**Document:** DEC Officer Report **Application:** 20/00732/GB — Installation of replacement windows (in association with PA 20/00733/CON) **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2020-08-26 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/31121-braddan-apartment-15-central-apartments-broadway-windows-replacement/documents/1053638 --- # DEC Officer Report **Application No.:** 20/00732/GB **Applicant:** Mr Stephen Turner **Proposal:** Installation of replacement windows (in association with PA 20/00733/CON) **Site Address:** Apartment 15 Central Apartments Broadway Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 4EL Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett **Expected Decision Level:** Officer Delegation **Recommended Decision:** Permitted **Date of Recommendation:** 24.08.2020 _________________________________________________________________ ## Conditions and Notes for Approval C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice. Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal complies with all of the relevant policies - Strategic Plan Environment Policies 32, 43 and 35, Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and Planning Circular 1/98. Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to drawing 01 and the photographs received by e-mail from the applicant on 14th August, 2020. _______________________________________________________________ ## Interested Person Status Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THE SITE 1.1 The site is the curtilage of the Central Apartments situated at the corner of the Promenade and Broadway. The building is Registered and was formerly a hotel before being converted to apartments under 99/01668/B and 01/00170/GB. - 1.2 The building is a landmark one within the streetscene with its bright orange/brown facing brickwork and regular arrangement of windows, mostly timber framed sliding sash some with round heads, others with straight. - 1.3 This application concerns an apartment on the fourth floor and which has five windows fronting onto the Promenade. These windows have a decorative arched feature above the flat headed timber framed sliding sashes which have no subsidiary glazing bars and which have horns under the upper sash. THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the replacement of these windows with hardwood sliding sash with "mock horns". Further information has been received to demonstrate that the horns are integral to the frames. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the as Tourism/Residential on the Douglas Local Plan of 1998 and as Mixed Use on the draft Area Plan for the East. 3.2 The site also lies within the Douglas Promenades Conservation Area and the building is Registered (RB 173). The Registration details include a history and description of the building which includes reference to the "pleasing sense order" in the pattern of fenestration with the upper level windows arranged in pairs and adopt a variety of window head treatments all of which "add a distinct and almost playful appearance to this building to typical of Victorian Seaside Architecture". - 3.3 The appropriate policies to be applied to this development are as follows: Strategic Plan 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. - Environment Policy 35: Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development. Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man POLICY RB/5 ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS In considering whether to grant planning approval for development which affects a registered building or its setting and in considering whether to grant registered building consent for any works, 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. Registered building consent is required for the building's alteration in any way which would affect its special architectural or historic character. There will be a general presumption against alteration or extension of registered buildings, except where a convincing case can be made, against the criteria set out in this section, for such proposals. Applicants for registered building consent for alteration or extension to a registered building must be able to justify their proposals. They will be required to show why the works which would affect the character of the registered building are desirable or necessary and they should provide full information to enable the Department to assess the likely impact of their proposals on the special architectural or historic interest of the building and on its setting. Where registered buildings are the subject of successive applications for alteration or extension, consideration will also be given to the cumulative effect upon the building's special interest as a result of several minor works which may individually seem of little consequence. Planning Circular 1/98 Registered Buildings If the original windows are still in place they should preferably be repaired. If repair is impracticable, replacement windows must be the same as the originals in all respects, including the method of opening, materials and detailed design. This policy will be strictly applied other than where the particular circumstances are so exceptional as to justify a relaxation. Reason for Policy: Registered Buildings are those buildings which are judged to be of special architectural or historic interest and which are already entered into the Protected Buildings Register. Because of their special status, these buildings merit particular care and any work carried out by way of repair or alteration requires Registered Building Consent Planning Approval and Registered Building Consent are ALWAYS REQUIRED. PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 There are no relevant previous applications other than those referred to in 1.1. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council have no objection (10.08.20). 5.2 Highway Services do not object but note that licences may be required for structures placed on the highway (04.08.20). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issue here is whether the replacement windows would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area and the Registered Building in which the windows would be installed. 6.2 The windows concerned are high up on the building and the detailing is unlikely to be appreciable by the public. In terms of effect on the Conservation Area the windows are considered to preserve the character and appearance and be acceptable. 6.3 The test for Registered Buildings is higher and this is whether the windows would replicate what would be the original windows for the building. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The proposal complies with all of the relevant policies - Strategic Plan Environment Policies 32, 43 and 35, Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and Planning Circular 1/98. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons: - (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); - (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; - (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; - (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; - (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; - (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and - (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material. 8.2 The decision maker must determine: - o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and - o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 4(2) who should be given Interested Person Status. 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. Decision Made : Permitted Date: 25.08.2020 Determining officer Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner ## Customer note ## This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records. --- *Data sourced from the Isle of Man public planning register under the [Isle of Man Open Government Licence](https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/open-government-licence/).* *Canonical page: https://planningportal.im/a/31121-braddan-apartment-15-central-apartments-broadway-windows-replacement/documents/1053638*