204594

==== PAGE 1 ====

                                                 25/00567/CON                                      Page  1  of  4

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 25/00567/CON Applicant : Mr Stuart Nelson Proposal : Registered Buildings Consent for demolition aspects to 25/90568/B Site Address : Removal House 39 Finch Road Douglas IM1 2PT

Planning Officer: Peiran Shen Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 29.07.2025 __

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 application complies with Sections 16 and 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, as the historic character of the building and setting of the Conservation Area are being preserved. It is also judged that the application meets the tests of Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 35 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and the requirements within PPS 1/01 as the fabric and setting of the Conservation Area is being protected and preserved.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the documents, cover letter, planning statement, hard landscape details, fountain record, and drawing no. EX-01 Rev B, EX-02, EX-03, EX-04, Rev D, EX-05; P-101, P-102, P-103, P-104, P-105, P-106; and P-03 Rev A, P-04 Rev A, P-06 Rev A ,which have all been received on 9th June 2025. __ Interested Person Status

None __

==== PAGE 2 ====

                                                 25/00567/CON                                      Page  2  of  4

Officer’s Report

THE PLANNING APPLICATION IS BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS IT COULD BE CONSIDERED CONTRARY TO THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN BUT RECOMMEND FOR AN APPROVAL

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site is part of a land envelope created by Finch Road, Christian Road, Kingswood Grove, and St Barnabas Hill. This land envelope is divided into two distinct sections: a higher-level western section and a lower-level eastern section. The application site is the lower-level piece of land. The site is demarcated by short boundary walls on the east (Finch Road) and concrete walls on the south and north. There is a fountain on the boundary wall.

1.2 Within the site is a red brick building fronting Finch Road. The building occupies most of the site, except for some setbacks from Finch Road (which provides off-street parking) and a pocket at the northwest corner.

1.3 The building consists of three blocks: o a single-storey multi-gable block at the north, o a two-storey flat-roof office block at the southeast corner, and o a single-storey flat-roof block between the other two blocks and surrounds the back of the office building.

1.4 The multi-gable block has a white sheeting roof and shopfront window on the east and south elevations. The two-story flat-roof block has uPVC windows with glazing bars (30/70 split), a double timber door on the ground floor, and a double door on the first floor (access from Christian Road). The single-storey flat-roof block has a shopfront window on the east elevation and protrudes beyond the frontage of the other two blocks.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 This application is for the retrospective demolition of the existing building (except for the two-storey office block) as well as part of the northern boundary wall.

2.2 This application relates to PA 25/90568/B - Partial demolition of a building, erection of a single storey building extension, alterations to fenestration and render to remaining building including the provision of new drop-off layby with associated pavement and drainage works and use of the site for Class 4.3.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions (3) In considering - (b) whether to grant registered building consent for any works, the relevant 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.

3.2 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016 Strategic Policy 4: Proposals for development must: (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings(1), Conservation Areas(2), buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest;

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

==== PAGE 3 ====

                                                 25/00567/CON                                      Page  3  of  4

General criteria applied in considering registered building applications The issues that are generally relevant to the consideration of all registered building applications are:- o The importance of the building, its intrinsic architectural and historic interest and rarity, relative to the Island as a whole and within the local context;

o The particular physical features of the building (which may include its design, plan, materials or location) which justify its inclusion in the register; descriptions annexed to the entry in the register may draw attention to features of particular interest or value, but they are not exhaustive and other features of importance, (e.g. Interiors, murals, hidden fireplaces) may come to light after the building's entry in the register;

o The building's setting and its contribution to the local scene, which may be very important, e.g. Where it forms an element in a group, park, garden or other townscape or landscape, or where it shares particular architectural forms or details with other buildings nearby (including other registered buildings).

POLICY CA/6 Any building which is located within a conservation area and which is not an exception as provided above, may not be demolished without the consent of the Department. In practice, a planning application for consent to demolish must be lodged with the Department. When considering an application for demolition of a building in a conservation area, the general presumption will be in favour of retaining buildings which make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area. Similar criteria will be applied as those outlined in RB/6 above, when assessing the application to demolish the building, but in less clear cut cases, for example, where a building could be said to detract from the special character of the area, it will be essential for the Department to be able to consider the merits of any proposed new development when determining whether consent should be given for the demolition of an unregistered building in a conservation area. Account will be taken of the part played in the architectural or historic interest of the area by the building for which demolition is proposed, and in particular of the wider effects of demolition on the building's surroundings and on the conservation area as a whole.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 There are no previous applications considered materially relevant to this application.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Douglas City Council has no objection to this application (24.06.2025).

5.2 DEFA Forestry wrote in objection to this application (16.06.2025). The comment states that there are trees on site, but they are not shown in the application. The comment also highlights the lack of new greenery. The comment proposes a green roof as an alternative if no other provision is available.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The pertinent issue to be assessed by this Registered Building Application is the impact of the proposed demolition on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.

6.2 Section 16 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 requires the Department to 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.

6.3 The existing building is not considered to be a positive contribution to the character of the area, primarily due to its underused status. Therefore, its demolition is not considered to harm the character of the Conservation Area.

==== PAGE 4 ====

                                                 25/00567/CON                                      Page  4  of  4

6.4 The existing boundary wall and the fountain positively contribute to the character of the area. Given that the fountain is to be rebuilt, the demolition of the boundary wall is not considered to harm the character of the Conservation Area.

6.5 Overall, it is judged that the proposed demolition preserves the special character, fabric and setting of the conservation area.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 It is judged that the proposal complies with sections 15 and 16 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, as the historic character of the building and setting of the Conservation Area are being preserved due to the installation of the new railings. It is also judged that the application meets the tests of Strategic Policy 4 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and the requirements within PPS 1/01 as the fabric and setting of the Conservation Area is being protected and preserved. It is therefore recommended that the application be approved.

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) Manx National Heritage; and (c) 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 confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to that body by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded interested person status and/or rights to appeal.

Decision Made: Permitted Date: 11.08.2025

Signed : Pieran Shen Presenting Officer

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the office copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online service/customers and archive record.