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Government Bailly: Elin Vannir
Mrs Fiona Harcourt 116 Woodbourne Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3BA
In pursuance of powers granted under the above Act and Order the Department of Infrastructure determined to APPROVE a planning application by Mrs Fiona Harcourt, Ref 13/00607/B, for the installation of roof light to front elevation and window alteration and dormer with Juliet balconies to rear elevation at 116 Woodbourne Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3BA subject to compliance with the following condition(s):
Date of Issue: 27th June 2013
Director of Planning and Building Control
This decision was made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority delegated to them. This permission refers only to that required under the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005. Any appeal against this decision must be in writing and must be received by this Department within 21 days of the date of this notice.
An appeal form and guidance notes are available from either the Planning Office, Tel 685950, or to download from the Department's website www.gov.im/transport/planning/plan/applications/decision.xml
Please note that a copy of the Officer's report which led to the decision, together with correspondence relative to the application, are available for inspection at the Department.
The proposed development must not be commenced until either;
Whichever is the later.
If no appeal is lodged within 21 days of the date of issue overleaf, and this decision becomes final, the Department's public reference copy (counter copy) of the planning application may be collected by the applicant or their agent from Murray House.
Please note that if the counter copy of the application is not collected within THIRTY DAYS following the last date on which a planning appeal can be made it will be destroyed without further notice.
Department of Infrastructure, Murray House, Mount Havelock, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2SF Tel (01624 685950) email; [email protected]
13/00607/B
| Application No.: | 13/00607/B |
| Applicant: | Mrs Fiona Harcourt |
| Proposal: | Installation of roof light to front elevation and window alteration and dormer with Juliet balconies to rear elevation |
| Site Address: | 116 Woodbourne Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3BA |
| Case Officer: | Mr Edmond Riley |
| Photo Taken: | |
| Site Visit: | 11.06.2013 |
| Expected Decision Level: | Officer Delegation |
1.1 The application site is the curtilage of 116 Woodbourne Road, Douglas; number 116 is a three storey, semi-detached property situated to the east of the highway. A basement level exists at the rear of the property. Number 116 is part Cranford Nursery School and part residential dwelling. The application site is within the Woodbourne Road Conservation Area.
1.2 Development along Woodbourne Road is characterised by three-storey buildings representing various historic periods, with significant predominance from the Victorian period. A variety of finishes – both smooth render and a yellow/red brick mix – are evident, with subtle render colours being the most common. Chimneys are also a strong and visible feature to the streetscene, which is largely devoid of front elevation dormer windows (the application property being a notable exception) although they are more common in the wider area and in rear elevations. No Juliet balconies are apparent.
2.1 The application relates to the residential part of the property, which is at first floor and above. Approval is sought for the installation of a dormer window in the roof to the rear along with Juliet balconies to that dormer and the window below, and a rooflight alongside the existing dormer in the front elevation.
2.2 The only works visible from the public highway is the rooflight proposed to the front elevation. There is, however, a path that runs parallel to Woodbourne Road that provides primarily pedestrian access to the rear of the properties along the highway; the works proposed to the rear elevation would be visible from this path, and also from the dwellings along Palatine Road that are also serviced from the aforementioned access path.
3.1 The application site has been the subject of two previous planning applications that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application:
4.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site is designated as Predominantly Residential under the Douglas Local Plan Order 1998 Map No. 2 (South).
4.3 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 contains two policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application. The parts of General Policy 2 relevant to this application state: "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: (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; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality". 4.4 Environment Policy 35 states that: "Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development".
