Officer Report

Application No.: 18/01137/GB Applicant: Heron & Brearley Ltd Proposal: Installation of external steps suitable for ambulant disabled access to side elevation (in association with registered building application 18/01138/CON) Site Address: Castle Arms Hotel The Quay Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1LD Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 19.12.2018 _________________________________________________________________

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.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawing numbers 100, 101, 102, 200 and 201 all date stamped and received 29/10/2018. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site is Castle Arms Hotel (The Glue Pot), located on the quay in Castletown. The existing property is a Registered Building and forms part of the wider Conservation Area of Castletown.

1.2 The existing building is a traditional Manx property with a double pitch arrangement. Its front and rear elevations face towards the harbour and Castle Rushen. On the existing north facing gable elevation there is a number of existing windows at ground and first floor and also an existing ground floor side door with two external steps providing access into and out of the building.

2.0 PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current application proposes the alteration of the existing stepped access on the north side elevation to provide a small level platform with the door and three stepped access running along the side of the building. This access is to be enclosed by a small masonry wall which will measure externally approx. 1.5m tall, and provide a minimum of 1m safety barrier for the platform and steps.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There is one contemporaneous application for the Registered Building Consent for the same works submitted under PA 18/01138/CON.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The application site is in an area designated as 'mixed use' on the Area Plan for the South 2013. Given the nature of the application the following policies from the IOM Strategic Plan are most relevant in the assessment: - 4.2 Strategic Policy 4 states: "Proposals for development must:

• (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings, Conservation Areas, buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas, and sites of archaeological interest;
• (b) protect or enhance the landscape quality and nature conservation value of urban as well as rural areas but especially in respect to development adjacent to Areas of Special Scientific Interest and other designations; and
• (c) not cause or lead unacceptable environmental pollution or disturbance."

4.3 Environment Policy 32 states:

"Extensions or alterations to a Registered Building which would affect detrimentally its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest will not be permitted."

4.4 Environment Policy 35 states:

"Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."

4.7 In addition to the policies of the IOM Strategic Plan we may also consider the Planning Policy Statement 1/01 RB/3 within which is states under General Criteria Applied in Considering Registered Building Applications:

"The issues that are generally relevant to the consideration of all registered building applications are:

• o The importance of the building, its intrinsic architectural and historic interest and rarity, relative to the Island as a whole and within the local context;
• o The particular physical features of the building (which may include its design, plan, materials or location) which justify its inclusion in the register; descriptions annexed to the entry in the register may draw attention to features of particular interest or value, but they are

• not exhaustive and other features of importance, (e.g. Interiors, murals, hidden fireplaces) may come to light after the building's entry in the register;
• o The building's setting and its contribution to the local scene, which may be very important, e.g. Where it forms an element in a group, park, garden or other townscape or landscape, or where it shares particular architectural forms or details with other buildings nearby (including other registered buildings)."

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Castletown Commissioners - No comments received at the time of writing of the report (dated 19/12/2018) - 5.2 DOI Highway Services – Oppose – proposal would not facilitate full disabled access and would result in development on an adopted highway (dated 19/12/2018) - 5.3 DEFA Registered Buildings Officer - No objections (19/12/2018)

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The application proposes the alteration of the existing side gable stepped access. The proposal includes the reformation of the steps and the installation of a masonry wall to provide an element of enclosure and a safety barrier to the edge of the steps and the small level platform in front of the door. The proposed masonry wall is considered to be similar in appearance to the existing wall adjacent to the door which encloses the stepped access down to the basement level/cellar, and it is not expected that this installation would result in any adverse impacts on the Registered Building or on the wider character of the Conservation Area. - 6.2 The Registered Buildings Officer was consulted on the application and concluded that the works would not result in any adverse visual impact on the historic or architectural interest of the building or bring about any detrimental harm to its Registered building character. - 6.3 The Highways officer has opposed the modifications to the stepped access on the grounds that the proposal would not facilitate full disabled access and would result in new development on an adopted highway. The proposal is for the replacement of the existing stepped access with a new stepped access and a wall. Level disabled access is already provided at the front of the building. The small area of hardstanding along this side of the gable is currently has a mixed use of seating and occasionally as a small loading/unloading area for delivery vehicles with barrels and kegs for the business. It is not a through road. The proposed replacement stepped access will not project any further than the existing stepped access and the enclosing wall will not project any further than the existing wall enclosing the cellar steps. It is not considered that the proposal will result in any new highway issues or present any obstructions to the pedestrian hardstanding surrounding the building. Given that the existing access is stepped and disabled access already provide, it would be unreasonable to require the proposed access be suitable for full disabled use.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 In light of the above favourable findings it is considered that the application is acceptable and in line with the aforementioned polices and therefore recommended for approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), 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
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 8.2 The Planning Committee must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 21.12.2018 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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