Planning Statement (Part 2)

EXTENT OF NEW DWELLING WHICH IS VISIBLE FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE, BALLAMRNAGH ROAD PORTION OF NEW DWELLING WHICH IS SCREENED FROM VIEW WHEN OBSERVED FROM BALLAMRNAGH ROAD {{image:97560}} {{image:97561}} {{image:97562}} {{image:97563}} View of proposed dwelling from vehicular entrance

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A 3D architectural rendering showing a proposed two-story detached house with a garage and driveway in a rural setting.

Other public vantage points are along the public footpath leading through Ballanette Nature Resolved. The public footpath is some distance away from the Ashwood and as such the property is only visible in the far distance.

The red circle indicates the location of Ashwood, the green oval indicates Ballanette Nature Reserve and the public footpath.

For most of the public footpath, a high hedge (approx. 1.6m high) screens the views inland (towards Ashwood) and Ashwood only comes into clear view once you reach the SCS Building further along. See images below. At this point the house neighbouring Ashwood is more visible than Ashwood itself. This building is at a higher level than Ashwood (existing and proposed) and would therefore always dominate the view as opposed to Ashwood.

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A scanned Ordnance Survey map showing the Baldine area of the Isle of Man, highlighting the site location near the coast and railway.

Hedge on side of public footpath, leading towards Ballanette Nature Reserve, screening the view to Ashwood. Height of hedge approximately 1.6m.

Existing house on Ashwood seen over top of hedge

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A photograph showing a narrow rural lane bordered by a tall green hedge on the left and a grassy verge on the right.

A photograph showing a rural landscape with a field of crops in the foreground and a blue circle highlighting a specific site location in the distance near trees and buildings.

Arrow indicates position of Ashwood, though it is not visible from the lakes. The neighbouring house, which is on a higher level than Ashwood is visible over the hedge (blue circle)

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A rural landscape photograph showing a green field with a grazing cow in the foreground and houses in the distance under a hazy sky.

A landscape photograph showing a rural field with a stream in the foreground and a white building circled in the distance. Blue annotations highlight specific areas of the site.

View inland from SCS building along public footpath. Ashwood visible in the centre with neighbouring houses on either side of it.

4.3 Highways Requirements

During the previous application Highways required a 60m vision splay, in either direction, for vehicles exiting the property. This was achieved by recessing the entrance gates further back into the property from the existing position and repositioning the 'manx hedge' next to the entrance so that it does not block the view. The same requirements are allowed for in this submission.

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A distant landscape photograph showing a rural view with a blue circle highlighting a specific location in the distance, likely indicating the site context.

5. Design Inspiration

Design objective:

To create a private residence suitable and responsive to its surroundings. To create a contemporary building that draws from its context on the Isle of Man and answers the needs of modern living. To create a building that is sympathetic to its environment and implements passive, environmentally friendly principles.

Aesthetic inspiration is taken from Manx vernacular architecture and contemporary residential architecture. Planning Circular 3/91 Guide to the Design of Residential Development in the Countryside: The design draws on the early Manx Farmhouses for their simple, rectangular lines and crisp white appearance.

The typical language in the countryside is of small white houses with stone and timber outbuildings surrounding them. To compliment this, the proposed dwelling is designed in such a way that it reads as separate white elements, linked with buildings in stone, timber and glazing.

![Image of a stone with a white wall and a white logbelt]

The white elements, reminiscent of traditional country cottages, are rectangular in plan and simple in form with a white painted render finish and deep window reveals. Elements of stonework will be in a rough pointed stone finish. Timber and glass is used to create the Family Room, Studio and Recreation Room.

The positioning of the house was done in such a way as to utilise the natural slope of the site. The double garage is earth sheltered under the highest point of the site and the house is positioned in such a way as to balance the amount of cut and fill during construction.

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The roof of the garage will be planted in natural occurring vegetation to blend in with the surrounding landscape.

