Planning Statement

Sarah Corlett

TOWN PLANNING CONSULTANCY

Planning Statement In Support Of An Application For Alterations Including The Replacement And Enlargement Of Existing Front First Floor Balcony, Replacement Of Two Garage Doors With Single Garage Door And Application Of Stonework At Ground Floor Level All At 85, King Edward Road, Onchan Im3 2As

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e: [email protected] w: www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett Company Registration 134325C

RTPI Chartered

A photograph showing the front elevation of a white two-story detached house featuring a large first-floor balcony with white balustrades and a double garage on the ground floor.

Sarah Corlett TOWN PLANNING CONSULTANCY

1.0 Introduction

1.1 85, King Edward Road is a two storey dwelling with currently white painted walling under a red double Roman concrete tiled roof. The first floor walls are rendered and the ground floor painted stone facing. The property has a striking first floor balcony comprised of upright white pillars with a horizontal white balustrade support by decorative vertical columns.

1.2 There are three integral garages - two on the left hand side of the front elevation and served by two garage doors and the other on the right hand side of the front elevation. These, along with the front door and window alongside, sit recessed from the line of pillars which support the existing balcony.

1.3 The balcony follows the footprint off the house in terms of projecting out further at the left hand side than the right as the house has a projecting gable on the left hand side with the rest of the front elevation stepping back by 0.6m and the balcony following, stepping back by around 1.1m. The balcony projects out from the front of the house by 1.7m at the western end and by 1.35m at the eastern end. The balcony presently sits 0.4m in front of the adjacent front elevation of Joyhaven and there is a step up within the balcony.

1.4 To the west of the house is Pentley, 83, King Edward Road. This is a hipped roofed property, also two storey and with a central first floor balcony.

A street-level photograph showing a two-storey detached house with a glass balcony, brick boundary wall, and front garden landscaping.

1.5 To the east is Joyhaven, 87, King Edward Road which is also a hipped roofed property without any balcony and with only one ﬂoor of accommodation. The ground ﬂoor of this property is elevated above that of the application dwelling with its ground ﬂoor level sitting approximately mid way between the ground and ﬁrst ﬂoors of number 85.

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 3 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

A street-level photograph showing a residential road with detached houses, featuring a bungalow with a brick boundary wall and driveway.

A street-level photograph showing a white two-story house with a balcony and garage next to a pebbledash bungalow, with a brick wall in the foreground.

1.6 The application property has a single vehicular access and the front of the plot is entirely hard surfaced and used for vehicular parking.
1.7 The roadside walling is formed in brick with the two gate pillars painted white.

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 4 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

2.0 PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT
2.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the East, adopted in 2020, as Predominantly Residential.
2.2 There are no Environmental or Infrastructural Constraints shown on the maps accompanying the application nor is the building Registered or in a Conservation Area. There are no Registered Trees on site and it does not lie within any area at risk of ﬂooding.
2.3 There should then be a presumption in favour of residential development here provided that it is in accordance with General Policy 2 and the provisions of the Residential Design Guide.
2.4 General Policy 2 states:

General Policy 2: 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:

(a) is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief;
(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;
(e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea;
(f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks;
(g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 5 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

(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;
(i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or trafﬁc ﬂows on the local highways;
(j) can be provided with all necessary services;
(k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan;
(l) is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or ﬂooding;
(m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and
(n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption.

2.5 The Residential Design Guide (RDG) has the following advice about balconies:

4.11.2 In most instances, roof terraces on terraced or semi-detached properties are unlikely to be acceptable.
4.11.3 For detached properties they can be acceptable where they are carefully designed to avoid unreasonable overlooking of neighbouring properties (including gardens). Large separation distances to neighbouring boundaries and habitable room windows will help to avoid such issues.
4.11.4 Strategically placed solid screens/obscure glazed screens/slatted shutter screens may sometimes help where it is not otherwise possible to avoid overlooking. However, the use of such screens needs to be combined with careful design as such screening may result in a loss of light and/or be an overbearing and dominating feature to the outlook of the neighbouring properties/streetscene.
4.11.5 Balconies should not result in views into the rear windows of neighbouring properties at a distance of less than 20 metres.

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 6 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

4.11.6 Additional consideration should also be given to the potential visual impact upon the streetscene and the individual dwelling.
4.11.7 A projecting balcony can result in an alien and top heavy feature, particularly at ﬁrst ﬂoor level or above. Thought should be given to minimising the visual impact of such an addition with regard to the size, projection, and materials.
4.11.8 Balconies should be designed to complement the proportions and character of the property and should be in line with windows on the original house.

4.11.10 It is a requirement to ensure that neighbours’ privacy is maintained by installing screening (fence, hedge etc.) that reaches the height of 1.8 metres above ground level. Screening will only be appropriate if it does not cause loss of light and/ or be overbearing to an adjoining property.
4.11.11 These areas should be designed sensibly in order to avoid dominance at the front boundary of a property. Large areas of decking are unlikely to be supported at the side or front of a property.

