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20/00452/CON Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 20/00452/CON Applicant : Mrs Elaine Litherland Proposal : Registered Building consent for repair works to Spire, Tower and West Walls. Registered Building Nos. 119 Site Address : St Peter's Church Church Road Onchan Isle Of Man
Principal Planner: Mr Chris Balmer Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 06.08.2020 __
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.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. It is considered the proposed would have no adverse impacts and would also have no detrimental impact to the registered buildings character as a building of special architectural and historic interest; whilst also preserving the Conservation Areas character and quality and therefore comply with the relevant policies set out in this report.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawings all received on 1st May 2020.
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
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Officer’s Report
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site is St Peter's Church, Church Road, Onchan which is located to the south-western side of Church Road. The building is a Manx stone church of significant design, unique to the Island. The building is surrounded by graveyards.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks approval for Registered Building consent for repair works to Spire, Tower and West Walls. Registered Building Nos. 119.
2.2 The application indicates that following a Structural and Civil Engineer a number of works where advised should be undertaken. These include:
o Repointing the top 7 metres of the spire and repairs to pointing down to level with the bottom of the bell chamber louvres was undertaken in 2014/15 and it is now proposed to repoint the rest of the spire using lime mortar (pointing), to prevent water ingress; o Cracks were also found below the windows in the west facing elevation and these should be filled with lime mortar as well as replacing the cement strap pointing with lime render; and o Vegetation has been found growing in mortar joint and these should be raked out and replaced with lime mortar.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 There are no applications considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application. The following are the only recent applications relating to the property:
17/00645/CON - Registered Building Consent for internal alterations including removal of pews and replacement with chairs, replacement of heating pipes/radiators, repositioning of font and cupboards around gallery pillars (RB 119) - Permitted
14/00468/GB Installation of replacement guttering (in association with 14/00469/CON) - Permitted
02/02256/GB Erection of sexton's store/office, St. Peters Church, Church Road, Onchan - Permitted
01/00999/GB Erection of lean to toilet with internal access, St. Peters Church, Church Road, Onchan - Permitted
00/02216/GB Erection of lean to external toilet, St. Peters Church, Church Road, Onchan - Application Permitted on Review
93/00803/B Provision of spotlighting and floodlighting, St. Peters Church, Church Road, Onchan
4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area annotated as 'Church' on the Onchan Local Plan of 1989. In terms of the Local Plan, the site is surrounded by predominantly residential to the west, mixed use to the north private woodland to the south east and south west and predominantly residential to the immediate south. The site also lies within Onchan Conservation Area designated in 1990 and the building is Registered (RB No119). As the church is both Registered and located within a Conservation Area, it is appropriate to consider Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policies 32, 35 and 34 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (20th June 2007) and Policies RB/5 and CA/2 Special Planning Considerations from Planning Policy Statement 1/01
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(Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man) is also considered to be relevant to determining this application.
4.2 Strategic Policy 4
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 to 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 34 states:
"In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred."
4.5 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."
4.6 RB/5: Alterations and Extensions:
"In considering whether to grant planning approval for development which affects a registered building or its setting and in considering whether to grant registered building consent for any works, the Department shall have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses.
Registered Building consent is required for the building's alteration in any way which would affect its special architectural or historic character. There will be a general presumption against alteration or extension of registered buildings, except where a convincing case can be made, against the criteria set out in this section, for such proposals.
Applicants for registered building consent for alteration or extension to a registered building must be able to justify their proposals. They will be required to show why the works which would affect the character of the registered building are desirable or necessary and they should provide full information to enable the Department to assess the likely impact of their proposals on the special architectural or historic interest of the building and on its setting. Where registered buildings are the subject of successive applications for alteration or extension, consideration will also be given to the cumulative affect upon the building's special interest as a result of several minor works which may individually seem of little consequence."
4.7 Policy CA/2 - Special Planning Considerations states:
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"When considering proposals for the possible development of any land or buildings which fall within the conservation area, the impact of such proposals upon the special character of the area, will be a material consideration when assessing the application.
Where a development is proposed for land which, although not within the boundaries of the conservation area, would affect its context or setting, or views into or out of the area; such issues should be given special consideration where the character or appearance of a conservation area may be affected."
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 The Onchan Commissioners have no objection to the proposals (03.06.2020).
5.2 Highway Services comment there are no highway interests (27.05.2020).
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The works proposed ware repair works which will ensure the structure of the church is maintained. Furthermore, the repointing works using a traditional method/material (lime mortar) would be acceptable. There are no concerns with the application.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 Initially the Registered Building Officer raised some concern of the use of paint on top of the lime render and the issues this could cause. However, after discussions with the applicants and the company the applicants are to us to do the works (Grenaby Lime Works), it was confirmed that the paint was a breathable and dries to a colourless finish. The Registered Building Officer is happy with the works proposed. 7.2 Overall, it is considered the proposed would have no adverse impacts and would also have no detrimental impact to the register buildings character as a building of special architectural and historic interest; whilst also preserving the Conservation Areas character and quality and therefore comply with the relevant policies set out in this report. The application is recommended for an approval.
8.0 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
8.2 In addition to those above, the Regulation 9(3) requires the Department to decide which persons (if any) who have made representations with respect to the application, should be treated as having sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application.
8.3 In this instance, it is recommended that the following persons have sufficient interest and should be awarded the status of an Interested Person. __
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 : 06.08.2020
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Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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