2 July 2020 · Delegated - Principal Planner (Sarah Corlett)
Groudle Glen Hotel, King Edward Road, Onchan, Isle Of Man, IM3 2jy
Onchan District Commissioners proposed reconstructing the wheelhouse with white render, black raised boarding, opaque Perspex windows, cedar shingle roof, and an access walkway/stair of galvanised black painted steel with timber decking, alongside refurbishing the existing red-painted timber waterwheel and installing a…
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The officer considered the principle of development acceptable under General Policy 3(h), which permits buildings or works for interpretation of heritage, as the wheelhouse and waterwheel form part of…
General Policy 3
Permits development outside zoned areas for buildings/works required for interpretation of countryside, wildlife or heritage. Officer assessed the wheelhouse/waterwheel as heritage features, justifying the principle in open space despite no zoning for development. No overriding national need required under related policies.
Environment Policy 1
Protects countryside and ecology unless overriding national need with no alternative. Site in countryside (outside settlements/unzoned); officer found reinstatement not adversely affecting ecology due to conditions and minimal tree/river impact, with heritage/public benefits outweighing protection needs.
Policy O/TRT/P/4 Onchan Local Plan 2000
Onchan Local Plan policy not opposing improvements to Groudle Glen facilities if appropriate in size, scale and appearance. Officer confirmed proposal matches this, reinstating features sympathetically without altering site levels or impacting surroundings.
Time limit
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.
Schedule 8 plants survey
A survey to establish the presence of Schedule 8 Part II plants must be undertaken prior to construction, and if present, a plan for their responsible removal as part of the works, and to ensure that they are not spread as part of the works, must be created and submitted to the Planning Directorate for written approval prior to footbridge construction. The development shall be carried out in strict accordance with the agreed measures and maintained thereafter. Reason: To provide adequate safeguards for the ecological species existing on the site.
Seasonal works restriction
Any works to the watercourse bank and channel are restricted to the period 8th June to September (inclusive). Reason: To avoid disturbance or injury to spawning fish, or to the spawn and fry of fish, during the season in which they are most at risk. There has been an allowance made for the work to begin in the second week of June (rather than July) if required due to the location of the proposed works and the nature of the fish populations present in the area to be disturbed.
Fisheries method statements
Works are to be conducted according to written method statements agreed in advance with the Inland Fisheries Section of the Fisheries Division, DEFA. Reason: In order to reduce the possibility of injury or disturbance of fish within the river and to allow for appropriate fish relocation before works begin.
Do not oppose
no objection providing conditions on seasonal works and method statements are met
recommends condition for Schedule 8 Part II plants survey and removal plan
Multiple consultees responded to the reconstruction proposal with most offering no objection subject to conditions related to fisheries, invasive plants, and flood risk, while heritage groups strongly recommended restoring the wheelhouse to its original Victorian design rather than replicating its later degraded state.
Key concern: heritage groups' concern that proposals replicate post-war degraded state instead of original Victorian design
DEFA Fisheries
Conditional No ObjectionFisheries, DEFA has no objection to this proposal providing the following conditions are met.; The applicant is advised to contact Fisheries (tel. 685857, or email [email protected]) to discuss method statements and arrange any necessary advisory site visits
Conditions requested: Any works to the watercourse bank and channel are restricted to the period 8th June to September (inclusive); Works are conducted according to written method statements agreed in advance with the Inland Fisheries Section of the Fisheries Division, DEFA
Ecosystem Policy Officer
Conditional No ObjectionThe Ecosystem Policy Team therefore recommend the following condition:; Schedule 8 Part II plants in the vicinity of this site. These include: Japanese Knotweed; Montbretia; Rhododendron; and Cotoneaser.
Conditions requested: A survey to establish the presence of Schedule 8 Part II plants must be undertaken prior to construction, and if present, a plan for their responsible removal as part of the works, and to ensure that they are not spread as part of the works, must be created and submitted to the Planning Directorate for written approval prior to footbridge construction. The development shall be carried out in strict accordance with the agreed measures and maintained thereafter.
Manx Utilities
No CommentPrior to commencement of any works consent will be required under the Flood Risk Act. Therefore, please contact Manx Utilities.
Conditions requested: Prior to commencement of any works consent will be required under the Flood Risk Act
Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division
No ObjectionDo not oppose; DNO on 18.05.2020
Isle of Man Victorian Society
Conditional No ObjectionWe are strongly of the opinion that the proposals can be improved for little extra expense; we do hope that second thoughts are given to the present proposals to slavishly replicate the building in the state into which it declined, and instead re-build it as it was intended; The wheelhouse was a well-designed/constructed building which echoed the hotel.
Conditions requested: re-build it as it was intended with arch window heads and mullions using a 'stick-a-brick' material; roof covered in red Rosemary roof tiles the same as the hotel which had a roof hipped at both ends with pyramidical form and ball finial; walls white finished with simple sub-division using black painted battens; two sets of triple windows on the upper level had arched heads and mullions; two ground floor windows standard house type sliding sash windows; timber framework exposed and visible from downstream; elevated walkway to the wheelhouse
Friends of Onchan Heritage
SupportWe have read the detailed submission by the Isle of Man Victorian Society in respect of the above application and fully support the suggestions that the rebuilt wheelhouse should be as originally constructed.
Conditions requested: rebuilt wheelhouse should be as originally constructed
