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Application No.: 20/01380/B Applicant: Mr & Mrs Steve & Margaret Crellin Proposal: Alterations to existing site access, erecting a timber boundary fence, new gateposts & relocation of existing gates Site Address: Shearwater Andreas Road Dhoor Ramsey Isle Of Man IM7 4EB Planning Officer: Mrs Vanessa Porter Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 10.03.2021 _________________________________________________________________
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.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal is considered to comply with Environment Policy 4 and Transport Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore acceptable.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 3rd December 2020:
This decision also related to Drawing No.10 Rev E which was received on the 4th February 2021 and shows the revised site plan. _______________________________________________________________
It is recommended that the following Government Departments should not be given Interested Person Status on the basis that although they have made written submissions these do not relate to planning considerations:
Manx National Heritage. _____________________________________________________________________________
Officer’s Report THE APPLICATION SITE
1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of Shearwater, Andreas Road, Dhoor, Ramsey which is a split level detached dwelling situated to the South of Andreas Road. - 1.2 The existing driveway is situated off the driveway/path adjacent to the property close to the junction to Andreas Road and is a combined driveway serving both "Shearwater" and "The Stables," Andreas Road. THE PROPOSAL
2.1 The current planning application seeks approval to relocate the existing driveway from the driveway/path to Andreas Road and to erect landscaping and double sided vertical close boarded fence to existing driveway. - 2.2 Several trees are to be removed with the works and there is the removal of a section of the existing Manx hedge to create the driveway entrance. 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 "not designated for development" on the 1982 Development Plan, North Map. Due to the zoning of the site and the proposed works the following policies are relevant in the determination of the application:-
4.2 Environment Policy 1 states: "The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. For the purposes of this policy, the countryside comprises all land which is outside the settlements defined in Appendix 3 at A.3.6 or which is not designated for future development on an Area Plan. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an over-riding national need in land use planning terms which outweighs the requirement to protect these areas and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative." - 4.3 Transport Policy 4 states: "The new and existing highways which serve any new development must be designed so as to be capable of accommodating the vehicle and pedestrian journeys generated by that development in a safe and appropriate manner, and in accordance with the environmental objectives of this plan." - 4.4 Transport Policy 7 states: "The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards. The current standards are set out in Appendix 7." - 4.5 The Residential Design Guidance 2016 is also relevant in this application of which the parts which are relevant are below in the assessment of this application. 6.5 REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 Highway Services have considered the proposal and do not object stating, "The proposal raises no significant road safety or highway efficiency concerns. Issues first identified by a Stage 1 / 2 Road Safety Audit have been addressed by the Designer' response and incorporated in the submitted layout. This included, also, a review of the local personal injury collisions for the latest five year period where no PIC's were recorded. The closing off the existing access to the adjoining lane provides a safer arrangement than the existing facility reducing some conflicting movements with neighbouring property and Public Right of Way." (23.12.20)
5.2 Lezayre Parish Commissioners have considered the proposal and have no objection (29.01.21). - 5.3 The Ecosystem Policy Officer has written in to state, "The proposed development will require the removal of a number of middle aged and mature trees. Due to the size and species composition the risk to bats is deemed low. However, there is potential for nesting birds in the trees. Due to the loss of trees on site and thus the loss of space for biodiversity, the Ecosystem Policy Team request that replacement tree/hedge planting with Manx native species where the existing site access is to be removed is secured as a planning condition." (7.01.21) - 5.4 Manx National Heritage have written in to state in part, "The removal and pruning back of a number of trees have been identified in this planning application. The work should ideally carried out between the months of September to February each year to avoid the bird nesting season. (15.02.21) - 5.5 The Arboricultural officer was asked for comments, to date no reply has been received.
6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of the planning application is whether there would be a visual impact on the proposed works within the streetscene and the potential impact upon highway safety.
6.2 In the first instance the proposed new entrance is along the main road of Andreas Road and as such there would be a high visual impact of the works due to the removal of the existing boundary treatment including several trees and part of the Manx hedge. The Residential Design Guidance 2019 lends guidance to boundary treatments by stating, "6.1.2 The suitability of the boundary treatment to the front of a property or facing the road should take account of the context of the area. For open plan estates it is normally better for there to be no walls or fences, with gardens being delineated through their use of low level plants. For more urban areas there may be a predominance of low garden walls with railings above. In rural areas, sod banks or hedging is more likely to be appropriate, unless there are stone walls present." - 6.3 With the above in mind the main impact would be the removal of the trees and hedge, it is important that the design of a driveway maintains a balance between hard and soft landscaping and contributes positively to the overall streetscene. - 6.4 When looking at the overall streetscene "Shearwater" is situated within a cluster of six houses of which all have different driveway and boundary treatments to the front elevation which range from substantial trees to stone walling. The removal of the trees and Manx Hedge within this application whilst they will be noticeable should not alter how the property is viewed within the streetscene. Do to the boundary treatment between "Ballacarberry" and "Shearwater" there should still be enough soft landscaping within the site to add interest. - 6.5 Moving on to whether the change of the entranceway will have an impact on Highway Safety. The proposal is to create a completely new separate driveway and entrance onto "Shearwater" where the existing driveway is currently shared with "The Stables." Combined
7.1 For the above reasons the proposal is considered to comply with Environment Policy 4 and Transport Policy 4 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) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner 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: 11.03.2021 Determining officer
Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner
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