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19/00872/GB Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 19/00872/GB Applicant : Celtic Investments Limited Proposal : Refurbishment of building (in association with 19/00377/CON) Site Address : 3 The Parade Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1LG
Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.11.2020 __
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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
C 2. Prior to the installation of any replacement windows as hereby approved, the applicant must have approved drawings at 1:20 scale of the proposed window sections and the details of the reinstatement of the window features on the ground floor fenestration and the development must be undertaken in accordance with these details.
Reason: to ensure that the windows are appropriate for this building of historic and architectural interest.
C 3. Prior to any works on the removal of the existing render or application of new render, there must be approved by the Department a sample panel of the proposed render and the development must be undertaken in accordance with these approved details.
Reason: to ensure that the render is appropriate for this building which is of historic and architectural importance.
C 4. For clarification, no approval is hereby granted to the replacement of the existing roof material with anything other than natural slates to match the existing.
Reason: to ensure that the works are appropriate to this building of historic and architectural interest.
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N 1. The applicant should be advised that Registered Building consent is required for all of these elements prior to their commencement.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The rooflights, window alterations and re-rendering are considered to accord with Environment Policies 32, 34, and 35 of the Strategic Plan, Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and Planning Circular 1/98.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to drawing 17/2650/52 received on 28.09.20 in respect of the proposed replacement windows on the front elevation and drawing17/02650/60 received on 2nd August 2019 in all other respects. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
Officer’s Report
THE SITE 1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of 3, The Parade which is one of a number of Registered Buildings which form The Parade - a square of three storey buildings which abut the Market Square which is the heart of Castletown's commercial area. The area also contains the majority of the town's historic fabric with Castle Rushen sitting alongside.
1.2 The application property is one of three buildings which sit on the north eastern side of The Parade. All three are three storeys in height and numbers 2 and 3 are the same height, number 1 being a metre or so higher with slightly higher first and second floor window levels.
1.3 Numbers 2 and 3 are not identical: number 2 is marginally narrower and has its windows slightly closer together and also has full length windows on the first floor which contrasts with the higher cill levels of those on number 3. The windows on the ground floor of both properties have rounded heads and the flat heads of the windows on the first floor all have pediment type features above the window heads. The properties are smooth rendered to the front.
1.4 The rears of the properties differ in that number 3 has a three storey pitched roofed annex which sits on the northern side of the rear elevation, almost abutting the boundary with number 2. Number 2 has no such feature.
THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is planning approval for a series of external works (the application was originally described as internal works and refurbishment of building but planning approval is not required for internal works). Registered Building consent for refurbishment of the building was sought for the internal works as well, under 19/00377/CON) and was recently refused for reasons relating to the internal works. Planning approval was granted under 15/00064/GB and this approval has apparently been commenced, according to the applicant. The current planning application involves the following:
i. installation of three Conservation style rooflights in the front pitch each 550mm by 980mm ii. replacement of the roof finish with imitation slate iii. replacement of the first floor front elevation windows and reinstatement of the glazing features on the ground floor windows (the application includes reference to the replacement of glass in the rear windows which would not require planning approval but would need RB Consent)
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iv. re-rendering of the external walls in lime render - the existing render is to be removed back to blockwork and re-rendered in lime render and lime wash or suitable breathable paint to match the existing colour and v. replacement of the two existing rear pitch rooflights with Conservation style lights as above
PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area of Mixed Use on the Area Plan for the South and within the town's Conservation Area. The buidling is also Registered (RB 59). As such, there is a requirement for development proposals to take account of the special character of the Area and for such to preserve or enhance the Area in accordance with Environment Policy 35 and CA/2.
3.2 As the building is Registered, it is appropriate to consider the Strategic Plan and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man. Both of these documents acknowledge the importance of Registered Buildings and require careful consideration of alterations which would adversely affect the character or appearance or any aspect of historical, architectural or other interest which contributed to the Registration of the building. These policies are EP32 and RB/5. EP34 expresses a preference for the use of traditional materials in alterations to pre 1920s buildings.
3.3 The development should also adhere to the general standards of development set out in General Policy 2 although its assessment of impact is less stringent than the Conservation and RB policies listed above.
3.4 Planning Circular 1/98 provides advice on the replacement of windows in Registered Buildings.
PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The property was the subject of two applications in 2015 which are relevant. 15/0064/GB and 15/00065/CON proposed the same external works but some different internal works and where the use was proposed to be changed from office to residential. The most relevent previous application is 19/00377/CON referred to above.
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services comment on 09.09.20 saying that there is no highway interest in the application.
5.2 The Principal Registered Buildings Officer commented on 12.07.20 addressing both this and the RB application, expressing concern at the internal elements and making the following observations:
"I am fully supportive of the principle to return the property to its original use as a single dwelling. I considered there is some scope for change and improvement given the previous alterations to the building, however given the age, and significance of the building where historic fabric has survived every effort should be made for their retention and preservation. While I have no objection to the proposed floor plan, in principle, there are elements of the proposals which fail to adequately identify, understand or protect surviving historic fabric or accord with current policy.
Windows; The windows policy regarding registered buildings is clear and should be followed to ensure surviving historic windows are protected and repaired; this application does not asses the windows in this property. It is my understanding the windows to the rear of the principle building W5 10 & 17 are original and should in the first instance be repaired. The second floor windows upon the principle elevation W14,15 & 16 are likely
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to be the original box sash windows, the sashes have at some stage been reglazed their panes reduced from 6 to 2. I support the proposals to return to the historic 6 over 6 sashes however, the original box sash frames should be retained with only the sashes replaced with the correct pattern, the glazing bars should match in depth and pattern to surviving examples and if such a glazing bar is achievable of housing a double glazed unit this could be explored.
The ground floor windows are historic windows with the bottom sashes having been altered, the policy should apply and the windows should be repaired if required with only the bottom sash replaced with the proposed 6 panes.
The first floor windows are a more complex discussion, originally French doors, which lead out to a balcony, the original French doors and balcony have been lost, the existing windows openings shortened. I support the principle of restoring the window openings to their original size. As French doors will not be reinstated and given the recent approval at no2, sash windows if proposed should follow a glazing pattern from the same period as the house, and should be either 6- over-6 or 9-over-6. The proposed drawings of May 2020 do not replicate sufficiently the original French doors, and as restoration is not proposed but a change to sash, a sash design should be used.
I also note there are inconsistences between the proposed sections and elevations drawing and proposed windows and doors drawings as to the proposed window interventions."
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The issues in this case are whether the proposed changes are acceptable having regard to the Strategic Plan and Planning Policy Statement 1/01's policies and those in Planning Circular 1/98.
6.2 The replacement windows at first floor level are now the correct format and subject to a condition regarding larger scale sections, are acceptable.
6.2 The reinstatement of the decoration on the ground floor windows are also acceptable as they reinstate original features.
6.3 The installation of new rooflights, whilst changing the appearance of the building, will be not dissimilar to the building alongside which contributes to the uniformity of the terrace which is an attractive and important feature of this block. The replacement of the rear rooflights with Conservation style rooflights preserves the appearance of the building.
6.4 The proposed re-rendering preserves the appearance of the building and uses appropriate materials.
6.5 The use of imitation slate is not acceptable as it would not preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the building and would not use appropriate materials. The applicant is content that this element is removed from the scheme (e-mail dated 17.11.20).
CONCLUSION 7.1 The rooflights, window alterations and re-rendering are considered to accord with Environment Policies 32, 34, and 35 of the Strategic Plan, Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and Planning Circular 1/98.
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;
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(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 decision maker 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 : 18.11.2020
Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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