Covering Letter and Justification

Ref: 13 1015 CM LC

Date: 10th October 2013

Miss Jo Callow

Secretary to the Planning Committee

Department of Infrastructure

Murray House

Mount Havelock

Douglas

Isle of Man

Dear Madam,

RECEIVED ON

16 OCT 2013

DEPARTMENT OF

INFRASTRUCTURE

Re: Proposed repositioning of approved replacement dwelling (PA13/00005/B) Mill House, Dogmills, Ramsey, Isle of Man IM7 4AD) For Mr & Mrs Brian Charlesworth.

We are pleased to enclose four copies of our drawings numbered, 13 1015 1, 2, 3, 4 1208G 01 & 02 showing the existing site and location plans, measured survey, site photographs, proposed floor plans, elevations and artists impressions for the above mentioned proposed works, with four copies of the planning application form duly completed and the planning fee for £240.00 payable to the Isle of Man Government.

Supporting information.

This application is concerned with the adjustment of the position of the replacement dwelling approved under the above planning application (13/00005/B). The existing property and site have been purchased recently by the above applicant and although they wish to keep the house size, design, finishes etc as the current approval, it would be beneficial to them to adjust the position very slightly, from its current approved position. In addition and in support of this application, we feel that the minor adjustment proposed, offers the following genuine planning advantages:

As part of the current approval in force (13/00005/B), a landscaping scheme is required by condition 4. It applies only however, to the immediate area associated with the removal of the existing Mill House footprint and no further. The existing planning approval does not request any other planting to screen the proposal from the A10 Bride road. Although already of suitable distance from this road, further planting as indicated (drg no. 1208G 01 & 02) is proposed within this application to afford additional screening to further soften the proposal from the road perspective, which if successful, would result in an environmental improvement and lesser visual impact over the current approval. Trees proposed are of native species identified within Planning Circular 1/93 (Landscape Guidance Notes) and include Rowan, Holly and Maple to screen the proposal from the road.

Similarly and in relation to screening, it is perceived that if the current proposal is allowed and the proposal moved further from the wall/lane then this would facilitate better an increase in ground levels directly behind the retaining wall in the form of planters which in turn would allow greater planting to take place to the Northern wall/lane to offer further privacy from the public lane to the house and in turn, screening from the house to the public lane. Hedge planting to the public lane boundary would include Fuchsia and Escallonia.

The existing Western garden area running to a point at its junction with the hedge and A10 road is of little use as garden, due to its shape and distance from the proposal. This application proposes that in order to allow the movement of the proposal away from the Northern wall that this area of land is given over to agricultural use as a trade off for the land requested to improve the adjustment of the dwelling proposed. The area to be given over to agricultural would be almost twice that of the area requested as residential. Area requested as residential = 80sq m. Area given over to agricultural =150sq m.

In addition to the above, it is the desire of the current client to keep livestock on the land (sheep) as they do on their existing smallholding, thus utilising the agricultural land for its current designated purpose. It is unused currently.

The above items are concerned with improvements, from a planning perspective but the proposed repositioning offers direct benefits to the current owners from a construction and privacy outlook also. The construction improvements associated with the adjustment of the proposal in this application, over the current approval include, greater flexibility in the re alignment of the culvert and in the construction of the retaining wall. Improved space to circulate around the building (for mowers etc) plus, being further away from the lane wall, the corner of the dwelling closest to the wall would not result in a dark whole, due to its proximity to the wall.

Sun tracking software has been applied to the proposed building models since the approval of the current application and indicates also that the slight adjustment requested under this application, offers an improvement over the current situation.

The movement of the building away from the existing lane wall will offer greater privacy to the occupants of the proposal and also to people utilising the public access lane to the beach and with the addition of the suggested planting, would benefit both the public and the owner's privacy.

In addition to the repositioning of this proposal, the ridge height has been increased slightly over the previous approval, by 150mm, still remaining below the ridge height of Mill House but resulting in slightly less site cut of ground levels. The lift is minor and could not be perceived as any different when viewed from the lane or main road, over the previous approval.

Housing Policy 14 has been complied with fully under the current approval and the request to adjust its positioning meets exactly with the policy wording also and in addition offers a genuine environmental improvement over the current approval with the inclusion of a planting scheme resulting in a lesser visual impact from the A10 Bride Road.

Two copies of the enclosed drawings and planning application form are for onward transmission to the Design Division of the Department of Transport and the Local Authority, for their consideration.

We would be obliged if you could place this application on the Agenda of your next Planning Committee Meeting and advise us of the outcome in due course.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Millar, Dip Surv. PENKETH-MILLAR LTD Encl