DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/01051/B Applicant: Mrs Denise Marsh Proposal: Creation of off road parking with associated vehicular access Site Address: 111 Ballanorris Crescent Ballabeg Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 4EU Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.01.2021 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

• C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. The means of vehicular access and parking areas must be constructed in accordance with the approved plans (proposed driveway plan date stamped 10/09/2020). The access and parking areas must be maintained free from obstruction and available for use at all times thereafter. Reason: In the interests of highway safety.
• C 3. Notwithstanding the 'decorative pressed concrete' detail shown in the proposed car parking plan, the off road driveway parking area hereby approved must be finished in a permeable surface. Details of the permeable surface must first be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department prior to the undertaking of any works on the site. The works must be implemented in full accordance with the approved details and retained as such thereafter.

Reason: To ensure a suitable permeable surface is installed to prevent surface water run-off on to the public highway in the interest of highway safety.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The application complies with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and 6.3 of the Residential Design Guidance 2019.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to Site location plan, existing driveway plan, proposed driveway plan and supporting photographs all date stamped and received 10/09/2020.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of an existing detached dwelling located on a corner plot within Ballanorris Crescent, Ballabeg. - 1.2 The existing dwelling has an attached garage on the south side elevation access from the main estate road, in front of this garage is a driveway providing two off road parking spaces in tandem. - 1.3 Around to the north facing front elevation and garden area the dwelling bounds with a small cul-de-sac road serving 5 dwellings.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the creation of an additional off road parking to the front of the dwelling and accessed from the cul-de-sac and nearest the turning circle. - 2.2 The parking area proposed is to be approx. 6m wide x 7m deep and laid in concrete. 6m of the existing boundary hedging is to be removed to facilitate the creation of the access. An additional hard standing area is to be formed nearest the existing oil tank for the wheelie bin. - 2.3 A letter received from the applicant by email dated 20/01/2020 states that the proposed driveway is to be finished in paving with a permeable base.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 No previous application considered material to the current proposal.

- 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 The application site is within an area designated as Predominantly Residential on the Area Plan for the South (2013). In terms of policy it is important to consider General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 as well as Section 6.3 of the Residential Design Guidance 2019 in the assessment of this application. - 4.2 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:

• 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;

• 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;

4.3 Residential Design Guide 2019 - 6.3 DRIVEWAYSAND FRONT GARDENS

…6.3.4 Proposals which result in the loss of more than 50% of the existing front lawned/landscaped garden will not normally be supported, to ensure the character of the street scape is retained and avoid frontages of properties appearing as one large car parking area, detrimental to the appearance of the street scene and to the outlook of residents. It is important that the design of a driveway maintains a balance between hard and soft landscaping and contributes positively to the street scene. Proposals are unlikely to be supported where they do not meet the following guidelines:

• o the area intended for the driveway should be the minimum space necessary (see the Manual for Manx Roads);
• o where possible, the impact of the driveway is lessened by retaining mature trees and shrubs and/or creating areas of new planting (for example, a planted strip or hedge between the vehicular and pedestrian access can help to break-up the appearance of the hardstanding whilst planting around the fringes of the driveway can also be used to good effect and may be used to help screen the vehicle);
• o if an opening is made in an existing wall, fence or other boundary feature, the ends should be made good with matching or sympathetic materials (i.e. pillars);
• o where possible, separate pedestrian access should be retained/provided (existing gates should normally be retained and any new gates should not open out over the highway);
• o any new gates, walls, fences or other boundary features should reflect the traditional style of the local area;
• o consideration should be given to a strip of grass or gravel placed in the centre of the hardstanding can hide leaked oil and maintain the look of a front garden; and
• o parking spaces should be avoided directly in front of any Primary Window as the resulting outlook can be undermined by the presence of parked cars."

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Arbory Commissioners - In support provided the materials used allow water to soak through rather than run off onto the roads (23/10/2020). - 5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - Do not oppose subject to condition (30/09/2020) The proposed visibility splays are adequate given the position of the access within the turning point, low speeds and limited number of traffic movements to provide exit sight lines of 2 x 20m to the right and 2 x14m to the left. The proposal is unlikely to raise highway safety or network efficiency issues, instead would remove some onstreet parking to a more convenient location allowing the road space to be used for its intended purpose of access and passage. A condition should be added to require the access, parking areas being provided in accordance with the submitted plans and an advisory note added for a separate s109(A) Highway Agreement. DOI also stated that surface water should be contained within the site, following the letter received from the applicant Highway Services confirmed on 21/01/2021 that they would be content with a condition being added in respect of the driveway surface details being provided prior to undertaking any works on site. - 5.3 No comments received from neighbouring properties.

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The proposal results in the loss of part of the boundary hedging which will have very little impact on the general character of the streetscene which is already fairly varied and there remains suitable garden space to the front as to comply with the RDG 2019. Unlike the smaller tandem spaces on the existing drive, the proposal will now create two readily accessible car parking spaces sized to current parking standards; visibility splays are considered adequate given the position of the access within a cul-de-sac and the creation of the off road parking likely to reduce the need for on street parking and working towards improving highway safety. Additional information clarifies that the parking area will be finished in paving with a permeable surface to address the surface water matters. For the avoidance of doubt a condition requesting that details of the permeable surface be provided prior to undertaking any works is considered appropriate. - 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 For the above reasons the proposal is considered to comply with GP2 (b, c, g, h, and i) of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and 6.3 of the Residential Design Guidance 2019 and therefore acceptable. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material. 8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 22.01.2021 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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