DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 22/00026/B Applicant: Mr Mervyn Hills Proposal: Alterations, erection of extension, roofing works and creation of first floor access with associated external stairs to existing garage block Site Address: Cronk-E-Chule Wheel Hill Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7NL Planning Officer: Mrs Vanessa Porter Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.02.2022 _________________________________________________________________

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. The garage and store above hereby approved shall only be used only in association with the main dwelling house "Cronk-E-Chule" and for purposes incidental to the use of main dwelling house "Cronk-E-Chule" as a single dwelling, for no commercial purposes and shall not be occupied as an independent dwelling unit and only in accordance with the internal layout shown on plan 2021-094-005 received on the 6th January 2022.

Reason: the dwelling is within a single residential plot within an area not designated for development and has only been considered acceptable for the reasons identified within the application. The application does not propose to create separate units of accommodation within the site and has not been considered as such.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal complies with Housing Policy 16, Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy 1/01.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 6th January 2022;

• o Drawing No. 2021-094-001
• o Drawing No. 2021-094-002

• o Drawing No. 2021-094-003
• o Drawing No. 2021-094-004
• o Drawing No. 2021-094-005
• o Drawing No. 2021-094-006 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The application site is within the curtilage of Cronk E Chule, Wheel Hill, Laxey, which consists of a two storey detached property, and a two storey detached garage block. The property is situated across the Laxey River adjacent to the Laxey Wheel car park. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval to erect a long external staircase with balcony to the North of the site which will create an entrance into the first floor of the existing garage. The Staircase will be constructed out of concrete with a store room situated below and will have a stone facing to match the existing garage and metal railings.

2.2 Also included in the assessment of this application is the installation of an accoya wooden window to the South elevation and erection of new window to the West elevation. - 2.3 With the proposed works are also the removal of the staircase to the inside of the garage and the installation of a toilet to the first floor level.

PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 The previous applications on the site are not material to the assessment of this application. PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as within an area "not zoned for development" on the Area Plan for the East. The site isn't within a Flood Risk Zone but is within a Conservation Area.

- 4.2 AREA PLAN FOR THE EAST

• 4.2.1 Due to the property's location close to the Laxey Wheel, Urban Environment Proposal 6 of the Area Plan for the East is applicable to the assessment of this application and seeks that the site must be designed to take into account the character of the Ancient Monument (Laxey Wheel) and due to the property being within the Laxey Conservation Area, Urban Environment Proposal 3 is also relevant which seeks that proposals make a positive contribution to the local character and distinctiveness.

4.3 STRATEGIC PLAN

• 4.3.1 Given that the site is not designated for development consideration should be given to a number of policies within the Isle of Man Strategic Plan including Strategic Policies 1 and 5 which seek to make best use of existing developed sites and ensuring new development is of good design, Spatial Policy 5, General Policy 3 and Environment Policy 3 which all seek to protect the countryside for its own sake and in this specific case due the most relevant will be Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 35 which seek to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of a Conservation Area and protect the Ancient Monument (Laxey Wheel) and Housing Policy 16 in ensuring that development does not increase the impact of non-traditional properties when viewed by the public.

• 4.3.2 Furthermore consideration shall also be given to Community Policies 7 and 11 in respect of reducing outbreak of fire and preventing criminal activity and Infrastructure Policy 5 in respect of water conservation.

4.4 PLANNING POLICY

• 4.4.1 Consideration should be given for PPS 1/01 which provides policies in respect of the alteration or replacement of windows and works in a Conservation Area.

4.5 LEGISLATION

• 4.5.1 It is relevant to note Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Planning Act (1999) states, "(4) Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act."

• 4.5.2 Given that the property is within a Conservation Area, the above requirements apply and appropriate consideration will be given in section 6 of this assessment.
• 4.6 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS 4.6.1 The principles of the Residential Design Guidance 2021 which sets out a number of general development standards for alterations to existing dwellings including neighbouring amenity is a material consideration.

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 The following representations can be found in full online; - 5.2 Highway Services have considered the proposal and state "No Highways Interest." (20.01.22) - 5.3 Garff Commissioners have considered the proposal and have no objections. (04.02.22)

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The main issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are;

• - principle of development
• - character and appearance
• - impact on neighbouring amenity
• - other matters 6.2 CONSERVATION AREA STATUTORY TEST

• 6.2.1 Prior to the assessment elements of this application, it is necessary to apply the Conservation Area statutory test as referenced in section 4.4 of this assessment on whether the proposal would preserve or enhance the Conservation Area.
• 6.2.2 The property is situated within its own grounds and due to its location away from Mines Road and with views from the Ancient Monument (Laxey Wheel) being minimal the proposed works will preserve the Conservation Area.
• 6.3 PRINCIPLE

• 6.3.1 The site is not designated for development, nor does the proposal meet the expectation criteria in General Policy 3. However, Housing Policy 16 and it's supporting text clearly allows for residential extensions in the countryside where they would not detract from the countryside, in the case of extensions of non-traditional, poor or dwellings of inappropriate form, this means that they must not increase the overall impact of the dwelling when viewed by the public.
• 6.3.2 The site itself is situated within its own grounds to the East of Mines Road, due to this, the proposed staircase and alterations will have a limited impact on the countryside. There is a

possibility that the staircase will be seen when at the top of the Laxey Wheel due to the wheels height, the impact from this view would be minimal.

- 6.4 CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE

• 6.4.1 The proposed alterations to the garage roof and the addition of the windows are acceptable and will have a minimal impact upon the garage or the Conservation Area as a whole. The proposed staircase whilst large in length due to the break in the middle, will mostly be hidden by the existing Manx stone wall. The proposed walling within the staircase itself will be Manx stone to match the existing garage and wall which will help assist in the staircase in moulding in with it's environment.
• 6.4.2 The proposed metal staircase rails is an acceptable material for a residential environment and as such will not impact the overall character or appearance of the surrounding area or the property.

- 6.5 NEIGHBOURING AMENITY

• 6.5.1 With regards to neighbouring amenity, due to the topography of the land, the location of the works and the existing arrangement, there are no neighbouring properties which might be impacted by the works.

6.6 OTHER MATTERS

• 6.6.1 The proposed works are an extension/ alteration to an already existing dwelling, as such the works proposed are not expected to create any changes or new issues in respect of criminal actively and they are providing spread of fire. The proposal whilst increasing the surface area of the garage, it is deemed that any water run-off will be dealt with as per the existing arrangement of the main dwelling. Whilst the proposal is providing a separate toilet within the upper floor of the garage, the proposal is not deemed to create any new issues in this respect. CONCLUSION
• 7.1 The proposed alterations to the garage and creation of staircase are acceptable in terms of their form, mass and design by providing an alteration and staircase to an existing residential property and as such complies with Housing Policy 16, Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy 1/01. 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 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 : 23.02.2022 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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