DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 23/01080/B Applicant: Mrs Anne Thomson Proposal: Erection of two single storey extensions Site Address: Swallows Rest Bayrauyr Road St Marks IM9 3AT Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken: 08.03.2024 Site Visit: 08.03.2024 Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.04.2024

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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. Prior to the occupation of the extensions hereby approved the front and side gables of both extensions shall be finished externally in stone matching the main house in full accordance with the details shown on drawing 1677.2 Rev 1 and retained thereafter.

Reason: the application has been assessed on this basis and in the interest of visual amenity and reducing visual impact on the wider countryside landscape.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The overall principle of development is acceptable in line with 8.12.2 and the visual impact of the works on the house itself are considered acceptable having a subordinate impact and of a form and proportion in keeping with main house meeting with the principles of Housing Policy 15, and subject to a condition requiring the stone work finish the proposed extensions are not considered to result in any significant or unacceptable adverse visual harm on the wider countryside in line with Environment Policy 1 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following information:

• o drawing number 1677.1
• o drawing number 1677.3
• o site photograph

• - all date received 15/09/2023
• o drawing number 1677.2 Rev 1 date received 28/03/2024 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application relates to existing dwelling known as 'Swallow's Rest' sitting on the northern side of Bayrauyr Road, St Marks.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for the erection of 2 x single storey, pitched roof side extensions both measuring 4.5m x 7m. Both extensions are to be finished with slate roof and two roof lights to the front and rear. Each end gable is to have a large picture window. - 2.2 Following comments from the officer the extensions were amended to have full stone cladding finish to the front and side gable elevations.

- 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 The dwelling was original approved as a replacement agricultural workers dwelling under 09/00703/B. This was approved with 5 conditions relating to 4 year time period, in accordance with approved drawings, requiring demolition of existing house, an agricultural tie of new house and a condition preventing any changes to the windows. - 3.2 Permission to remove the agricultural workers tie was approved at appeal under 20/00473/B. - 3.3 Under 19/00019/B permission was given for a change to the access track to the house.

- 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 The site is not designated for development on the 1982 Development Plan or the Area Plan for the South 2013. The site is not recognised as being at any flood risk and is not within any conservation area. - 4.2 In terms of Strategic Plan policy the following are considered relevant:

• o Strategic Policy 1 - make best and efficient use of sites
• o Strategic Policy 2 and Spatial Policy 3 - new development located in existing town centres, unless in line with GP3
• o Strategic Policy 5 - new development to make positive contribution
• o General Policy 2 - general standards towards acceptable development
• o General Policy 3 - exceptions to development in countryside
• o Environment Policy 1 - protection of the countryside. Adversely affecting development not permitted unless there is an overriding national need.
• o Environment Policy 2 - protection of AHLV from harm, unless the development is essential
• o Housing Policy 15 - alterations and extensions to traditional dwellings.
• o Housing Policy 16 - alterations and extensions to non-traditional dwellings
• o Community Policies 7 and 11 - reduce chance of criminal activity and spread of fire

4.3 In addition to the above the site also falls within an area on the APS the site recognised as being an area of Incised Slopes (D14) where the APS Written Statement indicates that the "overall strategy is to conserve and enhance the character, quality and distinctiveness of the area, with its wooded valley bottoms, its strong geometric field pattern delineated by Manx hedges, its numerous traditional buildings and its network of small roads and lanes. The strategy should also include the restoration of landscapes disturbed by former mining activities". The key landscape views listed below harmonise in part with EP2 of the IOMSP:

• i. To protect the tranquil, rural character of the area with its open views.
• ii. Sensitive location of new buildings and the use of screen planting.
• iii. Avoidance of physical or visual amalgamation of roadside housing.
• iv. Protection and enhancement of the identity of Ballabeg and Colby by the conservation of the rural character of the adjacent landscape.

4.4 Policy/Strategy/Guidance eg.

• o Planning Circular 3/91
• o Residential Design Guide - Section 4

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Malew Parish Commissioners - no objection (04/10/2023). - 5.2 The DOI Highway Services - no highways interest (22/09/2023) - 5.3 The following were also consulted but no response received as of 02/04/2024: o Manx Utilities

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 Swallow's Rest is a substantial two-storey detached house, set back by about 100m from the north side of Bayrauyr Road and is reached by an access drive. The house is set in open countryside and once formed the centre of Gibdale Farm. There were no conditions revoking permitted development as part of the original replacement dwelling in 2009 and the dwelling was recently approved at appeal for the removal of its agricultural tie. The key tests in the case of this assessment are:

