DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 21/00143/B Applicant: Miss Siobhan Golding & Mr Jamie Watterson Proposal: Installation of replacement windows Site Address: 14 Thorny Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 5ED Technical Officer: Mr Thomas Sinden Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 15.03.2021 _________________________________________________________________

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. Each replacement window is to include sash horns on their upper sash.

Reason: To preserve the special character of the Conservation Area within which the property sits.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal complies with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, Planning Circular 1/98 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01, and is therefore judged to be acceptable. Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the information received on 3rd February 2021. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

It is recommended that the following persons should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 6(4):

The Isle of Man Victorian Society

as they do not clearly identify the land which is owned or occupied which is considered to be impacted on by the proposed development in accordance with paragraph 2A of the Policy. _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is 14 Thorny Road, a two storey mid-terrace property within the Selbourne Drive Conservation Area. The property forms part of a late 19th century/early 20th century terrace with slate pitched roofs, painted smooth render wall finish, chimney stacks on the party walls, bay windows at ground floor, sliding sash windows in a regular pattern, and painted timber doors with fanlights above. The properties are set back from the highway with front gardens enclosed by dwarf walls. - 1.2 The windows currently in the property are painted timber one over one sliding sash single glazed units on the front elevation.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application proposes to replace the existing front elevation windows with double glazed uPVC sliding sash units.

- 3.0 PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the East 2020 as predominantly residential and within the Selbourne Drive Conservation Area where Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 require development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area and to take into account in any decision, the special character of the area. The property is not in an area at risk of flooding. - 3.2 Also, General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan is relevant: Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:

• (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;
• (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; and (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality.

3.3 Environment Policy 34 expresses a preference for the use of traditional materials in the maintenance, extension or alteration of pre-1920 buildings. - 3.4 Planning Circular 1/98 provides guidance on the replacement of windows and in Conservation Areas states that whatever the frame material, the method of opening on windows visible by the public must replicate the original.

- 4.0 PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 Application 07/01764/R permitted the retention of PVC windows and a door to the rear of the property, while application 16/00866/B refused the replacement of the front door. - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 The Isle of Man Victorian Society have stated that they are pleased to note the proposal is for sliding sash windows, but they request that a condition be included with any approval that requires sash horns to be included (20.2.2021).

5.2 Douglas Borough Council have stated that they have no objection to the application (24.02.2021)

5.3 The Department of Infrastructure Highways Division have stated that there is no highways interest in respect of the application (10.03.2021)

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The issue here is whether the proposed works preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area in which the property sits taking into account the special character of the area.

6.2 The application proposes to replace the existing timber framed single glazed siding sash units with uPVC framed double glazed sliding sash units. Whilst the material is not traditional as preferred by Environment Policy 34, the windows meet the guidance in Planning Circular 1/98 as the opening method is being replicated. It is judged that the character of the Conservation is being preserved and therefore that the front elevation windows are acceptable. - 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 It is concluded that the proposal complies with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, Planning Circular 1/98 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01, and is therefore recommended for approval. Although the frame materials are not traditional, as required by Environment Policy 34 they are considered appropriate in this case given the context of the site and that the general impact would be to preserve the character and appearance of the area. - 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 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: 16.03.2021 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer

Principal Planner

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