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19/01225/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 19/01225/B Applicant : Mrs Dawn Collins Proposal : Conversion and erection of extension to former public house to create a residential dwelling (in association with 19/01226/CON) Site Address : Ship Inn Hope Street Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1AS
Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken : Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.01.2020 __
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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
C 2. Prior to the installation of any new or replacement windows or doors on the north, south or western elevations of the original building which fronts onto Hope Street, details of these must be approved by the Department and the development undertaken in accordance with these details.
Reason: the opening style is not clarified on the drawings and the site lies within a Conservation Area where there is a requirement for development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area. As shown, the proposed doors and glazing at ground floor on the Hope Street elevation are not considered to be sympathetic to the historic and architectural character of the property and as such the installation of these features would neither preserve nor enhance the character or appearance of the property, contrary to EP35 and CA/2 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This decision relates to drawings 1, 02, 03, 04, 05A, 06A and 07A all received on 5th November, 2019. __
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19/01225/B Page 2 of 5
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
Manx Utilities are not a Government Department and under the 2013 Development Procedure Order should not be afforded interested person status as they do not own land or property which is directly affected by the development in accordance with the requirements of the Department's Operation Policy on IPS. __
Officer’s Report
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS THERE IS AN OBJECTION FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITY AND THE APPLICATION IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL
THE SITE 1.1 The site is the L shaped curtilage of the Ship Inn which sits between Hope Street and Mill Road, looking towards the harbour in Castletown. The building has two distinctly different elevations to the two highways: the elevation to Hope Street is a three storey, traditional frontage which, whilst currently in a poor state of repair, has original sliding sash windows in eight of its nine apertures (single upper and lower panes on the ground floor and Georgian six over six panes above with a single top opening casement in the second floor). There is currently a sign above the ground floor windows.
1.2 The other elevation facing onto Mill Road, however, is very different. Whilst the rear of the three storey element is similar to the front, there is a large two storey addition which is designed to mimic the front deck of a ship, complete with funnel on top (which has recently been blown off). At ground floor level there is a recessed area with an overhanging section at first floor level which contains a row of windows with a sign underneath. This frontage sits 10m from Mill Road.
THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the conversion of the building to a single dwelling. This application follows an unsuccessful application refused earlier this year - 19/00498/B for a similar scheme. This current application follows discussions with the Department following that refusal.
2.2 The works involve the replacement of the ground floor single pane windows on Hope Street with Georgian pane windows (six over six) to match the others on this elevation as well as the replacement of the second floor casement with a matching Georgian pane arrangement.
2.3 The existing door on Hope Street is to be replaced with a fixed light with timber opening element and the window alongside will have its cill level raised and the same style of window installed.
2.4 On the Mill Road elevation, the first floor element is to be replaced with a new cantilevered overhanging floor which is finished in standing seam vertical cladding with large areas of glazing and a glazed balustrade system. The second and third floors proposed previously are no longer proposed and the eaves and first floor windows of the existing original building are unobstructed, unlike the previous scheme. A dormer is proposed within the rear roof plane.
2.5 The side windows are to be replaced with a Georgian style of glazing consistent with the Hope Street frontage albeit some are to be casement opening. The Hope Street elevation windows are to be timber framed units of an unspecified opening style.
2.6 The dwelling will be a single unit with an integral single garage and space in front for additional parking.
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19/01225/B Page 3 of 5
2.7 Following discussions with Manx Utilities, the applicant has prepared a Flood Risk Assessment which explains that the existing accommodation on the ground floor will be changed to garaging and storage with a utility room, office and cinema room and as part of the development the floor levels will be raised by almost 500mm and the existing entrance level will be raised by 150mm both of which will greatly assist with flood risk mitigation. There are other maintenance works which can be done to further assist the reduction of flood risk.
PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013 as Residential. The site is also within the town's Conservation Area. The building is not Registered.
3.2 Development within a CA is required by EP35 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Guide to the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area. The development should also comply with General Policy 2 as follows:
Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:
(b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape and (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality"
3.3 The various reports into the historic importance of Castletown (Cullen Report 1971 and the Conservation Study c 1998) make no specific reference to this site. The building is not referred to in the Area Plan as being worthy of consideration for Registration.
Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013 Mixed Use Proposal 1: In order to maintain and enhance the vitality of the Mixed Use areas in Port Erin, Castletown and Ballasalla, there will be a presumption in favour of the retention of existing retail units on the ground floor although each case will be determined upon its circumstances and merits.
