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25/00216/CON Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 25/00216/CON Applicant : Mr Grant Taylor Proposal : Registered Building Consent for installation of multi-fuel stove in waiting room fireplace, replacement of sub-floor and installation of slate hearth within station master's office, and installation of timber sheeting to goods shed ceiling RB 257 Site Address : Castletown Railway Station Station Road Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1EF
Technical Officer: Tom Sinden Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 14.04.2025 __
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 proposed installation of a multi-fuel stove and timber sheeting to the goods shed ceiling are judged to be elements that would involve the removal of no historic fabric and be entirely reversible, and as such are considered to preserve and protect the building's special interest. Whilst the replacement of the fireplace sub-floor within the Station Master's Office would involve the removal of existing fabric, the replacement would result in the restoration of a historic feature and as such this element is judged to preserve and partly enhance the special interest of the registered building. The application is therefore judged to be acceptable.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This decision relates to the plaque specification and other details submitted on 27th February 2025. __
Interested Person Status The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, DEFA Environmental Health cannot be given third party rights of appeal.
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25/00216/CON Page 2 of 4
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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 for the installation of a multi-fuel stove in waiting room fireplace, replacement of the sub-floor and installation of slate hearth within station master's office, and the installation of timber sheeting to goods shed ceiling.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY
3.1 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016 Strategic Policy 4 Environment Policy 32 Environment Policy 34
3.2 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 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS
4.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions
5.0 PLANNING HISTORY
5.1 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). Most recently, application 24/00520/CON approved the affixing of a blue commemorative plaque on the exterior of the building.
6.0 REPRESENTATIONS
6.1 DEFA Environmental Health do not object to the proposal, however they do outline various matters to be aware of in respect of the installation of multi-fuel stoves and their potential impacts on the surrounding locality (04.03.2025).
6.2 Castletown Commissioners were consulted on 28.2.2025. At the time of writing this report (14.4.2025) no representation has been received, and it is therefore assumed that the Commissioners have no comments to make.
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25/00216/CON Page 3 of 4
6.3 Manx National Heritage were consulted on 28.2.2025. At the time of writing this report (14.4.2025) no representation has been received, and it is therefore assumed that the Commissioners have no comments to make.
7.0 ASSESSMENT
Statutory Test 7.1 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 the installation of a multi-fuel stove in waiting room fireplace, replacement of the sub-floor and installation of slate hearth within station master's office, and the installation of timber sheeting to goods shed ceiling. Photographs have been submitted with the application of the existing fireplaces, although following a site visit it is apparent that the photograph of the station master's office fireplace is not up to date as the surround is currently tiled to the fireplaces in both rooms. Although the installation of a stove within the waiting room is a departure from the historic form of the fireplace, the proposed installation will not involve the removal of the in-situ historic fabric and would be entirely reversible. As such, the proposed multi-fuel stove installation is judged to preserve the building's special interest. The proposed replacement of the sub-floor of the Station Master's Office fireplace and installation of a slate hearth will evidently involve the removal of existing fabric. The intention of these works is to restore a slate hearth that was historically in place. Following a site visit, it is apparent that these intended works would result in the hearth and surround matching that of the waiting room fireplace, and given that the works would restore a historic feature, it is judged that the replacement sub-floor and slate hearth would preserve and partly enhance the building's special interest. Finally, the application proposes to install timber sheeting to the underside of the goods shed ceiling. This work is intended to protect the goods shed interior from falling debris. As an additional layer below the existing fabric, the proposed sheeting would not involve the removal of any historic fabric and would be entirely reversible. As such, the proposed timber sheeting is judged to preserve the buildings special interest.
Policy Tests 7.2 As discussed in section 7.1 above, this application proposed three distinct elements. Firstly, the application proposes to install a multi-fuel stove within the waiting room fireplace. As this installation will not involve the removal of any historic fabric and would be entirely reversible, this element of the proposal is considered to preserve and protect the building's special interest. Secondly, the application proposes to replace the fireplace sub-floor within the Station Master's Office and install a slate fireplace. As this element is intended to restore a historic element of the station's historic form, the replacement sub-floor and hearth is judged to preserve, protect and partly enhance the building's special interest. Finally, the application proposes to install timber sheeting to the underside of the goods shed ceiling. This work is intended protect the goods shed interior from falling debris. As an additional layer below the existing fabric, the proposed sheeting would not involve the removal of any historic fabric and would be entirely reversible. As such, the proposed timber sheeting is judged to preserve and protect the buildings special interest.
8.0 CONCLUSION
8.1 The proposed installation of a multi-fuel stove and timber sheeting to the goods shed ceiling are judged to be elements that would involve the removal of no historic fabric and be entirely reversible, and as such are considered to preserve and protect the building's special interest. Whilst the replacement of the fireplace sub-floor within the Station Master's Office would involve the removal of existing fabric, the replacement would result in the restoration of a historic feature and as such this element is judged to preserve and partly enhance the special interest of the registered building. It is therefore recommended that the application be approved.
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25/00216/CON Page 4 of 4
9.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
9.1 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.
9.2 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.
9.3 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 the Right to Appeal.
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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: 14.04.2025
Determining Officer
Signed : J SINGLETON
Jason Singleton
Principal Planner
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