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16/00684/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 16/00684/B Applicant : Comis Holdings Ltd Proposal : Reinstatement of and extension to existing hotel Site Address : Comis At Mount Murray Road Mount Murray Douglas Isle Of Man IM4 2HT
Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken :
Site Visit : 06.07.2016 Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee
Officer’s Report
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE DUE TO THE HISTORY OF THE SITE
THE SITE 1.1 The site is the curtilage of the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club which sits on the eastern side of the Mount Murray Back/Ballacutchel Road which links the A5 Castletown Road with the A24 Cooil to Foxdale highway. The site accommodates the existing hotel and currently the remains of the hotel accommodation and beauty facilities which were badly damaged by a fire in late 2013 and which have recently been partly demolished. In addition, the site accommodates areas to the north which are currently used for car parking and on which further development has been approved (see Planning History) as well as the main hotel car park which lies between the hotel and the Ballacutchel Road.
1.2 The hotel is a distinctive and sizable building with a predominance of white painted rendered walling, vertically proportioned windows and slate like roofing, similar to the remainder of the estate which lies to the east and over which the hotel complex looks from its rear elevation. Outwith the site is the Mount Murray Golf Course whose buildings lie across the Ballacutchel Road.
1.3 The hotel complex is visible only intermittently through the various vehicular accesses and landscaping along its western boundary and from further afield on a public footpath to the east.
THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the reconstruction of the damaged part of the hotel, largely as it previously existed other than with the following changes:
at basement level two meeting rooms are to become three bedrooms (two as inter-accessible suites) at ground floor level the previous open area between the two blocks is to be built in, providing four new bedrooms and taking away the vehicular access from front to back underneath the building at first floor level in the link part of the building the former toilets and hair and beauty salon is to be replaced by four new bedrooms the elevations are largely the same as previously other than the new scheme will have the chimneys omitted and windows are to be wider, taking the form of a double sash-style feature the new roofing is to be 10 degrees lower in pitch and finished in standing seam sheeting rather than imitation slates which were previously applied.
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2.2 The ground around the building, to the east is to be remodelled, removing the mounded grassed area which effectively currently blocks the outlook from the basement bedrooms. On the western side the ground is to be raised in front of the link part, providing a more private enclosed space for these rooms.
2.3 The applicant explains that they intend to make the hotel more accessible and dog-friendly and to reduce energy consumption and minimising maintenance through the omission of barge boards and fascias and providing for a better level of roof insulation and fire protection. It is their intention to change the white and black characteristics of the complex to a more simple palette of greys - grey sheeting for the roof, grey coloured render, white window frames and dark grey/black doors.
PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the 1982 Development Plan as Tourist Accommodation in Parkland. As the existing and proposed uses comply with this designation, the provisions of General Policy 2 are applicable as follows:
"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 space around them; c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space; i) does not have an adverse effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways and m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them."
PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The site has been the subject of a number of applications: the first applications for the development of the resort were submitted in 1989 and the site was then subject to a significant number of proposals for development, with the hotel part remaining relatively constant whilst the associated development, which ended up being residential, was subject to significant change in use and form.
4.2 Most recently, the site has been the subject of applications for the creation of a casino and aparthotel (PA 09/00441/B) as well as the creation of additional car parking on the former bowling green and tennis courts.
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services indicates that it has no objection to the application (28.07.16).
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The issues here are whether the change in fenestration and roof pitch and material have any adverse visual impact on the character and appearance of the property, whether the filling in of the vehicular accessway within the link has any adverse impact on the appearance of the building or the safety and convenience of access within the site.
6.2 The hotel complex has a slightly tired appearance, partly through a lack of maintenance and also through a piecemeal series of changes which have added functional elements to the building at its front, and the inclusion of accessible entrances which have resulted in an unfortunately functional appearance to the building, with ramps and railings and large areas of hard surfacing. It is the applicant's intention to introduce much more landscaping to the entrance to the hotel with the
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emphasis on the main entrance rather than the myriad ways in which one may gain access to the building over a number of floors. Details of the levels and landscaping at the front are not yet prepared but will result in a more obvious and ordered way into the site and the building with better outlook from all of the bedrooms within the wing through the proposed changes in levels. The beauty facilities lost in this phase of the redevelopment will be relocated elsewhere in the building.
6.3 The introduction of new materials and a new palette of colours is considered appropriate and will change the character of the building to a more current building with a more easily readible use - it will be clear where the public are to enter and park and the front of the building will look more like just that, with an attractive, landscaped area as part of the frontage and where people can pose for photographs which is currently lacking with the existing layout. The additional bedrooms are welcome.
6.4 The impact is considered acceptable and the application is recommended for approval subject to a condition reserving the details of the changes in level and landscaping to the east of the proposed rebuilt accommodation wing and the colour and finish of the roofing material.
PARTY STATUS 7.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested; (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material, in this case Department of Infrastructure Highway Services and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word 'Department' to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 01.08.2016
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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
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C 2. No works may commence upon the changes in level at the western side of the building (annotated as "this area to be raised & to be landscaped" on drawing H16035-112 P1) until such times as a fully dimensioned drawing has been provided, showing existing and proposed levels to be changed along with a landscaping scheme for this area.
Reason: To ensure the appropriate landscaping of the site.
C 3. All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping must be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the completion of the development or the occupation of the dwellings, whichever is the sooner. Any trees or plants which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed, or become seriously damaged or diseased must be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species.
REASON: the landscaping of the site is an integral part of the scheme and must be implemented as approved.
C 4. The new roofing may be dark grey or the lighter grey shown in the sample provided as an attachment to the e-mail dated 04.07.16 from the applicant or otherwise as approved by the Department.
Reason: To ensure that the materials are appropriate for the area.
This approval relates to the site boundary plan and plans reference H16035-010 P3, H16035-011 P3, H16035-012 P3, H16035-114 P2, H16035-016 P2, H16035-017 P2, H16035-110 P1, H16035-111 P1, H16035-112 P1, H16035-113 P1, H16035-115 P2 and H16035-200 P2 all received on 20th June, 2016.
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.
Decision Made : ...Permitted.. Committee Meeting Date:...08.08.2016
Signed : S CORLETT Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO
Customer note
This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.
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