DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/00296/B Applicant: Mr Neil & Mrs Tracey Pitts Proposal: Erection of a first floor extension Site Address: 6 Church Street Peel Isle Of Man IM5 1HL Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.04.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

N 1. The applicant is advised to consult DEFA's Ecosystems Policy Office in respect of incorporating a swift nest box or nest brick to enhance the biodiversity and ecological value of the proposed works.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The development accords with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan and policy CA/2 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to drawing GS/19/02-02 received on 9th March, 2020. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of an existing mid terraced dwelling situated on the western side of Church Street - a generally residential street other than the chipshop on the northern end of one terrace and a laundry (presently being converted to a beauty salon) at the northern end of the other. - 1.2 The property is a traditional two storey house. At the rear is a single storey annex with a lean-to roof whose apex abuts the boundary with number 4. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Proposed is the increase in height of the rear annex, raising its apex from a height of 2.8m to 6.1m. There will be no windows in the elevation facing number 4 but there will be a horizontally proportioned window looking towards the side of number 8. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Peel Local Plan of 1998 as Predominantly Residential. The site is also within the town's Conservation Area. As such, the following parts of the Strategic Plan are relevant:

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:

• (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".

3.3 The Department has recently published the Residential Design Guidance (March 2019) which provides advice on the design of new houses and extensions to existing property as well as how to assess the impact of such development on the living conditions of those in adjacent residential property. - 3.4 Finally, Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 both require that development within a Conservation Area should preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area and have regard to the special character of the area in the assessment of any development proposals.

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The property has been the subject of a number of previous applications for alterations and one extension in 2005 for the utility room. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Neither Peel Town Commissioners nor Highway Services have commented at the time of writing.

5.2 Ecosystems Policy Office recommend the installation of a swift nestbox or nest brick high up on the extension (07.04.20). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issues in this case are whether the works would have any impact on the outlook, light or privacy of those in number 4 and whether there would be any effect on the character or appearance of the property or the Conservation Area in which the property sits.

Neighbours' living conditions

6.2 In terms of the impact on the neighbours' living conditions, the occupants of number 4, Church Street were contacted by letter but no response has been received. Whilst the upward extension will have an effect on the outlook from and light to the rear of number 4, this arrangement is typical in historic town layouts and Church Street is no different with both of the neighbouring properties already having similar extensions (that on number 2 is slightly lower than is now proposed at number 6). As such, it is not considered objectionable in this case to erect something as proposed in the current application. Character and appearance of the area

6.3 It is clear from the advice provided in Planning Circular 1/98 which deals with replacement windows, that the publicly visible elements of buildings within the Conservation Area are significantly more important than those which are not, going further to suggest with its acceptance of more modern forms of window in such areas that less sympathetic forms of development could be acceptable if they are not publicly visible. - 6.4 In this case, the rear annex will only be visible from the adjacent dwellings as the rears of the properties on this side of Church Street and the eastern side of Mona Street, to the west, as enclosed without a public lane running between them. The extension will therefore have a neutral impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.

CONCLUSION

7.1 The works are considered to accord with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan as well as Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and are supported. 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 in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot 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: 27.04.2020 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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