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Received DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING AND QUALITY CONTROL 10/21/14 7400754 10/21/14 7400754
1111/X/DS/02
RECEIVED ON 10/23/14 DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE
1111 Design Statement
Thie ny Strooan, Hillberry Green, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM2 6DE
10th February 2014
RICHMOND SQUARE DESIGN LTD
t +44 (0)1624 625610 f +44 (0)1624 625611
email/web [email protected] www.richmondsquaregroup.com
Richmond Square Design Ltd Registered Office: The Estate Office, Oak Hill, Port Soderick, Isle of Man, IM4 1AT is a limited company registered in the Isle of Man with company number 121882C Directors: J Brookman, L Vowles, L Sheridan
1.0 Contents 2 2.0 Introduction 3 3.0 Planning History 4 4.0 Consultations 5 5.0 Proposal 6 6.0 Summary 8
This application seeks approval for the erection of a private in-door tennis court and associated footbridge within the grounds of Thie ny Strooan, Hillberry Green, Douglas.
A topographical survey has been carried out on the site along with a partial tree survey to the areas involved with the development and are included as part of this application.
Planning Application, PA/13/00423/B, for a private tennis court and recreation facilities on the same site was approved at appeal on the 07th of October 2013. This scheme was developed in conjunction with an application for the creation of a new private dwelling; 12/01279/B. Works on the principle residence are nearing completion.
This application seeks approval for a similar scheme which has been developed following the appointment of specialist consultants and subsequent design refinements. This design development provided the opportunity to further address some of the concerns previously expressed by the adjoining neighbours in relation to the approved scheme.
An application was also granted for a footbridge, PA 12/00908/B, which provides the principal access to the tennis court from the main house. This has also been subject to further design development therefore has been included within this application.
Post planning approval of the tennis court, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which is the governing body for British Tennis, has been appointed as consultants. Prior to obtaining full planning approval, the LTA were unwilling to provide technical advice for a speculative proposal. Their expertise has been invaluable. The scheme has been influenced by their comments which have resulted in some external amendments. We are therefore seeking planning approval for an amended scheme that encapsulates these changes.
Mr Doug Chalk of the Forestry Division has been consulted regarding the amended scheme and has agreed to the removal of the trees indicated within this proposal. The intended replacements and replanting of trees has also been discussed. Email correspondence confirming this is attached in the appendix.
The approved scheme required the relocation of a mains sewer. This work has been undertaken with consultation and approval of Ian Wade c/o IOM Water and Sewage Authority. Copy of the correspondence is included in the appendix.
Ms Andrea Georgeson from Highways was consulted in regard to the previous application. The advice previously given has been followed for this submission.
Additional consultations with the adjoining neighbours also took place following the approval of the tennis court. This application addresses previous concerns that were raised which are discussed further in this document.
The proposed tennis court and recreation facilities are intended for private use by the owner's and their invited guests of Thie ny Strooan. Neighbours had previously expressed concerns that the property is intended to be used as a Sports Complex/Social Club; this is not the case. It will be strictly private use only. Separating these additional leisure facilities from the main house maximises the potential of the large site. This remains unchanged from the approved scheme (PA/13/00423/8).
As per the last scheme, access to the building is intended to be pedestrian access only from the grounds of the main house. The overall scheme for the site includes a footbridge that will link to a timber walkway and soft footpaths allowing easy and direct access from the house to the court. The tennis court lobby has been relocated from the approved scheme to improve the direct route from the house.
As previously shown, vehicular ingress, maintenance access and emergency services access will be accommodated by a proposed new entrance off the Mountain Road that runs parallel to the site. In order to improve visibility from the vehicular entrance, gate piers are set back from the road and the Manx bank will be re-shaped. Hardscape will be limited to a vehicular turning circle and the use of this entrance will be restricted and monitored.
The proposed materials for the building have been selected from a natural palette of timbers and Manx stone intended to age well with time. This selection is as per the approved scheme and is a direct response to the mature, private woodland setting which is intended to be retained and enhanced. The timber cladding will be a combination of natural teak and teak with a stained finish to provide visual contrast in their colouring as well as by the direction of the boards.
Following the advice of the LTA, the retractable roof that was originally part of the playing area has now been omitted. It has been advised that all natural light within the tennis court will be controlled therefore clerestory opaque glazing has been introduced at high level creating a more diffused, halo lighting as suggested by the LTA. This also alleviates the neighbours' previous concerns regarding potential noise pollution created from the motorisation of the retractable roof.
To enhance the natural lighting levels of the space, additional glazing has been introduced to the North-East Elevation (road side). This location ensures that neighbouring properties are not overlooked. Natural light will be controlled in the form of internal louvered blinds following the advice of the LTA.
As identified previously, the scale of the building has been dictated by its purpose; internally, a central height of 10m is required to accommodate the arc of a tennis ball in play. Likewise, the footprint of a tennis court is predetermined and therefore this remains unchanged from the granted scheme. As per the approved scheme, ridge level remains at 111.700.
A number of secondary and smaller trees are intended to be removed from the site. The remaining trees are proposed to be supplemented by mature specimens to ensure that the character of the area and site is retained. In particular, a line of mature trees are intended to be planted along the boundary edge and existing wall to provide natural screening to the neighbouring properties. Likewise, it is intended to introduce additional planting along the existing roadside banking to provide screening from the public and neighbours viewpoint. This will also significantly reduce the visible mass of the building from the road. It is suggested that the height and possibly the specimen of these trees could be restricted to ensure that the quality of the neighbours view.
External lighting will be at low level and limited to the principal access, the soft footpaths and bridge, to allow safe navigation from the house to the court in low light levels.
Upon obtaining approval for the Tennis Court, specialist consultants have been appointed. Inevitably design refinement has occurred resulting in the need for a new planning application. The principal aesthetic changes have been discussed in this document however the concept, scale and materiality are not fundamentally different to the previous scheme. The proposed use remains unchanged.
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