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Proposal: Erection of 2no. dwellings with integral garages The Site: Plot of land adjacent to Maughold Lodge, Claughbane Walk, Ramsey, Isle of Man IM8 2JP Applicant: Mr David Maddrell
PLANNING & BUILDING CONTROL RECEIVED ON 18 SEP 2015 DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
1.0 The Site 2.0 Recent Planning History 3.0 The New Proposal 4.0 Planning Considerations 5.0 Design 6.0 Highways 7.0 Drainage 8.0 Summary 9.0 Conclusion.
The site, formerly part of Maughold Lodge, was bought by the applicant in 2007 as a vacant building plot with 'Approval in Principle' for a single dwelling with vehicular access off Claughbane Walk.
The majority of the site is relatively flat open land situated below Maughold Lodge with a steeply sloping section leading up to Claughbane Walk. The boundaries to the north, east and west have tall hedges, planting and trees that provide a good level of privacy from neighbouring properties (See photographs in Appendix I). A full tree and levels survey was undertaken in 2009 and remains current.
A foul drain from Maughold Lodge cuts across part of the site from south to north
Since being in the applicant's ownership, the site has had several planning applications relating to the erection of a single dwelling and creation of a vehicular access. Although recommended for approval by the planning officer, and thereafter approved by the planning committee, the applications were the subject of Appeals requested by the neighbours. At each stage the scheme was revised and fine tuned to respond to the concerns of the neighbours with respect to access and their privacy.
Eventually under planning application ref: 10/01832/B, the scheme was approved at Appeal in 2011. This approval has recently been extended and is valid until 25th August 2019. Reduced copies of the approved drawings are attached in Appendix II of this document.
During the period since the planning approval was granted, the applicant has been in discussions with the owner of the neighbouring land, Mr. Richard Morris, regarding clarification over the boundary between the two sites. This has now been amicably resolved.
Prior to starting the construction work the applicant has taken the opportunity to review the approved scheme. In view of the substantial cost of creating the new access and driveway, it would make more financial sense if the access served two smaller properties rather than the larger single approved dwelling.
This new 'Approval in Principle' application therefore seeks approval for two smaller dwellings with integral garages on the site, utilising the approved access as a shared driveway.
The new scheme proposes to replace the approved single dwelling with two dormer bungalow style dwellings. The vehicular access would be as per the approved scheme with some minor modifications to achieve the required visibility splays for a shared access. The lower driveway has also been modified to allow additional visitors parking and a turning area.
A draft layout was prepared and submitted to the planning officer, Mr. Chris Balmer, for his comments and pre-application advice. His initial concerns were the potential impact and overlooking of the neighbours given that one of the properties is adjacent to the boundary with the rear gardens on Queens Valley. In addition there was some concern about proposed external amenity space for the two dwellings and potentially small or unusable gardens.
Appendix III shows computer illustrations of the type of dwellings proposed and positioned on the site. The style and design shown is also very much in-keeping with the original approved scheme, with options for rendered or brick walls, which relate to the style of Maughold Lodge and the neighbouring dwellings. The second floor accommodation is predominately within the roof space to keep the ridge height of the proposed dwellings as low as possible and so reduce the visual impact of the proposed buildings. The final design would be subject to full planning approval.
The combined floor area of the two dwellings is approximately the same as the approved scheme, but by being split into two units the visual mass of the buildings is greatly reduced.
Is it also proposed that the elevations will be designed so that there are no first floor windows directly overlooking the Queens Valley properties or Mr. Morris's land, other than dormer windows serving the bathrooms. These dormers will have frosted glass to maintain privacy for both occupants and the neighbours. Trees, hedges and planting along the boundaries will not be affected by the position of the proposed dwellings and can be further enhanced by providing additional planting.
Overall the breaking up of the mass of the buildings and the reduced ridge height, together with a sympathetic design can overcome any potential visual impact or overlooking.
The planning officer was also concerned over the use of the proposed garden spaces. The site plan demonstrates that each property will have a good sized rear garden providing sufficient levels of privacy from each other and from Maughold Lodge. In addition the orientation of the buildings provides each with pleasant external spaces to the front and sides, and a large shared landscaped area along the access driveway. The orientation of each building, at an angle to the other, also ensures that there is no direct overlooking of the main living areas. Each property has a sense of open space, and good views with sufficient levels of amenity space and privacy.
Additional planting is also proposed along the boundary with Maughold Lodge so that the development is further screened and the privacy of garden spaces protected. Although Maughold Lodge is set at a much higher level than the proposed dwellings, its outlook is directed more towards the distant sea views rather than down to the plots below. In this respect the proposal for two dwellings on the site is no different from that of the approved larger single dwelling.
The applicant has recently met with the Highways Technical Officer to discuss the current proposal for two dwellings and the requirements for sightlines on to Claughbane Walk. This single track lane has been confirmed as having low traffic density. The lane and visibility from the proposed entrance are shown in the photographs in Appendix IV.
The Highways officer has confirmed that for a shared access the following should be complied with:-
The originally approved entrance has been modified slightly to accommodate the above requirements. The proposed site plan now shows an entrance of a minimum 4.1 metres for the first 6 metres, with a passing place at the head of the driveway and at the lower part of the site. The photographs show that there is clear visibility for the required 35 metres, and in fact vehicles can be seen along this single track lane up to 70 metres away. On-site provision is also made for temporary visitors parking and the turning of service vehicles. To avoid the need for bin wagons to enter the site, a covered bin store can be provided adjacent to the new entrance.
In order to achieve improved visibility, the proposed access point has been moved slightly closer to Maughold Lodge and further away from the stone boundary wall of Queens Valley. The driveway has been modified accordingly with the benefit that this provides a larger landscaped buffer zone with the rear gardens of adjacent properties on Queens Valley. As it is now closer to the embankment with Maughold Lodge, the structural engineer has advised that the driveway can be constructed without the need for the stone retaining walls proposed in the original scheme. This benefits the site and neighbours by providing a much softer landscaping scheme.
The entrance 'lay-by' formed along Claughbane Walk has been retained as per the original approval. The Highways Division supported this in the application as it created a much needed passing place for vehicles travelling along the lane.
Overall the Highways Technical Officer has commented that the revised access arrangements to suit the proposal for two dwellings, appear to be in order. Full comments will be made when the planning application is submitted.
Originally there were concerns raised by the neighbours regarding the provision of surface water drainage as the existing lower part of the site is subject to flooding in wet weather.
The applicant has discussed this further with the Drainage Division and with the owner of the neighbouring site, Mr. Richard Morris, across whose land an existing foul drain passes. The Drainage Division and Mr. Morris would have no objection to the proposed dwellings connecting to the main foul and surface water sewer via new drains on Mr. Morris's land. Removal of surface water from the roof and driveways to discharge into a new surface water drain would reduce the amount of water soaking in to the ground and therefore greatly reduce, if not totally overcome, the problem of land drainage at the lower end of the application site.
At this level of design we believe that it has been successfully demonstrated that two smaller dwellings can be accommodated on this site, and that the criteria required by the Highways and Drainage Divisions can be complied with.
We would request that Approval in Principal is granted subject to any conditions deemed appropriate to safeguard the privacy and amenity of the neighbours.
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