The roof finish to the remainder of the building is predominantly an aluminium standing roof finish. Gutters and downpipes are in square profile aluminium to match the roof. A small section of flat roof links the main structure with the bedroom wing and the link to the recreation room is accessible, forming a balcony off the master bedroom.

Large double glazed aluminium windows and doors in a charcoal grey colour are used throughout. Windows have a deep window reveal and doors have a grey plaster band surround.

Simple glass balustrading with brush stainless steel handrails are proposed so as not to distract from the simple clean lines of the building.

In order to create a visual link to the outside and the views to the south, a glass and timber framed structure is introduced to the family room and studio above. Structurally, the supports will be of steel frame construction, clad in cedar. This detailing has also been used for the recreation room.

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A collage of four photographs displaying interior and exterior views of a property featuring traditional stone walls and modern glass extensions.

A collage of interior visualizations for a proposed dwelling, featuring a modern staircase, glass partition walls, a freestanding bathtub, and a dining area with exposed timber beams.

Mission Hall House, Sussex, England Adam Richards Architects

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A photograph of a modern detached dwelling with mixed roof styles, surrounded by large trees and vegetation.

A photograph showing a modern two-story replacement dwelling with a mix of concrete and white rendered walls, featuring an external staircase and landscaped front garden.

6. Energy Impact Statement

Passive environmental control and minimising inherent energy use:

Large south facing windows for solar heat gain
Balconies along the south façade provide solar shading in the warmer summer months.
Natural daylight has been maximised through large windows to reduce the need for artificial lighting
Orientation of the building so that the largest façade faces south
High thermal mass in walls and floor slabs
High levels of insulation ('super-insulation') to the floor, walls and roof of the building to achieve high levels of insulation and air tightness.
Natural ventilation though openable windows and rooflights to purge the building of warm air during summer.
Earth sheltering of the double garage provides thermal mass and reduces heat loss and promotes natural biodiversity through planting on the roof of the structure. The planted roof also reduces water runoff.

Technology and specifications to improve energy efficiency:

Double and where required, triple glazing as well as using low E glass
Energy efficient lighting through the use of LEDs
Air tightness will be achieved through careful detailing
Rainwater harvesting to an underground storage tank. Water from the storage tank will be used to fill the swimming pool.
Heating of the swimming pool and hot water will be done using solar heating. Ensuring that the pool is well insulated will reduce the amount of heat loss.
A Ground Source Heat Pump will be installed, which works by circulating a mixture of water and antifreeze around a ground loop pipe, buried in the garden. Heat from the ground is absorbed into the fluid and then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump. The ground stays at a fairly constant temperature meaning that the heat pump can be used throughout the year. This will be linked to an underfloor heating system throughout the building. An underfloor heating system is a far more efficient method of heating compared to a radiator system and uses less energy to achieve the same internal temperature.

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A Klargester BioDisk system will be installed to deal with the foul water drainage from the building. The system is an environmentally safe, individual package treatment plant suitable for residential installations. After filtration through the BioDisk, effluent will be sufficiently clean to discharge into a sub-surface drainage field.

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A technical site plan illustrating the layout of a property with a new dwelling, solar panels, and various drainage infrastructure components.

7. Summary

After consideration, the owners felt that the previous application was aesthetically too modern and wanted to create a building that is more in keeping with its surroundings and location.

Whilst this application proposes a dwelling that is larger in size than the existing dwelling, the application aims to illustrates how this improves the visual impact the building has on its surroundings by positioning it further away from Ballamenagh Road and extending the ‘manx hedge’. The existing dwelling is of low architectural merit whilst the new proposal aims to provide a building that is sympathetic to its surroundings, improves the visual language of the area and where appropriate, reflects the local vernacular.

Through passive design and introduction of energy efficient principles the new dwelling aims to minimise inherent energy use and reduce the environmental impact.

Planning Statement (Part 2)

Source & Provenance