation standards applied today. It is, nevertheless, in existence and sits relatively unobtrusively within the townscape. It certainly does not have a negative impact despite being much more modern than and different to the surrounding streetscenes.
• 5.4 What is proposed will enhance the thermal properties of the house through new windows and a scheme of internal modernisation and improvement. The works to the outside of the house will result in a more consistent character appropriate to the age of the building and noting that the existing windows were not original and that the property had been altered and extended previously.

• 5.5 The existing conservatory is neither original nor particularly sympathetic to the character or appearance of the dwelling and is considered to have a neutral impact. The existing conservatory is in very poor condition, poorly constructed and leaking in several places. What is proposed will bring a more contemporary character to the property, consistent with the style of replacement windows and the appearance of the existing games room. There will be a marginal increase in floor area from the replacement of the existing conservatory with the larger sun room, but not significant and given the size of the overall curtilage, what is proposed is considered to remain appropriate and proportionate to the context of the property. None of the works to extend the property will be publicly visible and the works which will be capable of being seen are from some distance across the garden and in any case, appropriate and acceptable.
• 5.6 The proposed rendering of the existing dashed finish will bring the property more in line with surrounding and older fabric and will respect the comments in the Conservation Area Study about the predominant finishes in the Conservation Area. The property will retain the character of a dwelling of this period through the retention of the round bow windows and hipped roof but will be modernised and more comfortable and efficient, enabling it to continue as an attractive and spacious family home at the edge of the town’s Conservation Area.
• 5.7 The works will not introduce any new opportunities for overlooking or impact on the privacy or outlook of adjacent properties and will not affect any undeveloped part of the site, trees or existing vegetation.
• 5.8 The works will not affect the existing access or parking arrangements which remain compliant with the policies and standards in the Strategic Plan.
• 5.9 We believe that the works will enhance the property, for the benefit of those within and surrounding it and that the works comply with all of the planning policies which are applicable to this development.

Sarah Corlett 01.09.25