Planning Design Statement

15 00672

Andrew Bentley RIBA Chartered Architect

8 Ravens Wharf South Quay Douglas Isle of Man IM1 5BT

Planning and Design Statement v2

Project: Railings to Front Elevation of the former Douglas Hotel, North Quay, Douglas.

Project no: 1421-DC Date: January 2016

Railings to Front Elevation of the former Douglas Hotel, North Quay, Douglas.

Planning and Design Statement

Contents 1.0 Site and Surroundings 2.0 Planning History and Policy 3.0 The Proposal 4.0 Summary

1.0 Site and Surroundings

1.1 The site is located on the land between the former Douglas Hotel and the pavement. This land is owned by the applicant and is paved in a different material to the public pavement. 1.2 The application only concerns the land immediately in front of the former Douglas Hotel. 1.3 According to the building's registration document it was built in 1759 and its details are considered Georgian. 1.4 The building has had various uses over the last two and a half centuries. Its most recent use has been as a public house, but before that it has served as a private house and customs office. 1.5 The redevelopment of the area has resulted in the upper floors and part of the ground floor being converted to offices. 1.6 As the building is now an office the building's owner wishes to make the building more private. As the building is no longer a public house, and there will be a major new public house in the adjoining building, the owner wishes to install railings to create a barrier between the pavement and the office accommodation.

1.7 The building has undergone numerous changes during its life. The earliest photographs available show a substantial doorway to the west of the main door where today there are two windows.

2.0 Planning History and Policy

2.1 The Douglas and Clarendon site was the subject of planning application PA11/01383/GB. A further application, PA14/01289/GB, proposed the addition of an access ramp to the former Clarendon building on the eastern side of the front elevation. This application was approved. 2.2 The Douglas Hotel is a registered building, and therefore the proposal must not detrimentally affect the character of the building in accordance with Environment Policy 32 of the strategic plan. 2.3 The property is located within the North Quay Conservation Area and any external changes will be expected to preserve or enhance the character of the conservation area in accordance with Environmental Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan 2.4 The proposal will be subject to general policy 2 of the Strategic Plan. 2.5 The area is part of an area designated as predominantly shopping in accordance with the 1998 Douglas Local Plan.

3.0 The Proposal

3.1 The proposal is to extend the iron railings along the full front elevation of the former Douglas Hotel. The railings will match those already on the building. 3.2 The railings will be approximately 900 mm high above pavement level. The existing railings will be retained. 3.3 The railings will only touch the registered building where they return at the side lane between the Douglas Hotel and the Manx Legion Hall. 3.4 The registration document states that the railings on the building are not original. 3.5 It is not known whether there may have once been railings on the building. The earliest photos available date from the early 1900's and there are no railings on the building, but by this time the building was 150 years old and was now a public house and hotel. 3.6 Iron railings would not be an unusual feature on a substantial Georgian House.

4.0 Summary

4.1 The installation of the railings would create the distance and privacy that the office accommodation would prefer considering the

proximity of the new public house in the neighbouring building. 4.2 The installation of the railings would not be out of place on the building of this scale dating from the Georgian period. 4.3 The railings would preserve the character of the North Quay conservation area.