2.6 The RDG also provides advice on how to assess the impact of a development built to the side of a window in an adjacent property, suggesting that if the projection impinges upon a line drawn at an angle of 45 degrees from the centre of the window, that there could be an unacceptable impact on the outlook from that window from the proposed development.

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 7 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

3.0 THE PROPOSAL
3.1 Proposed is a series of alteration to the existing dwelling to improve and modernise its appearance and functionality. The works proposed include some works which would not require planning approval. The most signiﬁcant element of the scheme is the replacement of the existing balcony including its supporting pillars and the erection of a new balcony which includes a forward extension of the section closest to Joyhaven such that the balcony at this point will sit 1.3m further forward than the front elevation of the property alongside.
3.2 New stone facing will be introduced to the front wall of the ground ﬂoor of the building, a new front door and new garage doors introduced. The two garage doors at the western end will be replaced with a single, wider garage door.
3.3 The new balcony will have a frameless glazed balustrade system, which runs seamlessly along the front elevation and ﬁnishing 0.3m from the eastern gable. The existing patio doors on both side of the front elevation will be replaced within the existing apertures and all existing rainwater goods will be replaced in new black PVC goods.

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 8 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY
4.1 The site has been the subject of a number of applications.
4.2 17/00998/B proposed alteration and extensions to replace existing conservatories and was permitted.
4.3 09/01485/B proposed an extension to an existing conservatory and was permitted.
4.4 05/92113/B proposed the conversion of the void below the ﬁrst ﬂoor at the rear of the property to create additional living accommodation and was permitted.
4.5 Finally, the front balcony and steps were permitted under 98/01517/B.

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 9 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

5.0 PLANNING ASSESSMENT
5.1 The changes to the front elevation of this property will introduce a more modern and consistent ﬁnish and will upgrade and update this property which currently appears a product of its age.
5.2 The use of a frameless glass balustrade system will reduce the impact of the balcony which presently appears as a very heavy and dominant feature on the front elevation and the use of stonework on the ground ﬂoor will add interest and quality to the appearance of the property, along with the new garage doors and front door. The new windows throughout and rainwater goods will further enhance the appearance of the building and smarten the building.
5.3 Whilst the balcony is being brought forward at the eastern end, the position of the nearest window in Joyhaven is such that any angle of view from the extended balcony back to that window would be so acute as to prevent any meaningful view from the new balcony into this adjacent property. Anyone using the balcony will have their eyes drawn forward out towards the sea rather than into the neighbouring property. There is already a view into the front garden of Joyhaven from the existing balcony and likewise a view towards the front garden of the application property from the front windows of Joyhaven.
5.4 The Residential Design Guide is clear that “Balconies should not result in views into the rear windows of neighbouring properties at a distance of less than 20 metres” with our emphasis on “rear”. In many cases, the front windows in a property face onto public highways and overlook adjacent gardens. As such, the expected level of privacy afforded to front elevation windows and front gardens in such circumstances is less than is the case for windows which are contained within the rear of residential curtilages where there is an expectation of a more signiﬁcant degree of privacy even if ﬁrst ﬂoor windows in neighbouring properties can afford views into the rear gardens of adjacent dwellings.
5.5 In this case, the front windows in the application property and in Joyhaven are already viewed from the public highway. The proposed balcony will not afford any meaningful view into the adjacent windows in Joyhaven and the projection of the balcony and its glass balustrade will not have an unacceptable impact on the outlook from any windows in Joyhaven, using the assessment recommendations in the Residential Design Guide.

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 10 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

5.6 The new balcony will be marginally lower (4cm) and will have a consistent level along its length, improving its functionality and providing a useful depth of space at the eastern end, the present arrangement affording almost no useful space at this point.

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 11 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

A photograph taken from a first-floor balcony showing a white balustrade and patio doors, looking out over a garden and residential street.

A photograph showing a first-floor balcony with white balustrades and large glass sliding doors, overlooking a residential street with hedges.

5.7 We do not believe that there will be any material impact and certainly no adverser impact on the living conditions of those in 83, King Edward Road as the balcony at this point will remain largely as it currently exists but with a glazed rather than solid balustrade.
5.8 The proposed development is considered to have a positive impact on the appearance and character of both the existing dwelling and the area more generally, in full accordance with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan and the advice in the Residential Design Guide.

Sarah Corlett 12.11.25

Sarah Corlett Town Planning Consultancy Ltd 12 Registered address: Ballachrink Croft, Ballacorey Road, Bride, Isle of Man IM7 4AW t: 07624 485517 e:[email protected] w:www.sarahcorlett.com Directors: Sarah Elizabeth Corlett Nicola Jane Corlett

Company Registration 134325C

Planning Statement

Source & Provenance