17 October 2023 · Planning Committee (signed by Presenting Officer P Visigah)
Eastfield Care Home, Eastfield, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 4au
The proposal involves demolishing the 19th-century Eastfield Mansion House (former care home, two-and-a-half storeys on corner plot) and associated outbuildings to enable replacement with a terrace of five three-storey dwellings and a five-garage block with storage, as per linked PA 23/00526/B.
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The officer assessed the proposal against statutory tests in Town & Country Planning Act Sections 16, 18, and 19 (applying registered building standards to conservation area demolitions), requiring sp…
Town and Country Planning Act 1999 Section 16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions
Requires special regard to preserving building/setting/features of special architectural/historic interest. Officer agreed building has surviving historic fabric making positive CA contribution; demolition fails test despite structural issues.
Designation of conservation areas
Special attention to preserving/enhancing CA character. Western boundary includes site; as one of oldest buildings, demolition fails to protect fabric/enhance character.
Town and Country Planning Act 1999 Section 19: Control of Demolition in Conservation Areas
Applies S15/S16 to CA buildings; presumption against demolition of positive contributors.
Strategic Policy 4
Must protect/enhance CA fabric/setting. Demolition of positive historic contributor fails.
Environment Policy 35
Permits only development preserving/enhancing CA character. Building's positive role (despite extensions) means removal fails; replacement lacks merits.
Environmental Policy 39
Presumption to retain positive CA contributors; considers condition, costs, marketing, alternatives. Building repairable; inadequate evidence on other tests.
No objections; mitigation proposed for tree/hedge loss (species details/condition required); bird/bat bricks recommended; pre-demolition bat/bird checks needed
No objections
DEFA RB Officer recommends refusal of demolition consent due to the building's positive contribution to the Woodbourne Road Conservation Area; Ecosystem Policy Officer provides advisory no objection on bats/birds; Douglas Borough Council and others defer or have no formal objection.
Key concern: demolition of building making positive contribution to Woodbourne Road Conservation Area
DEFA RB Officer (Tom Sinden, Assistant Registered Buildings Officer)
ObjectionRecommendation: Refuse; preserving the building is desirable... demolishing the building would clearly fail to preserve its features of architectural and historic interest; By demolishing a building that the applicant’s own heritage consultants have concluded makes a positive contribution... the application clearly also fails the tests
DEFA Ecosystem Policy Officer (Sophie Costain)
No ObjectionWe are not requesting an assessment... but advise thorough checks; Demolition without suitable checks would be considered reckless
Conditions requested: thorough checks for nesting birds and roosting bats prior to demolition; investigate all external holes, crevices, lead flashing, loose tiles, roof voids; if bats or evidence found, stop work and contact DEFA Ecosystem Policy Team or Manx Bat Group; if nesting birds found, wait until young fledged
Douglas Borough Council
No CommentComments to be submitted after consideration by our Environmental Services Committee to sit 19th June
Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society
Conditional No ObjectionWhilst this building may not be a particularly excellent example of Victorian architecture and so its demolition not to be objected to, none the less... request that the new-build should be in keeping
Conditions requested: new-build should be in keeping with character and scale of other houses in neighbourhood
