10 July 2014 · Planning Committee
60, King Edward Road, Onchan, Isle Of Man, IM3 2at
The proposal involves amalgamating two semi-detached, two-storey Arts & Crafts houses designed by M.H. Baillie Scott, Registered Buildings 123 and 124, into one large family home. This includes internal reordering with removal of some partitions and insertion of new timber elements inspired by Baillie Scott's later wor…
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The officer assessed that both properties have been significantly altered over time, particularly Braeside with modern bathrooms, en-suites, and disrupted ceilings, justifying further intervention to …
Environment Policy 32
Requires that extensions or alterations to a Registered Building which would detrimentally affect its special architectural or historic interest will not be permitted. Officer found proposals do not have detrimental impact due to prior alterations, deferential design of new elements, and positive unification strategy, preserving overall character.
Environment Policy 34
In maintenance, alteration or extensions of pre-1920 buildings, prefers traditional materials. Assessed via condition requiring materials schedule approval to ensure integrity of Registered Building and setting; proposals use sympathetic render, sedum roofs, and glass.
RB/3 General Criteria Applied in Considering Registered Building Applications
Requires special regard to preserving Registered Building or its setting and features of special interest; presumption against alteration unless justified. Officer deemed justification convincing via research, engineering, and contextual design aligning with heritage guidance.
RB/5 Alterations and Extensions
For alterations/extensions, applicants must justify why works affecting character are desirable/necessary, considering cumulative impacts. Proposals justified by buildings' compromised state, full information provided, and strategy to unify via Baillie Scott-inspired elements without loss of special interest.
Time limit
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.
Materials approval
No works shall commence until a schedule of materials and finishes and samples of the materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces, including roofs, have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. The works shall not be carried out unless in accordance with the approved details. Reason: In the interests of the integrity of the Registered Building and its setting.
Photographic survey
No works shall commence until a full and comprehensive photographic survey of Braeside and Leafield has been submitted to and agreed in writing by the Planning Authority. Reason: In order to retain a record of the site in the interests of local history.
welcomes principle of changes mostly in already-altered Braeside, non-structural partition removals preserving ceilings, restoration of lost decorative finishes and fireplace; external changes limited to service areas with positive garage removal, novel green-roofed carports if not detracting from facade, and sunken pool with visual separation; notes challenges in justification due to lack of detailed registration assessment
The Isle of Man Victorian Society strongly objects to the proposals for altering two significant Baillie Scott registered buildings, citing destruction of architectural integrity; Manx National Heritage provides a detailed significance assessment and does not support the applicat…
Key concern: destruction of architectural integrity and significance of pivotal early Baillie Scott semi-detached houses through inappropriate amalgamation and later-style interventions
Isle of Man Victorian Society
ObjectionTHE WHOLE BASIS UPON WHICH THE SCHEME HAS BEEN PREPARED IS FLAWED; the proposed internal alterations will totally destroy the importance of this pair of semi-detached houses; we have no alternative but to strongly object to them and request Refusal of the Registered Building Application
Manx National Heritage
Conditional No ObjectionManx National Heritage cannot support the application. Equally however, we recognise that the scheme offers potential to sustain the future of both dwellings; Under all four criteria, Leafield and Braeside score positively, and are estimated to have considerable value. This must give rise to a need to pause for thought
Conditions requested: stringent recording programme, results publicly available
Manx National Heritage
No CommentTogether with the absence of an assessment of significance in the Registration file, this renders an informed decision difficult
Diane Haigh
Objectionit would seem hard to understand that the current proposals can be considered at all acceptable; The proposals would seem to detract from the historic significance of this original pair of houses
Ian Macdonald-Smith
ObjectionI am astounded that the island's planners could even contemplate the proposed alterations; the planning authorities in the Isle of Man are doing [dismissing Baillie Scott's influence] arrogance and foolish
The original application for Registered Building Consent (14/00090/CON) and associated planning approval (14/00089/GB) sought to amalgamate two semi-detached Arts and Crafts style dwellings ('Braeside' and 'Leafield') into a single dwelling with housekeeper's accommodation, internal alterations, extensions, an enclosed swimming pool, demolition of garages, and new green-roofed garages. The Planning Committee granted approval following officer recommendations and site visits. The IMVS appealed, arguing the proposals harmed the buildings' special architectural and historic interest due to lack of Assessment of Significance, unjustified internal changes, and conjectural pastiche elements contrary to conservation principles. The inspector found the design approach flawed, internal alterations and new garages harmful to character, settings, and features (contrary to EP32 and PPS1/01 criteria), but extensions and pool acceptable; overall, the harmful elements outweighed benefits, recommending refusal without a split decision. The Minister accepted the recommendation on 16 March 2015, refusing consent.
Precedent Value
Mandates Assessment of Significance for Registered Building alterations, especially high-value assets; stresses general presumption against works requiring convincing justification per PPS1/01; minimal/reversible interventions preferred over comprehensive redesign; split decisions risky without full resubmission.
Inspector: Anthony J Wharton BArch RIBA RIAS MRTPI
