DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 21/00557/B Applicant: Mr Nick Byron Proposal: Creation of new parking area Site Address: 61 Wybourn Grove Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 4AU Planning Officer: Mr Nick Salt Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.08.2021 _________________________________________________________________

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. Prior to the first use of the amended access and parking area hereby approved, the amended access arrangements and parking provision shall be completed in accordance with drawing no. 403-01 received 18.05.21.

Reason: To ensure adequate vehicular access to the site and adequate parking provision in accordance with General Policy 2 and Transport Policy 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan.

• C 3. No development shall take place until details of the driveway surface material and surrounding planting are submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The surfacing and planting shall be installed/planted as approved and retained as such thereafter. Any planting which dies or is removed within 5 years of this approval shall be replaced with a similar species within the first available planting season.

Reason: In the interests of the appearance of the site and wider street scene in accordance with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan.

• N 1. The applicant is advised that the alteration to the highway, in the form of creating a new access crossing the footway, will require a Section 109(A) Highway Agreement to be made post planning consent.

• N 2. The applicant is advised to contact DoI Highways with regard to the repositioning of the salt/grit bin to be removed.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The proposal is considered to accord with General Policy 2 and Transport Policy 7 of the IOMSP, and the land use designation as per the Area Plan for the East. No unacceptable adverse impact has been identified as likely with respect of the appearance of the site and surrounding area, the residential amenity of the neighbours, or parking or access.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following plans and drawings received 18.05.21: 403-01 - Location Plan, Proposed Site Plan _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site relates to an end terrace detached two-storey dwelling in Wybourn Grove in Onchan. The site is positioned perpendicular to the street and adjoins no.63 to the southeast. It fronts onto a play park to the north with a public footpath between. The gable of the dwelling sits forward of the front elevations of nos. 55, 57 & 59 to the southwest. - 1.2 The site does not relate to any Registered Building and is not within a Conservation Area. It is within a Predominantly Residential area as designated by the Area Plan for the East.

The front garden of the dwelling is currently grass, with the side and rear outdoor spaces paved.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposal is for the dropping of the kerb to the northwest corner of the site to provide access to a proposed parking space to the front of the dwelling. A 0.5 metre high rendered wall is to be erected between this and the footpath running along the northeast boundary.

- 3.0 PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site falls within an area designated as Predominantly Residential in the Area Plan for the East. As such, General Policy 2 (GP2) of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan is the key policy in the consideration of this application. - 3.2 GP2 states that 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;
• (d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses;

• (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; and
• (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways.

3.3 Transport Policy 7 requires new development to provide parking provision in accordance with the Department's current standards. These are set out in IOMSP Appendix 7 and require

2 spaces per typical residential unit. The Manual for Manx Roads sets out the minimum requirements for visibility and parking space size.

3.4 DEFA's Residential Design Guidance (2019) is a material consideration. Section 6.3 of the guidance relates specifically to driveways and front gardens.

- 4.0 PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 No recent or relevant planning history identified. 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 DOI Highways have no objection to this application subject to condition for vehicular access arrangements to accord with the submitted drawing. They note that whilst the provided visibility splays are incorrect, given the low speed and the nature of the street and the position of the proposed access, there would be no significant risk to highway safety (30.06.21). - 6.1 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The key considerations in the assessment of this planning application are the visual impact on the character and appearance of the site and wider street scene and on the safety of the adjacent highway.

6.2 Design and Appearance

• 6.2.1 As referenced earlier in this report, General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan requires that development respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them and does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape. The frontage of no.61 as existing is largely characterised by open and informal grass. However, the side gable of the dwelling faces the street, and the frontage faces onto public open space (play park) as per the adjoining dwellings. The wider street scene is varied, with some attractive front gardens being retained and providing an open appearance, and some - particularly further to the south - having fully tarmacked areas to the front.
• 6.2.2 Section 6.3 of the RDG provides guidance on hardstanding to the frontage of dwellings. It is preferable that proposals do not result in the loss of more than 50% of existing front lawned/landscaped gardens. The proposal would see all of the front lawn replaced with the new arrangement. However, the side and rear gardens are also alongside the street and would be retained. Therefore, less than 50% of the overall garden area would be lost. The additional parking and low wall to the northwest boundary would not have an unacceptable visual impact as planted areas are to be retained in agreement with the planning department secured via condition, thus preventing any severe visual harm to the appearance of the street. The applicant has confirmed that they intend to use block paving or similar surface to the driveway, and to have planting along the side of the parking area. Subject to the use of sympathetic hard surfacing materials and the retention of some planting areas to the front of the dwelling, the works would not significantly materially impact the site appearance.
• 6.2.3 Impact on the character and appearance of the street scene is similarly considered to be acceptable, partly due to the existing variation in the street. It is concluded therefore that the proposed alterations would be in accordance with General Policy 2 of the IOMSP.

6.3 Parking and Access

• 6.3.1 The dropped kerb and alterations to the frontage would create direct access to a total of 1 full parking space, an increase from the existing lack of provision. The off-site space would require a dropped kerb section which would reduce some on-street parking capacity, although not be a full car length. It is therefore considered that the proposed would benefit parking arrangements for the site and the wider street.
• 6.3.2 DoI Highways have reviewed the application and consider the proposal to be acceptable in terms of highway safety. The access will connect to a relatively quiet cul-de-sac with good visibility to approaching pedestrians and vehicles. There are similar accesses elsewhere within Wybourn Grove. The applicant is recommended that the salt/grit bin should be repositioned as appropriate and as per advice from DoI Highways. Overall, the proposal is considered to accord with Transport Policy 7.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 In summary, the proposal is considered to accord with General Policy 2 and Transport Policy 7 of the IOMSP, and the land use designation as per the Area Plan for the South. No adverse impact has been identified as likely with respect of the appearance of the site and surrounding area, and the residential amenity of the neighbours, parking or access. - 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: 03.08.2021 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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