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                                      24/01145/CON                                     Page  1  of  4

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 24/01145/CON Applicant : Mr Ian Bearman Proposal : Registered Building Consent for replacement of thatched roof with local marram grass. Site Address : Cranstal Cottage Cranstal Bride Isle Of Man IM7 4BP

Technical Officer: Tom Sinden Photo Taken : Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 25.11.2024 __

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 proposals are considered to pass the statutory test within section 16 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 as the building's architectural and historic special interest is being preserved and partly enhanced. The proposals are also judged to be in accordance with Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 32 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016, together with Policies RB/3 and RB/5 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 as the use of local Marram Grass as a roofing material would preserve, protect and partly enhance the building's character. The application is therefore considered to be acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the photographs and other supporting information received on 2nd October 2024.

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Interested Person Status

None __

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Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE

1.1 The site Cranstal Cottage, Cranstal, Bride. The building is a registered building (RB 3). The property has special architectural and historic interest as a vernacular dwelling of partly Thalloo (earth) construction and with a thatched roof.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL

2.1 This application seeks registered building consent for the re-roofing of the building using locally sourced Marram Grass.

3.0 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS

3.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions (3) In considering - (a) whether to grant planning approval for development which affects a registered building or its setting, or (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;

Environment Policy 32: 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.

Environment Policy 34: In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred.

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 ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The following applications are listed on the Department's electronic database in relation to the property:-

Reference Number: 12/01127/CON Status: Permitted Proposal: Registered Building consent for the installation of replacement windows, doors and thatching to dwelling, rebuild boundary wall and creation of parking bay (partial retrospective) (In association with 12/01126/GB) Registered Building Nos. 3.

Reference Number: 12/01126/GB Status: Permitted

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                                      24/01145/CON                                     Page  3  of  4

Proposal: Installation of replacement windows, doors and thatching to dwelling, rebuild boundary wall and creation of parking bay (partial retrospective) (In association with 12/01127/CON).

Reference Number: 01/00148/GB Status: Permitted Proposal: Creation of shower room within dwelling and creation of vehicular access and parking area.

Reference Number: 97/01593/GB Status: Insufficient Fee Proposal: Internal alterations, Cranstal Cottage, Bride.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Bride Parish Commissioners were consulted on 2.10.2024. At the time of writing this report (25.11.2024), no representation has been received, and as such it is assumed that the consultee has no comments to make.

5.2 Manx National Heritage (MNH) were consulted on 2.10.2024. At the time of writing this report (25.11.2024), no representation has been received, and as such it is assumed that the consultee has no comments to make.

6.0 ASSESSMENT

Statutory Test 6.1 Section 16 of the Act requires that when considering whether to grant registered building consent, the Department must "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 re-roof the building using locally sourced Marram Grass (sometimes referred to as Bent). Historically, Marram Grass was cultivated on the shore line, predominantly in the north of the island, and harvested for use as a roofing material on the traditional buildings (often dwellings) on the island. In recent years, many of the surviving thatched cottages have had their traditional local grass replaced with other (visually similar) materials such as grass from England and Norfolk Reed. The proposed use of the traditional and local material is judged to be entirely appropriate and to be something that would enhance the special interest of this registered building.

Policy Tests 6.2 As discussed in section 6.1, the proposed use of the traditionally used and locally sourced roofing material is something that is judged to be appropriate. The roofing method and material is judged to be a very significant part of the building's special interest, and as such the application is considered to preserve, protect and partly enhance the architectural and historic special interest of this registered building.

7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposals are considered to pass the statutory test within section 16 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 as the building's architectural and historic special interest is being preserved and partly enhanced. The proposals are also judged to be in accordance with Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 32 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016, together with Policies RB/3 and RB/5 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 as the use of local Marram Grass as a

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roofing material would preserve, protect and partly enhance the building's character. It is therefore recommended that the application is approved.

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.

8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status as per section 3.2.4 of the Operational Policy.

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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 and/or rights to appeal.

Decision Made : Permitted

Date: 25.11.2024

Determining Officer Signed : C BALMER

Chris Balmer

Principal Planner

Customer note

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