Officer Report

Application No.: 16/00866/B Applicant: Mr Jamie Watterson Proposal: Installation of a replacement front door Site Address: 14 Thorny Road Douglas Isle of Man IM2 5ED Case Officer : Mr S Moore Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application forms the residential curtilage of 14 Thorny Road, Douglas, part of a row of two storey terraced properties located on the northern side of Thorny Road in upper Douglas. - 2. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 The application seeks planning approval for the replacement of the existing Victorian painted timber front door with a composite door to the frontage of the property. - 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 There is only one previous application on this property; 07/01764/R for the Retention of windows and doors to the rear elevation which was APPROVED - 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 The site is identified as 'Predominantly Residential' on Map No.2 (South) of the Douglas Local Plan 1998.

4.2 As Thorny Road, Douglas is located within the Selborne Road Conservation Area designated in 2003 and the application seeks replacement of the windows, the relevant planning policies from the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 are Strategic Policy 4, General Policy 2, and Environment Policies 34, and 35. These should be read in conjunction with Policies CA/2 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man). - 4.3 Strategic Policy 4 states: 'Proposals for development must:

• (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings, Conservation Areas, buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas, and sites of archaeological interest;
• (b) protect or enhance the landscape quality and nature conservation value of urban as well as rural areas but especially in respect to development adjacent to Areas of Special Scientific Interest and other designations; and
• (c) not cause or lead unacceptable environmental pollution or disturbance.'

4.4 General Policy 2 states: "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:

• (a) is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief;
• (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;
• (d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses;
• (e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea;
• (f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks;
• (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
• (h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space;
• (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways;
• (j) can be provided with all necessary services;
• (k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan;
• (l) is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or flooding;
• (m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and
• (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

4.5 Environment Policy 34 states: 'In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred.' - 4.6 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." - 4.7 Policy CA/2 - Special Planning Considerations states: "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.

Where a development is proposed for land which, although not within the boundaries of the conservation area, would affect its context or setting, or views into or out of the area; such issues should be given special consideration where the character or appearance of a conservation area may be affected."

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Douglas Borough Council have considered the application and 'have no objections hereto' (06.09.2016).

5.2 Highway Services indicate there are no highway implications (18.08.2016). - 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The application seeks planning approval for the replacement of the existing painted timber Victorian front door with the installation of a composite door to the frontage of the property.

6.2 The key issue in the consideration of this application is whether the proposals "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."

6.3 The existing door currently in place would appear to be the original door and this type can be found elsewhere within the terrace. A site visit illustrates that this is one of four such properties within the terrace to retain their original doors. The top just over half is glazed with arched heads and the bottom section is a moulded panel with a heavy (wide) mid rail with an inset letterbox.

6.7 That proposed is a similarly scaled door with a pair of top lights with a sloping head, instead of the arched heads of the existing. The lower panel is split into a pair of vertically proportioned moulded panels all of which is not considered to be a good approximation of the existing door. - 6.8 Items such as doors are instigative in creating the character of Conservation Area. The pattern of doors can change from terrace to terrace within a given section of a conservation area and create a lot of the interest of those Conservation Areas. The quite erosion of that character by the replacement of such details in a manner which is not accurate to the original is to be avoided wherever possible. - 6.9 In conclusion, this application seeks to replace a Victorian pattern door which is clearly original to the terrace (certainly in pattern, material use and detailing) with a door that is not considered to be a close approximation of that original door. In so doing, this application is not considered to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area and thereby is not considered to comply with part (a) of Strategic Policy 4 and part (c) of General Policy 2, Environment Policies 34, and 35 and Policies CA/2 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man).

7.0 RECOMMENDATION:

7.1 For the above reasons the application is not considered to be acceptable and is recommended for refusal. - 8.0 PARTY STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 as modified by the Transfer of Planning and Building Control Functions Order 2015, 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) The Highways Services of the Department of Infrastructure; 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: Refused

Date of Recommendation: 13.10.2016

R 1. The proposed door does not match the existing original door style of that currently in place. Accordingly, given the inappropriate design, style and appearance of the proposed replacement door the proposal would neither preserve nor enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area, Thorny Road nor to the individual property and therefore be contrary to Strategic Policy 4, General Policy 2, Environment Policies 34, and 35 all of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and Policies CA/2 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01.

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 : Refused Date: 18.10.2016 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.