DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/01224/B Applicant: Mr Nicholas & Mrs Pamela Watson Proposal: Erection of a single storey extension to rear elevation Site Address: Reayrt Freoaie Watsons Nurseries Main Road Greeba Isle Of Man IM4 3LG Planning Officer: Mr Paul Visigah Photo Taken: 18.11.2020 Site Visit: 18.11.2020 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 08.12.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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.

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

Overall it is concluded that the planning application accords with the provisions set out in Housing Policy 15, Environment Policies 1 and 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and the RDG 2019.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This permission relates to Drawing Nos. 995-001, 995-002 and 995-003, all date stamped and received on 16 October 2020. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site represents the curtilage of Watsons Nurseries Reayrt Freoaie, Main Road, Greeba, German. The property is located on the south side of the main A1 Peel Road

• with Cronkbeck House and Curragh Glass situated west, while Horthorn Hotel and Norfolk Nurseries are situated east. The dwelling is sited such that its side elevation faces the driveway into the dwelling with its substantial garden situated south.
• 1.2 Reayrt Freoaie is a traditional styled property with a projecting rear gable with a balcony on the first floor level overlooking the rear garden. The site is set slightly lower than the level of the private road serving the dwelling and the Nursery road and is considerably screened by the boundary planting (hedging and trees) which only opens up at the access, restricting views to the property. There are no views to the dwelling from the nearby neighbouring dwellings on the west which are separated by fields from the application site.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The planning application seeks approval for erection of a single storey extension to rear elevation of the property. - 2.2 The new pitched roof extension will be built on the position of the existing terrace at the rear of the lounge and would project 4m from the rear of the lounge and be 5.1m wide. This pitch roofed extension which would have its roof covered in natural slate to mirror the existing. Also, its pitch angle would mirror the existing with its ridge level set 1.1m lower than the existing. This 4.5m high extension will have its roof eaves set at 2.4m (same level as the existing) and will have four rooflights 980 x 800 installed on its roof pane (two on each pane). - 2.3 The external walls of the new extension would be finished in painted smooth render to match the existing. Also, a new feature window with opening side lights would be installed at the rear gable of the extension, a high level triangular glazing over. The works would also involve the installation of a large sliding door 2.7m x 2m on the west elevation leading to the terrace and a UPVC window 1.4m x 1.2m on the east elevation with features matching the existing windows on the dwelling. - 2.4 One rooflight over the lounge would be removed from the rear roof pane to enable the installation of the new pitch roof on the extension.

3.0 PLANNING STATUS - 3.1 The application site is located within an area identified as being of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance by the 1982 Development Order. Within the adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, the following policy is considered relevant in the assessment and determination of this application: - 3.2 Housing Policy 15 states: "The extension or alteration of existing traditionally styled properties in the countryside will normally only be approved where these respect the proportion, form and appearance of the existing property. Only exceptionally will permission be granted for extensions which measure more than 50% of the existing building in terms of floor space (measured externally)." - 3.3 Paragraph 8.12.2: Extensions to properties in the countryside As there is a general policy against development in the Island's countryside, it is important that where development exists, either in an historic or recently approved form, it should not, when altered or extended detract from the amenities of the countryside. Care therefore, must be taken to control the size and form of extensions to property in the countryside. In the case of traditional properties, the proportion and form of the building is sensitively balanced and extensions of inappropriate size or proportions will not be acceptable where these destroy the existing character of the property. In the case of non-traditional properties, where these are of poor or unsympathetic appearance, extensions which would increase the impact of the property will generally not be acceptable. It may be preferable to consider the redevelopment of non-traditional dwellings or properties of poor form with buildings of a more traditional style and in these cases, the Department may consider an increase in size of the replacement

• property over and above the size of the building to be replaced, where improvements to the appearance of the property would justify this.
• 3.4 Environment Policy 1: The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. For the purposes of this policy, the countryside comprises all land which is outside the settlements defined in Appendix

3 at A.3.6 or which is not designated for future development on an Area Plan. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an overriding national need in land use planning terms which outweighs the requirement to protect these areas and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative.

