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                                      24/00520/CON                                     Page  1  of  3

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No. : 24/00520/CON Applicant : Isle Of Man Railways Proposal : Affixing of blue commemorative plaque to exterior wall Site Address : Railway Station Victoria Road Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1EF

Technical Officer: Thomas Sinden Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 29.05.2024 __

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. The proposed commemorative plaque is judged to be of a design, size and scale that would preserve and protect the building's special interest and its setting; and the proposed positon is considered to be one that would respect the building and its setting. Although aluminium itself could not be judged to be a traditional material, painted metal in general is one of the finishes used for signage in and around the stations and on the historic rolling stock of the Isle of Man Railway. As such, the use of painted aluminium is considered to be acceptable in this instance. The application is therefore recommended for approval. The application is therefore judged to be acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the plaque specification and other details submitted on 30th April 2024. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

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Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE

1.1 The site is Castletown Railway Station, a registered building (RB 257). Although Castletown station was opened on 2nd August 1874 at the same time as the Isle of Man Railway's line from Douglas to Port Erin, the opening date of the building itself is not explicitly recorded. It is likely that the current building dates from 1874 and was opened at some point during 1874, even if not for the station's opening itself (it was only on 9th March 1874 that the station's final position was approved). As a mid-Victorian building still in use for its original purpose and retaining large amounts of historic fabric, the building is judged to have evidential, historic, communal and aesthetic significance.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL

2.1 This application seeks registered building consent to affix a commemorative plaque on a wall of the building. The plaque is intended to mark the 150th anniversary of the station's opening (1874 to 2024). It is proposed that the plaque be fixed in a central position on the wall under the canopy, on the side facing the platforms. The plaque would be dark blue painted cast aluminium, circular in shape with a 14 inch diameter. The embossed lettering and border would be painted in gold.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY

3.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions

3.2 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016 Strategic Policy 4 Environment Policy 32 Environment Policy 34

3.3 Planning Policy Statements: 1/01 Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man POLICY RB/3 POLICY RB/5

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 There are various historic applications for the station. These relate to the installation of platforms (96/01424/B), and the erection of notice board (20/01551/D), refurbishment and alterations (92/00842/B), and advertising hoardings (18/00363/D).

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS No representations have been received.

6.0 ASSESSMENT

Statutory Test 6.1 Section 16 of the Act states that 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." In this instance, the application proposes to affix a commemorative plaque to a wall of the building in order to mark the station's 150th anniversary. The plaque is in a similar design to the familiar 'blue plaques' that adorn many historic buildings in neighbouring jurisdictions, and is judged to be appropriate in its design,

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                                      24/00520/CON                                     Page  3  of  3

materials and scale, as well as being proposed to be fixed in an appropriate location. With the above factors in mind, the proposals are judged to accord with the statutory test as the building, its setting and its features of special interest are being preserved.

Policy Tests 6.2 The proposed commemorative plaque is judged to be of a design and scale that would preserve and protect the building's special interest and its setting, as well as being proposed to be fixed in an appropriate position to respect the building and its setting. Although aluminium itself could not be judged to be a traditional material, painted metal in general is one of the finishes used for signage in and around the stations and on the historic rolling stock of the Isle of Man Railway. As such, the use of painted aluminium is considered to be acceptable in this instance.

7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposed commemorative plaque is judged to be of a design and scale that would preserve and protect the building's special interest and its setting, and the proposed positon is considered to be one that would respect the building and its setting. Although aluminium itself could not be judged to be a traditional material, painted metal in general is one of the finishes used for signage in and around the stations and on the historic rolling stock of the Isle of Man Railway. As such, the use of painted aluminium is considered to be acceptable in this instance. The application is therefore recommended for approval.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013 (As Amended), the following are automatically interested persons:

o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; o Manx National Heritage, and o 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. __

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted

Date: 29.05.2024

Determining officer Signed : C BALMER

Chris Balmer

Principal Planner

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