DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 24/00272/B Applicant: Ms Emilia Humphrey Proposal: Installation of replacement front doors Site Address: 2 And 3 Barrack Lane Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 1BE Planning Officer: Peiran Shen Photo Taken: 14.04.2024 Site Visit: 14.04.2024 Recommended Decision: Refused Date of Recommendation: 14.05.2024 _________________________________________________________________ Reasons for Refusal R : Reasons for Refusal O : Notes attached to reasons - R 1. The replacement door would not respect the material, finish or panel arrangement of the existing door and fails the statutory test within Section 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act. Therefore, it is recommended for a refusal. The replacement door would not replicate the form, finish, materials or opening method of the existing door, and as a result the proposals fail the statutory test within Section 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 as the replacement door would not preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Peel Conservation Area. - R 2. The replacement doors would not preserve or enhance the character of the Ramsey Conservation Area and would affect adversely the character of the surrounding townscape and would affect adversely the character of the locality and is not considered to respect the design of the existing building. Therefore failing to comply with Strategic Policy 4, General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is the 2 And 3 Barrack Lane, Ramsey, two mid-terrace dwelling located on the west of the Barrack Lane. Front door of No.2 is a blue timber door with vertical panels and two

vertical glazing at the top. Front door of No. 3 is a blue timber door with a single large glazing pane at the top.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposed is the replacement of the front door of No.2 and No.3 with white uPVC doors with a large glazing panel on the top.

- 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 There is no previous application considered materially relevant to this application. - 4.0 PLANNING POLICY Site Specific

4.1 The site is within an area designated as Predominantly Residential in the Area Plan for the East.

4.2 The site is within the Ramsey Conservation Area. Strategic Policy - 4.3 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application:

• o Strategic Policy 4(a)
• o General Policy 2 (b) (c) (g)
• o Environment Policy 35

PPS and NPD

4.4 Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man is the only adopted PPS at the moment. It provides supplementary policy on developments within any conservation area.

5.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS Legislation

5.1 Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Planning Act (1999) states, "(4) Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act". This sets out the approach to be taken in determining planning applications, which includes giving great weight to the asset's conservation when considering the impact of a proposed development on the asset. Given that the site is within a Conservation Area, the above requirements apply and appropriate consideration will be given in section 7. Strategy and Guidance

5.2 The Residential Design Guide (July 2021) contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: o Chapter 5 Architectural Details - 6.0 REPRESENTATIONS

6.1 Ramsey Town Commissioners has no objection to this application (22.03.2024).

6.2 DoI Highway Services states there is no highway interest in this application (11.03.2024). - 7.0 ASSESSMENT Conservation Areas Statutory Test

7.1 Before assessing elements of the proposal, as it is within a Conservation Area, a test should be applied to this proposal as mentioned in 5.1. This is whether the proposal would preserve or enhance the character of the Conservation Area.

7.2 The material, texture and panel arrangement of the existing doors are of Manx traditional character. The proposed is a typical uPVC door for modern-day-built houses. The row of terraced house are in traditional Manx design and the proposed door fail to reflect on their traditional characters. Therefore, it is considered that the replacement doors detract from the front elevations on the lane. Since they neither preserve nor enhance the appearance of the building and the character of the area, the proposal is considered to fail the test. Elements of Assessment

7.3 The key considerations in the determination of the application are its impact on the house, the terrace itself and on the character and appearance of the area. - 7.4 As mentioned in 7.2, the proposed uPVC doors fail to reflect the material, finish or panel scale nor their arrangement and is not considered to preserve the character of the Conservation Area.

- 8.0 CONCLUSION

8.1 The replacement door would not respect the material, finish or panel arrangement of the existing door and fails the statutory test within Section 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act. Therefore, it is recommended for a refusal. - 8.2 The replacement doors would not preserve or enhance the character of the Ramsey Conservation Area and therefore failing to comply with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan.

9.0 INTEREST PERSON STATUS 9.1 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 which 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.

9.2 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 the Acting Head of Development Management 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 : Refused Date : 16.05.2024 Determining officer

Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management

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