171508

==== PAGE 1 ====

                                      19/00083/CON                                     Page  1  of  4

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 19/00083/CON Applicant : Mr Nicholas & Mrs Alana Arculus Proposal : Registered Building consent for the demolition elements relating the application 19/00082/B Site Address : Castle House 7 The Parade Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1LG

Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken : 11.02.2019 Site Visit : 11.02.2019 Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 04.03.2019 __

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

C 1. The works hereby granted registered building consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this consent.

Reason: To comply with paragraph 2(2)(a) of schedule 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented registered building consents.

C 2. The works must be undertaken in accordance with the method statement submitted with the application prepared by Grenaby Limeworks Ltd dated 28.01.19 unless otherwise approved by the Department.

Reason: to ensure that no fabric of interest is adversely affected during the implementation of the works.

C 3. Any new stone required to implement the development must match that existing on each side.

Reason: to ensure that the development is appropriate within a Conservation Area and adjacent to Registered Buildings.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the method statement dated 28.01.19 from Grenaby Limeworks Ltd and drawings received on 30th January, 2019.

__

==== PAGE 2 ====

                                      19/00083/CON                                     Page  2  of  4

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS THE PROPOSAL COULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRARY TO ENVIRONMENT POLICY 35 AND THE APPLICATION IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL

THE SITE 1.1 The site is the curtilage of 7, The Parade which fronts onto The Parade and backs onto a coach parking area fronting Farrant's Way. The property has an L-shaped rear garden which wraps around the rear of the Coop site which abuts the lane between it and the George Hotel.

1.2 The property is half of a semi-detached pair (the other half being the Coop) but which also is attached at the rear to Balcony House. The property is a two storey, stone faced building with substantial chimney stacks and large sliding sash windows on the front elevation in a symmetrical pattern on the first floor and with two similar windows on the ground floor whereas the Coop has a large shopfront.

1.3 At the rear, the property is partly hidden behind a stone wall which runs around the side and rear of 5, Balcony House, 7 and the Coop, The Parade. This wall is interrupted in two places: there is a wide pedestrian entrance on the side of the wall around number 5 facing onto Queen Street, a further vehicular entrance directly at the rear of Balcony House facing onto Farrant's Way. The former is a simple opening within the wall, the latter has a metal frame across the top of the gates which remains in situ when the gates open. Both gates are curved, rising up towards the centre meeting point of the pair.

1.4 At present there is a timber fence enclosed bin store immediately to the rear of the garden of the application site which sits between the wall and the coach parking space. A pole mounted sign sits alongside the fenced area announcing that the area is for coach parking only.

1.5 All of the properties on The Parade referred to above, are Registered (nos 34 - 37), the application property being RB 37).

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the removal of part of the rear wall behind 7, The Parade, to provide a vehicular entrance onto Farrant's Way with a clear area for access for vehicles using this entrance and exit. Registered Building Consent is required for the demolition of the wall. It is not required for any other aspect of the application as the garden and wall are not Registered.

PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies in Castletown's Conservation Area and within an area designated as Mixed Use on the Area Plan for the South (2013). The access to the wall from Farrant's Way is designated as Car Park. The application building is Registered, RB 37. Unlike other buildings on the Protected Buildings Register, none of the properties in this terrace have any supporting information as part of the Registration, just photographs and the certificate of Registration, dated 3rd February, 1984.

3.2 As the site lies within a Conservation Area, there is a requirement for development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area as stated in Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01. As the building is Registered, Environment Policy 32 is applicable:

==== PAGE 3 ====

                                      19/00083/CON                                     Page  3  of  4

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.

PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 Numerous applications have been submitted for alterations of the dwelling, none of which is relevant to the current proposal.

4.2 A contemporaneous application is being considered for Registered Building consent for the same works as are proposed in this current planning application (19/00083/CON).

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 The views of the Registered Building Officer were sought and received on 19.02.19. The report refers to PPS 1/01 and concludes as follows:

"No 7 The Parade forms part of a pair of 18th Century town houses, the property is a registered building and makes a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area.

The proposals are for the demolition of part of the rear boundary wall (not part of the registration, but within the curtilage of the registered building and part of the conservation area) to create vehicular access for off street parking.

The wall affected by the proposals forms part of a continuous structure that is the boundary to both adjacent properties which are also registered buildings. The wall has opening to both other properties, with vehicular and pedestrian access gates to Balcony House. Whist I consider the proposals will create a visual impact, I do not object.

I advise that conditions be placed to ensure the work is undertaken in accordance with the method statement included as part of the application and that details are required of the gates and capping details to the piers, any new stone must match the existing wall."

5.2 Highway Services have no interest in the application (08.02.19).

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The proposal will result in physical changes to fabric of historical interest, visual changes to the appearance of the area through the alterations to the wall. The issue in this case therefore are whether any of these changes would result in an adverse impact on the character or appearance of the Conservation Area.

Impact on the character or appearance of the Conservation Area 6.2 Generally, the interruption of a length of historic fabric such as a wall, would be discouraged and in this case, it is perhaps disappointing that such a proposal is being suggested. A photograph of the area in 1969 shows the wall intact along with that behind Balcony House. At this time the barracks buildings were in situ behind the George Hotel and the Isle of Man Bank, prior to the insertion of the Lloyds Bank buildng between the Isle of Man Bank and Manannan House. However, there is clearly a precedent of providing vehicular access in the length of wall, in two instances associated with property very close to the application proposal. It is also relevant that in the past there has been a pedestrian access around the location of the proposed vehicular access. Often, the wall is obscured from public view by the parked cars and coaches and the painted lines and signage indicating where coaches and cars may park also detract from the historic interest of the area, although these are not irreversible or permanent features.

6.3 As such, it is not considered that the introduction of another vehicular access here as proposed in its simple form, not dissimilar to other accesses further along Farrant's Way and

==== PAGE 4 ====

                                      19/00083/CON                                     Page  4  of  4

within the Conservation Area, would have such a detrimental impact as to warrant refusal of the application. The appearance of the gates is considered acceptable.

CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposal is supported as it is considered to be in accordance with the relevant Strategic Plan policies.

INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013, the following 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; (c) Manx National Heritage; and (d) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated __

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: 18.03.2019

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 See below

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.