5.1 Douglas Borough Council has no objection to the application.
6.1 Approval is sought for works to both the front and rear elevations to a property that is a mixture of a nursery and residential dwelling. To the front, a rooflight measuring 780 mm wide by 1400 m high is proposed. To the rear, two pairs of French doors with Juliet balconies are proposed. Of the two pairs of French doors, one measures 1050 mm wide by 1700 mm tall, and would be within the proposed dormer, while the other measures 1050 mm by 2100 mm ; this would replace an existing window on the storey below. Both Juliet balconies measure 1300 mm by 800 mm . The dormer window would be finished in materials to match the existing building, while the Juliet balconies are glazed. The proposed works are to the residential element of the property. 6.2 Given the nature of the planning application, it is important to consider the impact of the proposed works on the appearance of the dwelling itself and on the Woodbourne Road streetscene and the Conservation Area in general. A consideration of residential amenity is also important. 6.3 Dealing with the front elevation in the first instance, the single piece of proposed development is that of the rooflight, which would sit adjacent to an existing dormer window. Its proposed positioning, central above the non-bay window in this elevation, is considered appropriate. Its installation would result in glazing of a roughly equivalent size to that found in the adjacent dormer but, given its location flush to the tiles and at a third storey level, the likely impact on the property, the streetscene and neighbouring residential amenity is judged to be minimal. Further details have been sought from the applicant on the colour of the proposed frame. Confirmation has been received that the frame would be black in colour;
this would match the colour of the rooflights found elsewhere on Woodbourne Road and is therefore considered acceptable. 6.4 Turning to the proposals for the rear of the property, the presence of dormers to the rear of the dwellings is helpful in judging the impact of such development on the area. This precedent is not considered sufficient to render the proposals de facto unobjectionable, however, and an assessment of the merits of this specific planning application is required. 6.5 All the five windows already present (and not proposed for alteration) are different to one another in either size or number of glazing panels (or both). Owing to the presence of scaffolding during the time of the site visit, it was not clear if window proposed to be replaced matched any of the other windows; in either case, it is evident that no uniformity (aside from their being uPVC units) in fenestration exists to the rear elevation. Given the lack of homogeneity, then, two identical windows could in fact be considered inappropriate as this would introduce an element of uniformity that was hitherto non-existent. As such, the principle of the French windows is considered acceptable in this instance. 6.6 In terms of specifics, close attention has been given to reflecting the existing property's materials in render style and colour and, also, roofing materials. Although the plans do not show that the French doors' uPVC frames would match the frames found elsewhere on the property, it was evident from the site visit that uPVC frames are predominant to the rear elevation. 6.7 The final element to consider is that of the Juliet balconies. As noted, these would be unique to the area and could set a precedent and, as such, care should be taken in making an assessment of their appropriateness. In terms of the scale, they are relatively unobtrusive and, being primarily clear glazed (rather than, for example, consisting of metal railings), the visual impact will be reduced. In addition to this, the fact that they appear at the rear of the property - albeit at the highest level - is such as to reduce their visual impact yet further. The principle and specifics are such, therefore, as to enable the French doors considered to be an unobjectionable, if unashamedly unique, addition to the rear elevation of a property in a Conservation Area. 6.8 Although the design of the proposed works is acceptable in terms of the streetscene, it is important to also consider any potential impact on neighbouring residential amenity. In terms of the effect on the Woodbourne Road dwellings, the small scale of the rooflight proposed and distance involved ( 17 metres) is such as to have a likely minimal impact on residential amenity. As to the dwellings with rear elevations overlooking the application site, while the fenestration proposed is larger than (a) the existing, and (b) that proposed for the front elevation, the distance involved ( 42 metres) is such as to make the likely impact negligible. 6.9 It is noted that the rear access path serving both Woodbourne Drive and Palatine Road is 18 metres distant from the application property. This distance is judged significant enough that any potential reduction in public amenity resulting from increased fenestration to the rear elevation of 116 Woodbourne Drive is likely to be minimal.
7.1 It is recommended that the planning application be permitted.
8.1 The local authority, Douglas Borough Council, is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered an "interested person" and as such should be afforded party status.
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Recommendation:
N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal O : 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. The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out unless in full accordance with the following plans, received 22nd May 2013: 2013/14 01 and 2013/13 02.
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.
Decision Made : Permitted Date : ...27...12...13 $\qquad$ Determining officer (delete as appropriate) Signed : $\qquad$ Anthony Holmes Senior Planning Officer Signed : $\qquad$ Michael Gallagher Director of Planning and Building Control
Signed : $\qquad$ Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer Signed : $\qquad$ Jennifer Chance Development Control Manager
PA13/00607/B Mrs Fiona Harcourt Installation of roof light to front elevation and window alteration and dormer with Juliet balconies to rear elevation, 116 Woodbourne Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3BA Planning Officer: Planning history and constraint detail extracted from the planning database for this site, collated for the benefit of the Planning Officer on 22.05.2013, includes;
Listed Buildings: Address: 116 Woodbourne Road,Douglas,Isle Of Man,IM2 3BA Grade: Conservation Grant application Description: Grant application for window repairs / replacements Reference Number: 08/00001/HB Address: Cranford,116 Woodbourne Road,Douglas,Isle Of Man,IM2 3BA Grade: Conservation Grant application Description: Grant Application for replacement windows Reference Number: 03/00147/HB Conservation Areas: Cons Areas: Woodbourne Road Cons Are Dev Control Polygons: Reference Number: 96/00022/B Status: Permitted Proposal: Replacement rear uPVC windows, Cranford Nursery, 116, Woodbourne Road, Douglas. Reference Number: 92/00524/D Status: Permitted Proposal: Provision of advertising signboard, Cranford Nursery School, 116 Woodbourne Road, Douglas. Reference Number: 03/01681/B Status: Refused Proposal: Installation of uPVC sliding sash windows to replace existing to front elevation
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