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Design | Management | Construction
SUPPORTING INFORMATION FOR PLANNING APPLICATION ________________________________________________________________________________________________
Date 31.03.2021 REV ________________________________________________________________________________________________
INTRODCUTION
The Applicants, Amy Wheeler and Chris Hill, have purchased the existing Quadrant House on the Quay in Port St Mary in February 2020 and are in the process of refurbishing it to make it their family home.
The building is located in a prominent location directly opposite the Inner harbour and within the Designated Conservation Area of Port St Mary. It forms part of a terrace of residential buildings of similar age and appearance, but varying height and expression and is in need of roof, dormer and window repairs to improve its condition and to bring it up to current standards. Changes to the level 1 windows were undertaken approx. 10 years ago and information for this modification was submitted to the Planning Department in October 2010 and approved.
The building use will remain a residential property, no change in use is proposed and the building height will remain unaffected by the proposals. The neighbours directly adjacent are aware of the plans and have voiced no concerns or objections to date.
The below Image shows the building in its context.
The below images show the roof in its current poor state of repair. Existing roof & dormer to rear Existing roof & dormer to front Existing chimney stack Existing dormer to front Redecorations and replacement of facias etc
Redecoration of external areas with paint finishes will also be undertaken to all external walls, but no thermal upgrades or other changes are proposed at this stage.
Roof facias and rainwater goods will also be replaced throughout by new PVC items in a dark grey colour.
Window replacement
It is proposed that only the windows on level 2 and 3 of the front elevation, which are timber casement windows in poor condition are to be replaced.
The windows on level 1 were replaced approx. 10 years ago by PVC windows and, while not necessarily aesthetically pleasing, remain in good condition and no changes are proposed. The same applies to the building towards to rear / Queen Street side of the building. The window on the ground floor is together with the entrance door are original features and will be repaired and re-decorated.
The windows at high level and levels 2 and 3 are in poor condition and the proposal is to replace
These windows will allow safe opening mechanism (including the use as an escape route) and easy window cleaning at the higher levels. Windows are however proposed in a dark grey colour and with a thermal performance compliant with current Building Regulations.
The window sizing will be kept the same size as the existing windows. Other options of window format were considered as the applicant appreciates that a more traditional window format would be preferable within a Conservation Area setting, but this would require the 3 floor and the roof structure and dormer to be rebuild almost in their entirety and is therefore not a viable option.
The proposed opening functionality of the replacement windows is indicated on the below extract from the manufacturer and on drawing 2014-PL-102 which shows the front elevation with the various proposed alterations and replacements.
Courtyard Infill Extension at the Rear of the Building
The currentl existing kitchen on the ground floor is a very small galley kitchen which in its size and layout is not suitable for a 4-bed family home and the applicant would therefore like to increase the size of the available kitchen area by infilling the small courtyard which currently exists to the rear inward facing ground floor.
This extension would include a new blockwork wall along the existing concrete stairs which would be maintained and still allow access and egress to the terrace above and an extended roof area at the level of the current partial terrace on level 1.
The terrace level would be raised by approx. 100mm to allow for additional insulation and waterproofing layer with timber effect decking which would also assist in reducing the current step between the level 1 internal floor level and the existing terrace.
The infill would not be visible from the public realm, only from the back windows of the adjacent properties and would not have any impact on light levels or views of any other properties. A terrace is already in existence and its area would only increase slightly as the terrace would include a large roof light.
The ground floor area will increase by approx. 8.5 sqm, but will allow for a much more suitable kitchen size for the property.
The below image shows the rear elevation as it currently exists.
Drawing 2014-PL-100 illustrates the current ground and first floor layouts including the proposed demolition, drawing 2014-PL-101 shows the proposed plan layout and sections in comparison. There are no elevation drawings as the rear of the building is enclosed by boundary walls – no changes in height or appearance are proposed to these.
A Building Control Application for the roof replacement has already been submitted, a separate application for the window replacement and the infilled extension to the rear will be submitted concurrently with the planning application.
Other Aspects Impact on Neighbouring Buildings As highlighted above, the proposed extension is in the centre of the ground floor and will not increase the height of the boundary walls at the rear of the property and it includes no windows which would cause any kind of overlooking or other issues. There is therefore no impact on the neighbouring properties Highways No changes are proposed to access arrangements or parking and there is no impact of the small scale extension on the highways situation. Flood Risk The property is located in an area with a high risk of tidal flooding from the Inner Harbour located across the street which is directly connected to street level via a slip way. The use of the property will remain as residential, but as no sleeping accommodation is located or proposed on the ground floor, there will not be any kind of risk to life and safety of the inhabitants.
The ground floor of the building is slightly raised with two small steps leading up to the main entrance at street level, giving some protection to the internal areas which can be increased by the use of sandbags should the need arise. Access and egress are also available at the rear of the property where an external door connects via a small courtyard to a neighbouring courtyard leading up to Loch Road and providing alternative routes, should the need arise. This will be maintained with the proposed courtyard infill extension.
Tanking is proposed to the basement level and to ground floor interfaces as a measure to protect the building structure in particular, but also the internal areas. The proposed kitchen areas on the ground floor will be located a further step higher (as is the current kitchen) and will have tiled floor finishes throughout with the majority of the walls proposed to be blockwork with cement render finish for robustness and to match the existing finishes. All newly installed power sockets will be located at a minimum of 450mm above finished floor level for additional resilience.
With the building owners being part of the local RNLI and Sailing Club, they are well aware of the tidal flood warnings and will take additional protective measures as and when required.
The below map illustrates the location of the building in the context of the local Flooding Map.
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