DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 23/00457/B Applicant: Miss Jessica Kennedy Proposal: Erection of single storey rear extension at lower ground floor, and installation of dormer to second floor Site Address: 2 Lower Dukes Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 4BJ Planning Officer: Mr Hamish Laird Photo Taken: 18.08.2023 Site Visit: 18.08.2023 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 18.08.2023

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The application meets the tests within General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 as it does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding townscape, respects the existing building and preserves the setting of the Douglas (Ballaquayle Road) Conservation Area. The application is therefore judged to be acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to

• Drawing 23-044-01 - Site Location Plan @ scale 1:1,250; and, Site Plan @ scale 1:250;; Drawing 23-044-03 - Proposed Site Plan;
• Drawing 23-044-02 - Proposed Floor Plans and Elevations; together with the other supporting information received and date-stamped 20 April, 2023.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None. _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of the 2-storey, with attic room above, end-terrace dwelling at 2 Lower Dukes Road, Douglas. It is located close to the corner of the junction of Lower Dukes Road with Ballaquayle Road, and is constructed from red brick with a ground floor front bay window and narrow roof dormer to the front of the natural slate roofslope. It has a 2storey rear projection under a subservient pitched, natural slate roof with end gable chimney stack. There are a 2 No. rooflights located in the rear roofslope. An access road runs along the blank, cream painted, SW side of the dwelling and the rear garden area is screened by approx.

• 2.0m high wall to the sides and rear. The site backs onto the rear elevations and aspects of 4storey, terraced dwellings to the south-west in Hutchinson Square. The surroundings are residential.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Full planning approval is sought for the erection of single storey rear extension at lower ground floor, and installation of a flat-roofed dormer to second floor rear roof-slope. This would provide for an enlarged kitchen/dining room and snug on the ground floor, and an en-suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe on the second floor while the existing kitchen would be converted into a bathroom. - 2.2 The ground floor extension would have a mono-pitched sloping roof where it joins the present flat roof over the kitchen and would be covered in imitations slate with 3 No. rooflights inserted into the mono-pitch roof. It would have white colour bi-folding doors in the rear elevation existing out onto the rear garden area. - 2.3 The second floor dormer window would have a flat roof with a 3-light window to be in white uPVC, with 2 No. of the window lights serving the bathroom area to be obscure glazed. It would project outward from the roof-slope by approx. 1.0m x 2.82m wide - 2.4 A new 940mm x 1400mm roof-light is proposed to replace the existing smaller roof light in the rear roof-slope.

- 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 PA 03/00132/B - Erection of conservatory to rear of dwelling - Permitted - 29.05.2003. - 4.0 DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES

4.1 The application site is within an area zoned as "Predominantly Residential" identified on the Douglas Local Plan 1998; and, within the Douglas (Ballaquayle Road) Conservation Area designated in 2003. Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider General Policy 2 and Paragraph 8.12.1 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan.

4.2 General Policy 2 states (in part): "Development which is in accordance with the landuse zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:

• (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; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality."

4.3 Environment Policy 35 states: "Within Conservation Areas, the department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Highway Services HDC replies (5.5.23) that it has no highways interest (NHI) in the application.

5.2 Douglas Council (12/5/23) replies: That it has no objection to the proposals. - 5.3 No third party representations had been received by the Report drafting stage (18/8/23).

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The application seeks approval for the erection of a ground floor extension to the rear elevation of the dwelling; the insertion of a flat-roofed dormer window at second floor level in the rear roof slope; and, the replacement and enlargement of 1 No. existing roof-light in each of the front and rear roof-slopes. The main issues to consider in the assessment of this application are the impact upon the character and appearance of the dwelling, and the setting of it within the Conservation Area; and, the impacts on the residential amenities of occupants of neighbouring properties.

6.2 With the ground floor rear extension, this would largely be screened by the bulk of the dwelling and the existing garden wall to the side and rear of the property. It would have a limited visual impact on the appearance of the dwelling with only a small portion of it being visible from the side and rear access lanes. The employment of 3 No. roof-lights within its mono-pitch roof of imitation slate is considered to be acceptable at this low, well-screened level. This would accord with the provisions of policy GP2, and EP35 in the Strategic Plan. - 6.3 Turning to the proposed installation of the flat roofed dormer window to the rear roof-slope at second floor level, this element of the proposals comprises a relatively small addition. It would be set in from the side gable by approx. 200mm and its outward projection by approx. 1.0m and width of approx. 2.82m would result in a relatively small visual impact on the character of the dwelling and surroundings, and due to its siting on the rear roof-slope, would have a negligible visual impact on the character and appearance of the CA. - 6.4 The elements of the proposals involving the replacement of the existing roof-lights in the front and rear roof-slopes are considered to be acceptable. Whilst bigger than the existing fittings, the size and scale of the new roof-lights would not detract from the character and appearance of the dwelling within the street-scene or the CA. - 6.5 Therefore, it is considered that in terms of their visual impact the proposals are acceptable overall in that they would not unduly detract from the existing appearance and character of the

• dwellinghouse or its setting within the Douglas (Ballaquayle Road) Conservation Area and would not, therefore, not conflict with the requirements of Environment Policy 35 in the Strategic Plan.
• 6.6 Turning to the effects of the proposals on the amenities of occupants of neighbouring dwellings, it is noted that the setting is that of an urban area with development dating from the early 1900's. The ground floor rear extension would not give rise to any adverse impacts on neighbours' amenities because it is single storey and looks out onto the rear garden area which is screened by approx. 2.0m high garden walls. The roof-lights would draw light into the dining area rather than allow for views out. This accords with the provision of Policy GP2 g) in the Strategic Plan.
• 6.7 In respect of the proposed dormer window, whilst this would be set at a relatively high level on the second floor at the rear of the dwelling, two of its three casements, serving the new bathroom, would be obscure glazed. That serving the wardrobe area would be clear glazed, however, dwell time in front of this window is unlikely to be lengthy when selecting clothes to wear. Whilst it would provide a view out across the rear garden and back alley towards the dwellings to the south in Hutchinson Square, it is noted that the rear elevations of these dwellings are approx. 40m distant and any overlooking would be within the bounds of acceptance, as views would be relatively distant. Acceptable minimum window to window distances within an urban context are considered to be in the region of 20-25 metres. It is noted that no neighbour objections have been received in relation to this application. In this regard the dormer window is considered to be acceptable and meets the requirements of Strategic Plan policy GP2 g).
• 6.8 The proposed replacement roof-lights would result in no new opportunities for overlooking. They would be sited in the same place as the existing units, albeit they would be a bit larger. In this regard the replacement roof-lights to be sited in both the front and rear roof-slopes are considered to be acceptable and meet the requirements of Strategic Plan policy GP2 g).

- 7.0 RECOMMENDATION

7.1 On the basis of the above the proposal is considered to be acceptable and it is recommended that planning approval be granted. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material. 8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 01.09.2023 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner

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