Strategic Plan 10.8 Retention of Existing Local Shops and Public Houses The loss of facilities such as neighbourhood shops in towns and or village shops and public houses reduces customer choice and can also necessitate people travelling further to meet their needs. This is a particular problem in rural areas where village shops, post offices and public houses can be central to village life. It would be preferable to retain viable facilities, or those that can be made viable and where a change of use or re-development is proposed developers will be expected to show evidence of attempts to market the property as a business in these areas.
Community Policy 4: Development (including the change of use of existing premises) which involves the loss of local shops and local public houses, will only be permitted if it can be demonstrated that the use is no longer commercially viable, or cannot be made commercially viable.
3.4 Development which itself is at risk of flooding or which would increase the flood risk to other property is presumed against as in Environment Policies 10 and 13 and General Policy 2l.
PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The previous application for extension and conversion of the building to a single dwelling was refused for reasons relating to the detrimental appearance of the new fabric (19/00498/B).
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The associated application for RB consent for the demolition of part of the building was approved (19/00499/CON).
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Castletown Commissioners object to the application as they believe that it should remain as a public house and the proposal to convert it is premature (17.12.19).
5.2 Manx Utilities note that the property lies within the latest tidal flood zone. However, they are aware that since the publication of that map, there has been a tidal flood defence schemed implemented which offers a level of protection to the above site but have not undertaken subsequent revisions to the flood risk maps which would demonstrate how effective the defences have been. They would still recommend the installation of resilience measures and once the standard of protection from the coastal defence is confirmed they can also advise on finished floor levels should there be an opportunity to raise them during the development. Due to these considerations, MU request a brief flood risk assessment to be carried out in support of the application (05.12.19).
5.3 Highway Services do not object to the application (29.11.19).
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The issue here is whether the proposed change of use to residential is acceptable, including consideration of the loss of the public house and secondly, whether the physical changes to the building preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area (EP35 and PPS 1/01) or otherwise respect the site and its surroundings (GP2b) or have a damaging impact on the character of the surrounding townscape (GP2c and g).
6.2 There is a general presumption against the loss of town centre public houses for the reasons given in paragraph 10.8 of the Strategic Plan which supports the position of the local authority. The applicant explains that the building was originally erected as a dwelling but thereafter received extensions and was converted to an inn/public house. They also advise that the original once had a three storey traditional element on the Mill Street side and they have provided photographs of this. The ship features were added around the 1970s and were of lightweight construction and are now in poor condition. The public house is not currently open, having closed in 2013, despite efforts to establish a music venue there and is in poor repair. In addition, the site lies within a residential area where the comings and goings from a public house could be considered to be unneighbourly although the site is within very close distance of the town centre. The loss of the public house to residential use is therefore not considered to be objectionable in this case as it wasn't in the case of the previous application to which there was no objection from Castletown Commissioners.
6.3 The impact on the Conservation Area and the area more generally will be more significant. Whilst the existing building is certainly not traditional it has a quirky element (even more quirky when the funnel was in situ) which makes the building easily identifiable without being particularly prominent, particularly given the only two storey element to the Mill Road elevation.
6.4 What is proposed increases the built form in a way that is strikingly different in terms of form, mass and materials, to the existing and the surrounding buildings but unlike the previous application does not include additional floor area at roof level so the upper part, including the eaves and roof of the original building to the rear, are visible, and making the newer parts of the building distinctly different from the older. The resultant visual impact is considered acceptable, considering what currently exists which is neither traditional nor particularly attractive and in accordance with EP 35 and GP2b, c and g.
6.5 It is important to ensure that opening style of windows and their appearance and that of any replacement doors, is acceptable, particularly on the Hope Street elevation. The existing
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windows on the Hope Street and the northern elevation are currently sliding sash and should remain so with any new windows replicating this style of opening. The windows on the southern elevation, which are also visible from the highway, are a mix of casements. Ideally these should also be sliding sash to match the others in the other two original elevations. The proposed door and glazing on the Hope Street elevation is not in keeping with the historic elevation and something more in keeping should be installed. Details of this should be submitted to and approved by the Department prior to any replacement door being installed.
CONCLUSION 7.1 It is considered that there is sufficient justification to allow the loss of this public house and its replacement with living accommodation as proposed and that the physical changes to the building are acceptable, subject to conditions and the application is supported.
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 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 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:...27.01.2020
Signed :...S E 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
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