13 May 2020 · Delegated - Principal Planner Sarah Corlett
3, Parliament Street, Ramsey, Isle Of Man, IM8 1af
The site is 3 Auckland Terrace, part of a row of traditional three-storey Victorian terraced Registered Buildings on Parliament Street in Ramsey town centre. The proposal sought to replace five front timber sliding sash windows (with 50/50 splits on lower floors and 70/30 on the second floor) and five rear original tim…
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The officer emphasized that Planning Circular 1/98 requires original windows to be repaired if possible, or replaced with identical materials, method of opening, and design if repair is impractical—a …
Strategic Policy 4
Requires proposals to protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Registered Buildings. The officer found the uPVC replacements would detrimentally affect the building's special interest, failing this test.
Environment Policy 32
Prohibits extensions or alterations detrimentally affecting a Registered Building's special architectural or historic character. Proposal failed as it removed original features without justification.
Environment Policy 34
Prefers traditional materials for alteration of pre-1920s buildings. uPVC deemed modern and unsympathetic, unable to replicate timber.
do not object
no highways interest
DEFA Conservation Officer strongly recommends refusal due to harm from UPVC windows to the registered building's special interest; Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society objects on heritage grounds; Highways and Ramsey Town Commissioners have no objection.
Key concern: replacement of timber sash windows with UPVC would cause harm to the significance of the registered building
DEFA Conservation Officer
ObjectionI therefore strongly recommend the application is refused; replacement windows MUST BE THE SAME as the originals in all respects, including the method of opening, materials and detailed design. This policy will be strictly applied
Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society
ObjectionThe Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society OBJECTS to this application
Department of Infrastructure Highways Division
No ObjectionNo Highways Interest; Highways Services will not be making a planning appeal statement to these applications, there being no highway related issues
Department of Infrastructure Highways Division
No ObjectionNo Highways Interest
Ramsey Town Commissioners
No ObjectionRamsey Town Commissioners have no objection to this proposal
The original applications sought to replace front and rear windows and the rear door with uPVC units on No 3 Auckland Terrace, a registered building of special architectural interest. The local authority refused permission citing harm to the building's character from non-traditional materials and failure to prove repair impracticability, contrary to Strategic Policy 4, Environment Policies 32 and 34, PPS 1/01 RB3/RB5, and Planning Circular 1/98. Appellants argued existing windows were damaged, not original, replicated existing patterns, and cited prior uPVC approvals nearby. The inspector found uPVC unacceptable as it failed to match original timber sashes in material and design per Circular 1/98, with no exceptional circumstances justifying deviation, and prior approvals predated current policies. Appeals were dismissed on 4 December 2020 with Minister upholding on 12 January 2021.
Precedent Value
Strict application of Circular 1/98 requires timber replacements matching originals in all respects for registered buildings; prior uPVC approvals pre-dating policy carry no weight; applicants must prove repair impracticable and justify any material deviation with exceptional circumstances.
Inspector: Michael Hurley BA Dip TP
