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The site represents the curtilage of an existing dwelling, Clougher House, situated on the western side of the A3 Ballamodha Straight around half way down. The dwelling is one of a number of buildings on the land owned by this applicant: there is also within the curtilage, an outbuilding to the north west of the house and another immediately behind the houses and to the south, defined in blue, is a recently re-built stone building, formed into a cottage with a new garage built to the south of the cottage.
The site lies within an area designated as "white land" on the 1982p.
The following applications have been submitted in respect of this site:
PA 02/1721 - alterations and extensions to outbuilding to provide additional living accommodation - permitted PA 03/0694 - erection of replacement outbuilding to provide additional living accommodation - permitted PA 04/2048 - rebuilding of existing agricultural outbuilding - permitted.
Proposed here is the re-building of the existing main dwelling and the building behind it and its replacement with a new house and attached triple garage with accommodation above.
The existing dwelling is of very poor appearance: the dwelling was never traditional but a modern structure which has had a flat roofed annex added to the side, a pitched roofed structure added to the other side and a flat roofed, party-timber clad annex at the rear. The result in a hotchpotch of incompatible styles and materials and the existing dwelling has no architectural or visual merit at all. The building behind is a half-cylindrical metal structure, referred to as a garage but more like a horticultural or agricultural storage building.
The new house is much more pleasing to the eye. From the front the dwelling is around the same height, mass and size but with a vernacular style of a traditional Manx stone house with bay windows with slated roofs at ground floor level and an annex on each side, and a sun room on the western side.
To the rear and from the side the property is larger than the existing, extending further back than does the existing dwelling but not as far back as the end of the existing storage building. The rear annex (garage with accommodation above) is 3.5m above the height of the outbuilding. The form of the new dwelling is broken into sections, reducing the appearance of the building. The finished dwelling will be one unit with six bedrooms, all en-suite, kitchen, family room, large lounge, study and dining room (in the sun room) and sun room off the garage.
The property is visible from the Corlea Road (B39) but from some distance (around half a mile away). The property is not visible from the A3 Ballamodha Straight. The existing buildings are eminently suitable for replacement and the visual benefit of removing a building of poor appearance may warrant permitting more floor space than is existing. This is provided for in the emerging Strategic Plan, paragraph 8.12.2 - Extensions to properties in the countryside... "It may be preferable to consider the re-development of non-traditional dwellings or properties of poor form with buildings of a more traditional style and in these cases, the Department may consider an increase in size of the replacement property over and above the size of the building to be replaced, where improvements to the appearance of the property would justify this". This is followed by Housing Policy 16 which states that "The extension of non-traditional dwellings or those of poor or inappropriate form will not generally be permitted where this would increase the impact of the building as viewed by the public. However, consideration may be given to proposals which result in a larger dwelling where this includes the replacement of an existing dwelling or poor form with one of more traditional character, or where, by its design or siting, there would be less visual impact".
In this case, the use of stonework will reduce the impact of the building as viewed from the north and this will enable the new house to blend in more comfortably with the new buildings to the south. The new house and garage will have a footprint of 299 sq.m compared with 236 sq. m of the existing including the footprint of the outbuilding although the new dwelling has more accommodation at first floor level and therefore a larger mass than the existing.
Whilst there is an increase in the size and massing of the property, it is one property, the visual impact is undoubtedly improved and I consider that this justifies approval of the application. There are no objectors to the application and no other residential properties are directly affected by the proposals.
The Department of Transport and the local authority are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (c) and (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation: 20.02.2007
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal
C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
C 2. This permission relates to the replacement of the existing dwelling and outbuilding with a new house and garaging as shown in drawings reference P01, P02, P03, P04 and P05 all received on 12th January, 2007.
C 3. The exterior stonework must be of a traditional nature.
NOTE: Split stone on a backing render is not acceptable as an external finish.
C 4. The roof(s) must be finished in dark natural slate.
I confirm that this decision accords with Government Circular Nos 44/05 (Delegation of Functions to Director of Planning and Building Control) and 47/05 (Delegation of Functions to Senior Planning Officer)
Decision Made : Permitted Date : 28/2/07
Signed : M. I. McCauley Director of Planning and Building Control
20 February 2007 07/00059/B Page 4 of 4
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