Case Officer : Mr A Holmes Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Officer's Report
The Application Site
The application site comprises a parcel of land located on the eastern side of Gardeners Lane in the Poylldooey area of the Ramsey. The surrounding land is currently being residentially developed.
The Proposal
The proposal comprises the erection of two detached dwellings and a terrace of four dwellings within the application site. The proposed development effectively constitutes the revision of the six dwellings previously approved on the plots A1 – A6 under previous planning application 11/00990/B.
Planning History
The application site and surrounding land has been the subject of a number of previous planning applications, the following of which are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application:
Planning application 11/00990/B sought planning application for the erection of 45 dwellings with associated highways and drainage infrastructure, public open space and landscaping, parts of fields 134273, 134274, 134275, 134276 and adjacent highway east of Gardeners Lane, Poylldooey, Ramsey. This previous planning application was approved on the 31st May 2012.
Planning Policy
In terms of local plan policy, the application site is within a wider area of land that is designated as proposed residential use under the Ramsey Local Plan Order 1998. In accordance with the local plan the West Ramsey Development Framework was written to
Application No.:
13/00229/B
Applicant:
Heritage Homes Ltd
Proposal:
Erection of two detached dwellings and a terrace of four dwellings (revised dwelling types to those approved under PA 11/00990/B)
Site Address:
Plots A1 To A6 Of Approved Residential Development Part Of Field 134275 To The East Of Gardeners Lane And North Of Former Railway Line, Poylldooey Ramsey Isle Of Man
provide an overall development framework for the development of the application site and surrounding land.
In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 contains the following policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application.
Strategic Policy 2 states:
"New development will be located primarily within our existing towns and villages, or, where appropriate, in sustainable urban extensions of these towns and villages. Development will be permitted in the countryside only in the exceptional circumstances identified in paragraph 6.3."
Spatial Policy 2 states:
"Outside Douglas development will be concentrated on the following Service Centres to provide regeneration and choice of location for housing, employment and services
Ramsey
Peel
Port Erin
Castletown
Onchan
Area Plans will define the development boundaries of such centres so as to provide a range of housing and employment opportunities at a scale appropriate to the settlement."
General Policy 2 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:
(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; (1) 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."
Housing Policy 4 states:
"New housing will be located primarily within our existing towns and villages, or, where appropriate, in sustainable urban extensions of these towns and villages where identified in adopted Area Plans: otherwise new housing will be permitted in the countryside only in the following exceptional circumstances:
(a) essential housing for agricultural workers in accordance with Housing Policies 7, 8, 9 and 10 ;
(b) conversion of redundant rural buildings in accordance with Housing Policy 11; and
(c) the replacement of existing rural dwellings and abandoned dwellings in accordance with Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14." 11. Housing Policy 6 states: "Development of land which is zoned for residential development must be undertaken in accordance with the brief in the relevant area plan, or, in the absence of a brief, in accordance with the criteria in paragraph 6.2 of this Plan. Briefs will encourage good and innovative design, and will not be needlessly prescriptive." 12. Transport Policy 7 states: "The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards."
Representations
The Department of Infrastructure Highways Division does not oppose the planning application.
The owners and/or occupants of Greenlands, which is located approximately 120 m north of the application site, object to the planning application. The grounds for their objection can be summarised as concern that the proposal does not conform to relevant planning policy. They refer to previous planning application 11/00990/B and comment on a number of issues not specifically proposed by this current planning application.
Mr L Singer MHK (Ramsey) supports the views of the owners and/or occupants of Greenlands.
Ramsey Town Commissioners support the views of the objector in terms of the need for screening for the residents of Auldyn Walk. In drainage terms, the Commissioners raise a number of issues which are dealt with under the Sewerage Act 1999.
Assessment
As highlighted earlier in this report the development proposed by this planning application effectively constitutes the revision of house types on six plots (A1 - A6) with the residential development that was approved under previous planning application 11/00990/B. Given the land use designation of the application site and the previous planning approval it is concluded that the principle behind the proposal is not in question. The purpose of the planning application is to assess the acceptability of the proposed dwellings. Many of the objections raised relate to parts of the estate outside this application site so it would not be possible to address these issues in this current application.
The key differences between the extant planning approval for the application site and that proposed by this current planning application is a pair of semi-detached dwellings become two detached dwellings, with the adjacent terrace of four dwellings being repositioned accordingly. The proposal has little impact on public amenity as the proposal still relates well to the overall surrounding residential development. Similarly, the proposal does not unduly affect private amenity as the positioning and relationship of dwellings is still appropriate for this location. The proposed changes do not alter the overall number of dwellings within the overall residential development nor do they change drainage arrangements, highway arrangements, parking provision or public open space provision.
It is recommended that the planning application be approved.
Party Status
The local authority, Ramsey Town Commissioners are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.
It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should not be afforded interested party status:
The Department of Infrastructure Highways Division; The owners and/or occupants of Greenlands (does not directly adjoin application site and is too distant from application site to qualify for interested party status under criteria (1) (a), (b), (c) or (d) of Government Circular 1/06; and
Mr L Singer MHK.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of 03.04.2013 Recommendation:
Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal
C : Conditions for approval <br> N : Notes attached to conditions <br> R : Reasons for refusal <br> 0 : Notes attached to refusals
C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
C 2. This approval relates to drawing no.s 2290.02.11, 2290.02.12, 2290.02.14, 2290.1105 rev. B, 2290.11.11 rev. B, 2290.12.01 and 2290.12.02 date stamped the 21st February 2013.
C 3. As required by the approval of PA 11/00990, the last two dwellings of the overall development approved by that application, which include these six plots, shall not be occupied until the areas of public open space shown in PA 11/00990 have been turfed with grass and made available for recreational use and the realignment of Gardeners Lane to the north of the roundabout as shown in PA 11/00990 has been completed.
I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control / Development Control Manager/ Senior Planning Officer.
