Officer Planning Report
Planning Report And Recommendations {{table:527736}} ### Considerations {{table:527732}} ### Written Representations ### Consultations {{table:527733}} {{table:527734}} {{table:527735}}
Officer's Report
The Site
The site represents the curtilage of an existing building - the former post office, situated on the eastern side of Old Laxey Hill, opposite 1, Glen Roy Cottages. The property is a three storey property with substantial slated hipped roof with significantly sized chimney stacks and flat roofed single storey extension on the southern side. Car parking is available at the rear accessed via narrow lane which runs parallel with Tent Road.
The building has a frontage onto Old Laxey Hill which is dominated by two large square windows on both sides of the front door with subsidiary glazing bars which subdivide the window to the left of the door into 16 squares and the window on the right within the flat roofed annex, into 18 squares. Above this are single lights within tow vertically proportioned windows at first floor and two small square single lights in the top floor. In the southern side elevation there are four small square single lights in the second floor and four vertically proportioned windows below each of these and windows below which are obscured from public view by the flat roofed annex and existing shrubbery.
The property is used as a dwelling.
Planning Status
The site lies within an area designated on the Laxey and Lonan Local Plan as Mixed Use Ret/Off/Tour.
Planning History
The site has been the subject of a number of applications: PA 93/0166 - change of use of post office/shop area into living accommodation - permitted PA 98/0606 - installation of French doors with disabled access - permitted PA 07/1882 - installation of roof lights - permitted
The Proposal
Proposed are alterations to the property mainly internally but include the blocking up of an existing window in the southern elevation of the single storey annex, removal of the existing canopy over the external entrance to the single storey annex and construction of new timber deck on existing concrete landing wit a new handrail up to 1100 mm high, new timber steps to replace the concrete ones.
Representations
MEA recommend a note regarding existing electricity supplies which is not a material planning consideration and should not be referred to in the planning decision notice.
Department of Transport Highways and Traffic Division and Laxey Village Commissioners raise no objection to the proposal
Assessment
The proposed changes make little impact on the appearance of the building as the works are confined to parts of the building which are not visible by the public. The works do not adversely affect the amenities of adjacent properties.
Party Status
The Department of Transport and the local authority are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (c) and (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.
The Manx Electricity Authority raise issues regarding working practices around existing supplies, which are not material planning considerations and as such the MEA should not be afforded party status in this instance.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation: 17.06.2008
Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal
- : Notes attached to refusals
C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
C 2. This permission relates to the alterations shown in drawings HLK/08/0056/2, -3 and -04A all received on 29th April, 2008.
I confirm that this decision accords with Government Circular No 31/07 (Delegation of Functions to Senior Planning Officer)
Decision Made : Permitted Date :
Signed :