• i. Principle of development
• ii. Visual impact - existing dwelling, street scene and wider countryside landscape
• iii. Other matters - fire risk and criminal activity

6.3 i) Principle of development 6.3.1 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 (IOMSP) provides guidance to alterations and extension to existing dwellings in the countryside and makes clear that some support can be given so long as the works are appropriately designed so as to not detract from the host dwelling. Paragraph 8.12.2 states "as there is a general policy against development in the Island's countryside, it is important that where development exists, either in an historic or recently approved form, it should not, when altered or extended detract from the amenities of the countryside. Care therefore, must be taken to control the size and form of extensions to property in the countryside. In the case of traditional properties, the proportion and form of the building is sensitively balanced and extensions of inappropriate size or proportions will not be acceptable where these destroy the existing character of the property". Therefore there is support which can be given to the overall principle for works to the house and this is accepted. The success of the application therefore falls to the overall visual impact of the works on the house itself, streetscene and on the surrounding countryside.

6.2 ii) Visual Impact - existing dwelling, streetscene and wider countryside Existing dwelling

• 6.2.1 The existing dwelling is a fairly recent replacement. Its overall style and design mimics a traditional dwelling. Its position within the landscape is fairly prominent particularly when travelling along the Bayrauyr Road due to its height and depth, its position on the hillside and minded that the bulk of the property is finished in painted render. Those parts of the main dwelling finished in stone provide a visual break to the overall render massing and as you travel closer to the house the stone finish to the fronts of the extension wings helps to reduce their visual prominence from the road and in the wider landscape. Impact on Existing Dwelling
• 6.2.2 The existing dwelling is quite large and already has two existing side extensions bookending the gables finished in a single storey design and somewhat typical of how such properties might be extended (principles of Planning Circular 3/91). It is unquestionable that the proposed works would make bigger again the existing dwelling and there is always concern that a proliferation of such extensions start to erode the original traditional character of the host dwelling and undermining the principles of the Strategic Plan policies and paragraphs seeking to protect traditional properties.
• 6.2.3 This proposal now seeks to increase the footprint by adding two further single storey side extensions book ending the existing, these works unquestionably elongate the frontage across the ground floor however the single storey design of the extensions helps to maintain that necessary subordinate appearance so as to not overbear or dominate the host dwelling. The matching eaves and pitched roof arrangement also helps to maintain a traditional form and proportion in keeping with the main house and the palette of materials was typical of such properties and so when viewed in isolation the proposed works considered to be in-keeping and not unobjectionable and meeting with the key tests of HP15. Impact on Streetscene and Wider Countryside
• 6.2.4 While on its own and viewed in isolation the works were considered acceptable, there was initial concern expressed that the inclusion of a painted render finish to the upper parts of the new side extensions would exacerbate the elongation of the property resulting from the proposals and making the property more obvious within the landscape. These concerns were expressed to the applicant and in accepting that the proposed extensions would make bigger the entire dwelling that they would amend the scheme to include stone finish to all of the fronts of the extensions as well as including new stone finish to both end gables.
• 6.2.5 The stone finish to the frontages would be similar to the existing side extensions helping to mitigate the elongation and to some degree the new extensions appearing as small continuations to what already exists, although any longer and this could tip the balance in becoming more horizontal than vertical and this impacting the traditional character of the main

• 3 bay house. The inclusion of a new stone finish to the end gable of the extensions where currently there is no stone would considerably help towards reducing the overall prominence of the building compared to the existing arrangement particularly in those landscape views achievable when travelling along the road from St Marks. So although increasing the footprint, the proposal including this stone finish helps towards reducing the visual prominence and this impact on the wider countryside weights in favour of the proposal in line with Environment Policy 1 and also in taking into consideration the principles of HP16 which seek development not to make worse public views.

6.5 iii) Other matters - fire risk and criminal activity

• 6.5.1 There are no new or increased adverse impacts expected beyond the existing house in terms of fire risk, spread of fire or any criminal activity and the application is acceptable in this respect.
• 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 It is considered that the overall principle of development is acceptable in line with - 8.12.2 and that the visual impact of the works on the house itself is considered acceptable

having a subordinate impact and of form and proportion in keeping with main house meeting with the principles of HP15 and subject to the inclusion of the stone work finish to the front and end gables is expected to help lessen its prominence within the landscape and not resulting in any adverse visual harm on the wider countryside in line with EP1. The stone work finish shall be secured by condition.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 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 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.

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 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 : Permitted Date : 04.04.2024 Determining officer

Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management

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