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Planning Committee Secretary, DoLGE, Murray House Mount Havelock, Douglas
-5 JAN 2006
2nd January 2006
Dear Madam,
Amendment to approved conversion of former guest houses to six apartments (PA 04/02298B) to include an additional studio apartment and management office on lower ground floor 7-8 Palace Road, Douglas IM2 4LW
I have been requested to prepare a review statement on Mr Bell’s behalf.
The previous approval 04 / 02298B enabled the conversion of these two properties to six flats over the upper three floors. At that time the lower ground floor was shown as storage. The storage was neither said to be nor proposed as ancillary to the proposed flats above. The conversion of the upper floors to flats is now complete and one has already been sold.
The sole change in this application is the use of this lower ground floor level to usable accommodation in the form of a two room flat with ensuite shower room and an office. The two are on either side of the main entrance to the flats above; as such they are separately accessed from them but the office in particular might be used in association with one of the previously approved flats of currently approved small flat on the other side of the hallway.
The development is in a location which is walkable to the town centre and therefore given the very small size of the flat proposed it should not be assumed that it would automatically be occupied by a car owner. Likewise there should be no assumption that an office space which could be utilised in association with an existing flat would generate any additional traffic.
The property is accessed by steps from Palace Road frontage. The rooms concerned in the current proposal like the rest of the property are well above street level and have bay windows facing the same south-easterly view over Douglas Bay. They are not semi-basement as might be assumed by the designation ‘lower ground’ floor but have had to have double glazed sash and case windows installed to keep the integrity of the rest of the property and have to be heated and maintained. Their use for storage would clearly be detrimental to the amenity of
property and residents as a whole, the latter since they would look into it from the outside, and uneconomical, impracticable and a waste of resources.
It is pertinent to note that previously the rooms accommodated two bedrooms and a bar lounge. From a fire point of view it would be far preferable not to have permanent storage (within which there could be no control over the type of material stored) underneath residential flats. The small flat would be well within the affordable price range for anyone wishing to buy it being probably about half the cost of the property allowed for in Government first time buyer schemes and represent an ideal opportunity for a first time buyer to get on the property ladder with a modern flat in a quality development.
There is ample storage for the existing approved flats. At street level there are two covered stores which provide accommodation for refuse bins and bikes. At the rear of the property is a drying area and two additional covered stores. In addition a third store and part of the rear garden ground is provided for the sole use of one of the flats. On the lower ground floor level outside is a large patio area with parasol and seating enabling residents of all the flats to enjoy the amenity of the view the property affords over Douglas Bay.
There is plenty of parking available on both sides of Palace Road adjacent to the property and no development opposite to make use of the parking on the opposite side of the road. As the storage shown on the previous application was not for use in association with the flats above, it is clear that if continued it should be considered that it too was potentially traffic generating and that the current proposal would not generate any more traffic than that already approved. Moreover the Department of Transport properly considered that they proposal would create no adverse impact presumably over and above that which has already existed / been approved. There have been no objections by neighbours, Douglas Corporation or the Fire Service on any grounds let alone traffic generation. The previous use of the buildings as a whole (22 bedrooms and bar lounge) and of the rooms in particular (2 bedrooms and bar lounge) had the potential for generating far more traffic than that currently proposed.
The proposal enables more appropriate use to be made of the space which already existed in the building than that previously proposed. Its use as such will be complimentary to the amenity of future residents of the flats above. It will not detract from them. In comparison to the previous existing uses of the building in particular but also in comparison to its approved use as storage the proposal may create less demand for car parking and will certainly not increase the amount of parking required. For all of the above I trust the Planning Committee will support changing their decision on review and approving this application.
Photographs are attached illustrating the points made. - to follow Yours sincerely Patricia S. Newton
Planning Committee Secretary
Photographs to accompany Review Statement Submitted on behalf of Mr. J. Bell 7-8 Palace Road Douglas.
Patricia S. Newton 5 Jan 2006
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