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The site represents the curtilage of the detached dwelling, 'Upper Lhergydhoo', Staarvey Road, German. The property is situated on the western side of the Staarvey Road, accessed by a sloped gravel drive way. The existing buildings are made up of the original farmhouse, attached converted barns and two adjoined out buildings. These are arranged in an 'L' shape with the front elevation facing to the south west.
The site is located in an area identified by the 1982 Development Plan Order as an 'Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance'. As such the land is not zoned for development.
There have been several previous planning applications that are considered relevant to this proposal:
Planning application 06/00047/B sought permission for the installation of uPVC casement windows to replace existing. This was permitted on the 22nd March 2006.
Planning application 06/00037/B sought permission to remove the existing lean to and erect a two storey extension to side elevation. This was permitted on the 22nd March 2006.
Planning application 00/00968/B sought permission for the conversion of an existing barn to a granny flat. This was permitted on the 27th October 2000.
Planning application 00/01763/B sought permission for the erection of a sun lounge to approved barn conversion. This was permitted on 19th February 2001.
Planning application 99/01012/A sought Approval in principle for the erection of a dwelling. This was refused on Review for the following reason:
'The area in which this site is situated is not designated for development, there would not appear to be sufficient justification to set aside the policy against development in the countryside and permission for this dwelling would establish a very unfortunate precedent, undermining the general policy against such building.'
This proposal seeks permission for alterations, the erection of an annex providing living accommodation and the replacement of a storm porch to the south west elevation.
The alterations are to the existing barn conversion and consist of the removal of an existing window in the gable end where the proposed annex is to extend from. There will also be an internal door on the ground floor linking the converted barn to the proposed annex.
The proposed annex is to be situated on the footprint of two existing outbuildings that currently extend from the existing converted barn. The applicant has indicated that these buildings are in a poor state of repair and due to the floor levels being below surface level they routinely flood in adverse weather conditions. These have no specific use and are considered to be an eyesore by the applicant. The annex itself is to be a single storey building with a slate pitch roof. The dimensions are approximately 15m in length, 6m in width with a height of 5m giving a floor area of 90m². This would provide a hall, living room, kitchen and two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. The walls of the extension are to be rendered to match the existing buildings with a slate roof to match existing roofs. The windows are to match those found on the existing property.
The proposed storm porch is to replace an existing porch located on the south west elevation of the main house. It is larger than the existing porch measuring approximately 5.5m in length, 3m in width and will have a height of 3m. This will give an approximate floor area of 16.5m². The storm porch is to be rendered and painted to match the existing house with a slate roof. There are to be two windows in the south east elevation with another in the south west elevation. The door will be in the north west elevation. The proposed porch is essentially an enlarged replacement of the existing lean to porch.
German Parish Commissioners indicate no objection to this proposal. The Department of Transport Highways Division do not oppose this application.
The Society for the Protection of the Manx Countryside and the Environment (S.P.M.C. & E) has indicated that they object to the principle of the development which would result in a two bedroom annexe, and as such is tantamount to the creation of a new dwelling.
The site is screened from the road as a result of the topography and the distance of the main buildings from the road. The scale of the proposed development is also considered to be relatively modest as an addition to the existing property. The proposed annex would replace existing outbuildings, sitting on their footprint. The existing arrangement of buildings, which form an 'L' shape, would therefore be retained. In terms of the relationship of the proposed annex to the existing property, the design is considered acceptable in that it continues the stepped roof profile and uses a window style found on the existing property. The proposed storm porch is also considered to
be appropriate in terms of design and scale and its relationship to the existing elevation. It is not considered that there would be an adverse visual impact as a result of this development. Indeed the existing buildings to be replaced by the proposed annex are in a poor condition and are not used by the applicant as a result of this. It is considered that the annex would improve the visual amenity of the area.
As outlined in the planning history for this site, planning application 00/00968/B sought permission for the conversion of an existing barn into a granny flat. This was permitted and the development has been completed. This current application seeks to develop an additional granny annex to replace the existing granny flat. A site visit was undertaken to ascertain the circumstances of this proposal. The applicant explained that the existing granny flat was no longer suitable for his elderly relatives as the bedrooms are on the first floor and that for reasons of health this was not a suitable situation. A letter was sent by the applicant giving justification for the development. The proposed granny annex would provide accommodation for these relatives more appropriate to their needs. The applicant stated that the existing granny flat would be used by his immediate family as additional living accommodation and for visiting family and friends.
There is a presumption against development in the countryside with the exception of cases where an agricultural need is proven and such a need is accepted by the department. This property is not a working farm and the applicant is not employed as a farmer. Therefore no agricultural need is claimed by the applicant.
Extensions to existing properties in the countryside can be acceptable, as set out by Planning Circular 1/88, point 9:
'Sympathetic treatment, alteration and redevelopment of dwellings in the countryside will generally be accepted as the gradual decay and dilapidation of such buildings would clearly be detrimental to the rural amenities. The Planning Committee will examine with particular care any proposal involving a significant increase in size and applications which create a detrimental visual impact, or which would lead to a loss of traditional character, will be discouraged.'...
This proposal is essentially an extension to the existing property to provide living space suitable for the specific needs of persons already living within it. There would be no additional traffic generated as a result of the development since no additional persons would be living within the site. As outlined above, it is considered that the proposal would be an improvement on the existing situation in terms of visual amenity.
Concerns as to the future use of the existing and proposed annexes are an important consideration as they could be converted to form tourist accommodation. However this can be controlled by the imposition of a condition ensuring that they remain ancillary to the enjoyment of the property. A future planning application would be required to change this and would be determined on its own merits.
It is recommended that this application be permitted.
It is considered that the following parties, who submitted comments, accord with the requirements of Planning Circular 1/06 and are therefore, afforded interested party status:
Accordingly the following parties are not granted Interested Party Status:
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation: 09.07.2007
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 plans AS/1/07, AS/2/07, AS/3/07 submitted and date stamped 04.04.2007 and letter and photographs submitted and date stamped 06.07.2007.
C 3. The external finishes of the extension must match those of the existing building in all respects.
C 4. The roof(s) must be finished in dark natural slate.
C 5. The proposed granny annexe accomodation may be used only in association with Upper Lhergydhoo and for purposes ancillary to the use of Upper Lhergydhoo as a single dwelling house.
Decision Made : ... Committee Meeting Date : ...
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