3.5 Environment Policy 2: The present system of landscape classification of Areas of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance (AHLV's) as shown on the 1982 Development Plan and subsequent Local and Area Plans will be used as a basis for development control until such time as it is superseded by a landscape classification which will introduce different categories of landscape and policies and guidance for control therein. Within these areas the protection of the character of the landscape will be the most important consideration unless it can be shown that:

• (a) the development would not harm the character and quality of the landscape; or
• (b) the location for the development is essential.

3.6 The Department has recently published the Residential Design Guidance (July 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. The following sections of the RDG would also be vital in the assessment of the application. 3.6.1 Paragraph 3.2.2

• 3.2.2 Extensions should generally have the same roof pitch (angle) and shape as the existing dwelling and the height (roof ridge) should be lower than that of the main building. Generally, pitch roofs are the preferred roof type compared to flat roofs which are generally inappropriate forms of development, especially if publically viewable, unless the existing property has a flat/low pitched roof design. The extension should normally incorporate any design/interesting features of the existing dwelling (with windows and doors replicating the design, proportions and materials of the original building, and being in line with the existing openings) unless a deliberate design decision has been made to adopt a different approach - as set out on the next page.
• 4.0 PLANNING HISTORY The application site has been the subject of five previous planning applications including an application for alterations and extension to dwelling under PA 99/01498/B which was approved in December 1999. None of these are however considered relevant in the assessment and determination of this application.
• 5.0 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 the letter dated 13 November 2020. - 5.2 German Parish Commissioners have not commented on this application, although they were consulted on 4 November 2020.

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The main issue to be considered in the assessment of this application is whether the proposed alterations would respect the proportion, form and appearance of the existing property, in accordance with Housing Policy 15 set out above. The impact of the proposed extension on neighbouring residential amenity with respect to overlooking and loss of privacy. - 6.2 The visual impact

• 6.2.1 From the A1 (Peel Road) no element of the existing dwelling or proposed extension would be visible, given the presence of mature trees surrounding the boundaries of the dwelling and the broader site area to which it belongs. As well, the existing house and grounds in which the property sits is large and can accommodate sensitive and appropriately subordinate extensions. Moreover, the extension would remain well below the existing dwelling's roof apex given that it is a single storey extension and would be finished to match the roof pitch, wall finishing, window type and design of the main building on the site.
• 6.2.2 Whilst the new feature window at the rear of the extension would be a new introduction to this dwelling as it would be a modern element added to the dwelling, it is not considered that it would be unsympathetic with the rear elements of the dwelling which has some modern features. Besides it would be installed on the rear elevation where there would be existing high hedges and a thick cluster of trees that encloses the rear garden would screen views to the development from any of the neighbouring dwellings which are positioned at a considerable distance from the dwelling; with the closest dwelling Curragh Glass situated 134m away from the western boundary of the dwelling. As such, it is concluded that the design of the proposed extension is well-considered and appropriately subordinate to the main dwelling and would not have detrimental impacts on the visual characteristics of the main dwelling and the surrounding area; thus complying with the relevant sections of General Policy 2 and also paragraph 8.12.1.
• 6.2.3 It is also considered that the extension as proposed would not result in the removal of any of the surrounding trees or hedging within the site and would not impact on any element of the surrounding landscape and as such would comply with EP1 and EP2.

6.3 Impact on neighbouring living conditions

• 6.3.1 The extension as proposed would not result in any impacts on the neighbours due to the nature of the extension, surrounding boundary treatment and the separating distance between the dwelling and the neighbouring dwellings.
• 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 In summary, the application accords with the policies outlined in this report for the above reasons assessed and is recommended for approval on that basis. - 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: 15.12.2020 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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