162447 — 21/00483/CON | Planning Portal IoM

==== PAGE 1 ====

Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society www.manxantiquarians.com Isle of Man Charity No. 428 Hon Secretary: Pauline Stewart 95 Malew Street, Castletown, Isle of Man, IM9 1LX [email protected]

Secretary to the Planning Committee Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture Murray House, Mount Havelock, DOUGLAS IM1 2SF

11th May 2021

Dear Madam PA21/00483/CON River Weir adjacent Glen Road Laxey Isle of Man Natural History & Antiquarian Society notes that the applicant has not attempted to fill in correctly the Registered Building Consent form and fails to specify exactly what works are proposed and whether the application is retrospective or extant. The Society must therefore assume that consent is sought, at a minimum, for the demolition of the remaining existing weir across the Laxey River; the structures on the existing weir having been demolished without any planning or Registered Building Consent and so not in accordance with statute planning law in a Conservation Area. Isle of Man Natural History & Antiquarian Society OBJECTS to this application for demolition of the weir as it would have an adverse impact on the adjoining environment as stated in the Society’s previous objection to the corresponding planning application PA21/00300/B. A copy of the Society's earlier response is attached for your information and consideration with regard to the present application. Yours faithfully

Pauline Stewart Hon. Secretary Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society

==== PAGE 2 ====

Secretary to the Planning Committee Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture Murray House, Mount Havelock, DOUGLAS IM1 2SF

30th April 2021

Dear Madam PA21/00300/B River Weir adjacent to Glen Road Laxey Isle of Man Natural History & Antiquarian Society views this application with concern as it does not appear to be either environmentally or nature friendly nor accord with the need to properly record or conserve the Industrial Archaeological heritage of the Island and Laxey. The Society notes that the Statement of Case overall puts the cause of the flooding as the existence of the weir, whereas the Society notes that in the official report by Arup it was the accumulation of woodland debris from upstream behind the weir and blocking it, not the existence of the weir itself, which resulted in the Glen Road wall being severely breached and properties being flooded. The Society notes that the statement considers the proposal within the scope of The Laxey and Lonan Area Plan (2005). Within the Laxey Map, the Glen Road side of the riverbank is zoned as being an area of ecological interest. This statement is misleading. It is the whole area of the Laxey River including the west bank of the River that is shown as an Area of Ecological Importance in that Area Plan. However, notwithstanding the proposal, neither encourages that interest on the banks of the river nor encourages the public to appreciate that interest, reference to the Laxey & Lonan Area Plan 2005 is out of date. The Area Plan for the East is now the statutory plan and it shows no equivalent designation. The Statement does not make any reference to the fact that the proposal is in Laxey’s Conservation Area and that development proposals in such areas must conserve or enhance the area. The Society notes that the Area Plan for the East contains the following statement: Laxey Landscape Area (D2) Conserve and enhance (interalia): d) the setting of the various historic and archaeological features within the area.

==== PAGE 3 ====

Urban Environment Proposal 3 Development proposals must make a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness. Traditional or contemporary approaches may be appropriate, depending upon the nature of the proposal and the context of the surrounding area. Isle of Man Natural History & Antiquarian Society is concerned that albeit founded on the central feature of Laxey, its river, both the river banks and Laxey’s industrial archaeology, apart from the Lady Isabella Waterwheel, is generally being ignored. This is illustrated in the current proposal by the demolition of the main cross Laxey river weir which was created to divert water to mill races serving a number of now former downstream mills, power station and turbine buildings. While the buildings are now in different uses the largest mill race still exists and requires water to flow along them. The impact of the proposals to remove the substructure and in effect lower the water level of the Laxey River such that it does not flow along this channel any more has not been considered. This will have an adverse impact on the adjacent environment by creating stagnant water areas which are generally not attractive to users of the adjacent public footpaths, amenity area and Laxey Village Trail. Laxey village’s economy is also dependent on keeping it attractive to visitors, many of whom arrive in “upper” Laxey at the MER station, visit the Woollen Mill and walk around this locality. It is therefore very important that they are not excluded from this river environment or encouraged to see it solely as a danger to be ‘culverted’ away. The placing of boulders of the stream is said to create a more natural environment but this environment will not be visible from Glen Road if the 6ft (1.8m) high concrete panelled walls are erected. At the very least there should remain some viewing point for the public to see the river and its remaining weir. It should not be totally shut off from Glen Road. Moreover leaving the walls as bare concrete panels will again create a sterile environment, as illustrated by the cover photograph on the Statement of Case. This seems to be a direct contradiction of trying to create a natural environment along the river channel. The walls need to be stone faced in order to be nature friendly and help enhance the Conservation Area and keep the environment ‘green’ albeit more flood resistant. Isle of Man Natural History & Antiquarian Society therefore consider that, while they fully appreciate the need to help protect residential property from further flooding, a full environmental assessment of this proposal has not been carried out and that the works as proposed will overall be detrimental to Laxey’s river environment, do not make a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness and are thereby contrary to Strategic and Area Plan Policy. The Society also considers that the demolition of the weir should properly be the subject of a Registered Building Application for demolition in a Conservation Area even though part of that demolition is retrospective. Yours faithfully

Pauline Stewart Hon. Secretary Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society