Officer Report

Application No.: 16/00555/B Applicant: Holiday Owners Ltd Proposal: Installation of replacement windows and replacement entrance door Site Address: Flat 1 & 2 7 Arbory Street Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1LH Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the residential and commercial curtilage of 7, Arbory Street in Castletown, currently a hairdresser's salon on the ground floor with two floors of living accommodation above, the higher contained within the roofspace and served by two lean-to roofed dormers. The first floor windows are timber framed sliding sashes and the two dormers have what look like two sets of side opening lights either side of a central fixed light with top third opening casement above, all framed in plastic. The shopfront is a modern arrangement with central timber door and large single pane shop windows either side all flush with the frontage straight onto the street. There is a separate pedestrian door to the right which provides access to the accommodation above. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the replacement of the first and second floor windows with white uPVC sliding sash with external glazing bars on both upper floors. The windows in the dormers will be two vertical units separated by what looks like a uPVC section 300mm wide. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within a mixed use area on the Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013, reflecting the mixture of uses within the streetscene and vertically within each building with residential use on many of the upper floors. The property is also within Castletown's Conservation Area. As such, there is a requirement for development to preserve or enhance the Area as set out in Strategic Plan Environment Policy 35 and also Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man.

3.2 Planning Circular 1/98 provides advice on the replacement of windows. It states:

BUILDINGS IN CONSERVATION AREAS 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 the construction.

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The dormer was added in 1985 (PA 85/00525/B) and there have also been a number of applications for alterations and changes of use, none of which is considered relevant to the current proposal. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services and Castletown Commissioners indicate that they have no objection to the application (08.06.16 and 14.06.16). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The existing dormer is neither attractive nor original and it is important that every effort is made to try to improve its appearance in any proposed development, or at least not increase its impact or its inappropriateness. The applicant has agreed, following pre-application discussions, to provide sliding sash windows with the dormer which will improve its appearance considerably and the proposed replacement of the timber framed windows below, whilst not in the original frame material, will be sliding sash and it is considered that the improvement to the dormers outweighs any slight disadvantage of the modern frame material of the first floor windows such that overall, the proposal represents an improvement and enhancement to the Conservation Area as required by the appropriate policies. PARTY STATUS - 7.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, 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, in this case Department of Infrastructure Highway Services and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word ‘Department’ to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order.

Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 22.06.2016 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 approval relates to drawing 01 received on 16th May, 2016.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 23.06.2016 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer

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