DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00693/B Applicant: David Hughes Proposal: Installation of electrical meter box to existing wall Site Address: 8 Summerhill Douglas Isle of Man IM2 4PG Planning and Enforcement Assistant: Miss Vanessa Wilson Photo Taken: 11.07.2019 Site Visit: 11.07.2019 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 14.08.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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 external electricity meter must match the existing wall in respect of colour or unless otherwise approved by the Department. Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area. Plans/Drawings/Information:

This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 18th June 2019:

• o Site/Location Plan
• o Photographs of proposed position
• o Drawing No. M140 - Typical installation method for double brick cavity wall _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of 8 Summerhill, Douglas which is situated to the southern end of a block of 9 terraced properties along the Summer Hill Road. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval to install a meter box to the eastern front boundary wall between 8 and 9 Summerhill. The meter box is to measure 410mm x 595mm. PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The previous planning applications are not considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application. PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as Predominantly Residential on the Douglas Local Plan Order 1998, Map 3. The property is also within the Douglas Promenade Conservation Area. Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35.

4.3 General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 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:

• 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;

4.4 Environment Policy 35 which 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'.

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Douglas Corporation have considered the proposal and have no objection (12.07.19). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The key issue to consider in the assessment of this planning application is the potential impacts upon the visual amenities of the street scene.

6.2 The property itself is situated on the Summer Hill Road, which is a steep road which is mainly used as a cut through from Douglas Promenade to Onchan. The properties within the terraced property are of varying heights and styles all above road level. - 6.3 The proposed meter box would be in a very public vantage point with it being on the easterly wall between No. 8 and 9 Summerhill, especially when walking up the hill. - 6.4 The meter box itself though large isn't very wide and as such won't protrude out of the wall enough to cause any negative effects on how the property is viewed as a whole. - 6.5 The alteration to add the meter box if coloured matched to the wall would have a general neutral effect of the Conservation Area. CONCLUSION

7.1 For the above reasons the proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore acceptable. 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 the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 15.08.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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