29 December 2004 · Planning Committee
Holly Bank, Little Switzerland, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM2 6ag
The application sought consent for paving over a small front lawn and garden bed area behind the front boundary hedge at Holly Bank, a semi-detached Arts and Crafts house designed by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott in 1899, located in the Little Switzerland Conservation Area.
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The Planning Committee refused the application because the additional paving and consequent parking in front of this fine Baillie Scott house would adversely affect the appearance and character of the…
Registration of Buildings - Criteria to be Applied
Policies RB1 and RB6 require preservation of the character of Registered Buildings. The proposal failed as it altered the site's landscaped setting, harming the building's appearance, especially with parking.
no objection to the proposals
The original applications (PA04/1813/GB and PA04/1813/CON) for alterations to increase the existing paved garden area at Holly Bank, Little Switzerland, Douglas, were refused by the Planning Committee due to the adverse effect on the appearance and character of the fine Baillie Scott house from additional paving and consequent parking. The appellant argued that the elevational view would not be adversely affected, the paving was for maintenance reduction not parking, it would weather to match existing paving, and a condition could prevent parking. The Council emphasized retention of the building's character and setting as at designation, with paving replacing landscaped green space typical of Arts and Crafts houses. The inspector concluded that while parking could be conditioned against, the substitution of lawn by paving was out of keeping with the building, increasing discord, and recommended reinstatement of the lawned area. The appeals were dismissed, with the Minister directing restoration of the site to its original condition within three months.
Precedent Value
This appeal demonstrates that for Registered Buildings in Conservation Areas, loss of even small front lawn areas to paving harms character regardless of maintenance benefits or parking conditions; reinstatement to original landscaped state is required, though sympathetic redesigns may be considered prospectively.
Inspector: David Ward
