28 July 2008 · Committee
Outbuildings, Harold Tower, Fort Anne Road, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 5bn
The application sought to demolish garden equipment stores within the curtilage of Harold Tower — a Registered Building — and erect a new single-storey staff cottage (footprint 11.925m x 6.3m, 5.5m to the ridge) with a garden store. The site sits in a predominantly residential zone under the Douglas Local Plan 1998. Four main issues were assessed: land use compatibility, impact on the setting of Harold Tower, visual impact on the locality, and residential amenity for future occupiers. The new cottage would replace existing single-storey outbuildings of poor appearance and would sit approximately 41m from Harold Tower itself, leading officers to conclude it would not harm the registered building's setting. At around 53m from Douglas Head Road, with substantial landscaping and a greenhouse screening the view, the cottage would not be readily visible from the public highway. Residential amenity was acknowledged as limited due to surrounding buildings and walls, but as the cottage was intended as staff accommodation tied to Harold Tower rather than an independent dwelling, officers considered this acceptable.
The committee approved the application in line with the officer recommendation. The cottage replaces poor-quality outbuildings, sits well away from Harold Tower, is screened from the road, and is tied to the main property as staff accommodation — factors that together addressed concerns about heritage setting, visual impact, and residential amenity.
Housing Policy 6
Within the adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007, the following policies are considered to be relevant in the determination of this application
Housing Policy 6: Development of land which is zoned for residential development must be undertaken in accordance with the brief in the relevant area plan, or, in the absence of a brief, in accordance with the criteria in paragraph 6.2 of this Plan. Briefs will encourage good and innovative design, and will not be needlessly prescriptive. 8.8 Groups of Houses in the Countryside 8.8.1 There are in the countryside man y small groups of dwellings which, whilst not having the character of, or the full range of services usually provided in a village, nevertheless have a sense of place and community. These groups are found variously at crossroads, in places sheltered by trees or topography or around chapels, abandoned mills or smithys. 8.8.2 Adding further dwellings to these groups may not accord with our strategic objectives relating to settlements and sustainability but may assist in meeting the need of rural areas; may maintain social and family associations and assist in sustaining the rural economy; and may reduce the pressure for purely sporadic and isolated development which the Department would not support. Such additions would also need to be sensitively related to the existing settlement pattern and the landscape. 8.8.3 In the most recent local and Area Plans, the Department has in fact identified a number of these opportunities and in future Area Plans all groups of houses in the countryside will be assessed for d evelopment potential by identifying the village envelope or curtilage and providing the opportunity for appropriate development within this area. There may be some settlements where no additional dwellings will be permitted. In considering the definition o f this curtilage or envelope, particular regard will be had to the value of existing spaces in terms of their contribution to the general character of the settlement or to public amenity more generally. It is important, however that such development is controlled by the development plan process rather than as ad hoc decisions taken in isolation. 8.9 New Agricultural Dwellings 8.9.1 As is indicated in Chapter 7 (at Section 7.14), permission will not be granted for new agricultural dwellings in the countryside unless there is real agricultural need demonstrated sufficient to off-set the general planning objections to new dwellings in the countryside. 8.9.2 Agricultural need should be established having regard to: (a) what living accommodation has been built on, or in association with the farm holding in the past, and how it is now occupied; and (b) who will occupy the proposed dwelling, and what role they will play in the operation of the farm; in some circumstances, there will be a legitimate need for a dwelling for a retiring farmer who proposes to vacate the farmhouse but to continue to assist on the farm.
