DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/01302/B Applicant: Mr Mark Raine & Miss Ella Denton Proposal: Installation of replacement windows to front elevation Site Address: 100 Malew Street Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1LS Planning Officer: Mr Paul Visigah Photo Taken: 08.01.2020 Site Visit: 08.01.2020 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 10.01.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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.

• C 2. The glazing bars for the proposed replacement windows to the front elevation of the dwelling shall appear on the external face of the glass and permanently retained as such. Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the information and plan all received on 20th November, 2019. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of 100 Malew Street, Castletown, a three floor mid-terrace dwelling located southwest of Paradise Court and within the Castletown

• Conservation Area. The dwelling is finished with formal painted render and wooden top hung casement windows at the front elevation. Quoin blocks are installed around the windows and the entrance door, giving the dwelling a distinctive look within the streetscene.
• 1.2 The street scene consists of a mixture of window types on the properties, with timber sliding sash and timber top hung casement windows the dominant window types, although a smaller proportion of the properties have upvc casement windows. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Proposed is the installation of replacement windows to front elevation. The proposed windows which would be double glazed uPVC top hung casement windows built to reflect the style and appearance of the existing windows on the front elevation of the dwelling. The proposed windows would also have the same opening method as the existing. - 2.2 The applicant has indicated that the current window frames are rotting in places, hence the need for their replacement. It was also stated that although the quotation and diagrams submitted shows only the lounge, the applicant intends to replace the windows on the upper floors in identical style and specification.

PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within Castletown's Conservation Area and within an area designated as Residential on both the Castletown Local Plan of 1990 and the Southern Area Plan Map 5

(2013).

3.2 As the site is within an area zoned for development the key policy relevant to this proposal is contained within The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, specifically: - 3.3 General Policy 2 (Development in accordance with the land-use zoning); "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:

• (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; (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption. "

3.4 The site is within a Conservation Area, and as such Environment Policy 35 focused on the preservation of conservation areas is relevant; "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." - 3.5 It is also important to consider guidance and policy regarding development in Conservation Areas: Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man) Policy CA/2, (Conservation Areas); "When considering proposals for the possible development of any land or buildings which fall within the conservation area, the impact of such proposals upon the special character of the area, will be a material consideration when assessing the application." - 3.6 Finally, in relation to window replacements in Conservation Areas, Planning Circular 1/98 is a consideration: "If the original windows are in place they should preferably be repaired. If repair is impracticable, replacement windows which would be readily visible from a public thoroughfare

must have the same method of opening as the originals. Whatever the material used in their construction, the windows must have the same pattern and section of glazing bars and the same frame sections as the original windows."

"Windows not readily visible from a public thoroughfare must have the same or similar pattern of glazing bars as the originals, but not necessarily the original method of opening, whatever the material used in their construction."

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The application site has not been the subject of any previous planning application, and as such there are no planning applications considered to be materially relevant in the assessment of the current planning application.

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Representation from the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division confirms that there is no highway interest in a letter dated 9 December 2019.

5.2 Manx National Heritage although consulted on 29 November 2019, has not commented on this application at the time of drafting this report, and so it is assumed that there are no objections to the application. - 5.3 Castletown Commissioners although consulted on 29 November 2019, has not commented on this application at the time of drafting this report.

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The key issue to consider in the assessment of this application is whether the replacement windows would meet the test set out in Environment Policy 35 for preserving or enhancing the Conservation Area. Therefore, it is appropriate to assess the impact of the proposal on the character of the existing building and the surrounding area; particularly with regard to the character of the Castletown Conservation Area.

6.2 It can be argued that windows are the most important element in a facade. They can confirm the style, age or even the purpose of a building. As such, the original windows should be replicated faithfully in opening method and glazing bar pattern. - 6.3 Environment Policy 35 sets out the policy in regards to development within a Conservation Area. The policy states that development would only be permitted within a Conservation Area if the development would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area and the area is protected against inappropriate development. - 6.4 Malew Street displays a mix of window types from the traditional sliding sash to UPVC framed casements. The majority of windows are however timber framed sliding sash windows. Further south along Malew Street is a row of modern new buildings that have 50/50 split UPVC casements with face applied Georgian glazing bars. - 6.5 The replacement windows proposed under this scheme would have a similar appearance to the appearance of the existing and would reinstate the casement window style and pattern, with similar opening pattern and similar patterns of glazing bars. Although the new windows would be UPVC, the use of UPVC is not uncommon within Malew Street as a whole and as such the proposed window design would seamlessly fit into the existing streetscene. On assessment, it is deemed that the proposed windows would not be detrimental or harmful to the character and quality of the Conservation Area.

6.6 It is also considered that the replacement windows which would be double glazed uPVC casement windows would be an improvement on the existing windows in terms of better energy efficiency standards.

CONCLUSION

7.1 For the reasons given, the proposals is considered to comply with the relevant polices of the Strategic Plan and Planning Circular 1/98 and therefore recommended for approval. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 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 in Article 6(4) 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.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 14.01.2020 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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