**Document:** Officer Report **Application:** 17/01335/GB — Alterations, erection of external water treatment plant room and stores and location of water holding tank and oil tank (in association with 17/01336/CON) **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2018-01-31 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/27582-braddan-kates-cottage-mountain-road-alterations-erection-external/documents/1112855 --- # Officer Report **Application No.:** 17/01336/CON **Applicant:** Mrs Anne Corbett **Proposal:** Registered Building consent for alterations, erection of external water treatment plant room and stores and location of water holding tank and oil tank (in association with 17/01335/GB) Registered Building Nos. 117 **Site Address:** Kate's Cottage Mountain Road Onchan Isle Of Man IM4 5BP Case Officer : Mr Chris Balmer **Expected Decision Level:** Officer Delegation **Recommended Decision:** Permitted **Date of Recommendation:** 29.01.2018 _________________________________________________________________ ## 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. Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to drawings p01, p02 and p03 all received on 22nd December 2017. _______________________________________________________________ ## Interested Person Status Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ ### Officer’s Report 1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site comprises Kate's Cottage a Registered Building RB 117, located on the Mountain Road, Onchan, north of Douglas. - 1.2 Kate's Cottage was added to the Protected Buildings Register on the 11th September 1989 by reason of its special architectural and historic interest. 1.3 The following is the description from the Registration documentation and is particularly pertinent to the content of this application: "This was originally built as a shepherd's house for the surrounding hill land. It appears to have been constructed in the early nineteenth century, and it appears on the 1869 County Series of maps for the Isle of Man. Originally, it was known as Tait's Cottage, but an early commentator's slip in the 1930s, led to its current name as it became known as 'Kates cottage'. Unlike other places on the Course, it remains completely unaltered, (e.g. Sarah's Cottage, The Bungalow and The Black Hut) and bearing this in mind with its focal and photographic point on the TT Course, it is felt that the building should be retained in its present external state." 2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 This application seeks Registered Building consent for alterations, erection of external water treatment plant room and stores and location of water holding tank and oil tank (in association with 17/01335/GB) Registered Building Nos. 117. The proposed store building would be located to the rear of the dwelling and run parallel with the adjacent stone walls which form holding pens for sheep. The proposed store would have a width of 8m, a depth of - 2.9m and a maximum height of 2.8m. The store building would be finished in a mixture of dry stone walling, timber cladding and galvanized steel sheet roof. 2.2 The proposal is similar to a very recent approved storage building (17/00407/CON & - 17/00406/GB) which was larger in width (9.6m) and depth (3.4m) but lower in height (2.6m). ## 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The application site has previously been the subject of a number of Planning and Registered Building consent applications, but the following is considered particularly pertinent in the consideration of this application: - 17/00406/GB - Alterations and additions including conversion of storage to living accommodation, internal refurbishment, replacement of windows and doors, construction of external stores and improvement to access (in connection with Registered Building Application - 17/00407/CON) - Application Approved. 17/00407/CON - Registered Building Application for alterations and additions including conversion of storage to living accommodation, internal refurbishment, replacement of windows and doors, construction of external stores and improvement to access - RB 117 (in connection with Planning Application 17/00406/GB) - - Application Approved. 96/01756/GB - Alterations to convert old stable and tool shed to garage - Application Approved. ## - 4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 As Kate's Cottage is a Registered Building (RB 117) and the application seeks Registered Building Consent for alterations and additions including the conversion of storage to living accommodation, internal refurbishment, replacement of windows and doors, construction of external stores and improvement to access, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains four policies that are considered specifically relevant to the assessment of this Registered Building Consent application: 4.2 Strategic Policy 4 states: "Proposals for development must: - (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings, Conservation Areas, buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas, and sites of archaeological interest; - (b) protect or enhance the landscape quality and nature conservation value of urban as well as rural areas but especially in respect to development adjacent to Areas of Special Scientific Interest and other designations; and - (c) not cause or lead unacceptable environmental pollution or disturbance." 4.3 Housing Policy 15 states: "The extension or alteration of existing traditionally styled properties in the countryside will normally only be approved where these respect the proportion, form and appearance of the existing property. Only exceptionally will permission be granted for extensions which measure more than 50% of the existing building in terms of floor space (measured externally)." - 4.4 Environment Policy 32 states: "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." - 4.5 Environment Policy 34 states: "In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred." Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man sets down the policies in relation to the conservation of the built environment of the Isle of Man, including policy for the identification and protection of historic buildings, conservation areas and other elements of the environment. This policy statement contains two policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this planning application: 4.6 Policy RB/3: GENERAL CRITERIA APPLIED IN CONSIDERING REGISTERED BUILDING APPLICATIONS: "The issues that are generally relevant to the consideration of all registered building applications are:- - o The importance of the building, its intrinsic architectural and historic interest and rarity, relative to the Island as a whole and within the local context; - o The particular physical features of the building (which may include its design, plan, materials or location) which justify its inclusion in the register; descriptions annexed to the entry in the register may draw attention to features of particular interest or value, but they are not exhaustive and other features of importance, (e.g. Interiors, murals, hidden fireplaces) may come to light after the building's entry in the register; - o The building's setting and its contribution to the local scene, which may be very important, e.g. Where it forms an element in a group, park, garden or other townscape, or where it shares particular architectural forms or details with other buildings nearby (including - other registered buildings)." 4.7 RB/5: Alterations and Extensions states: "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." ## - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Onchan Commissioners recommend an approval (10.01.2018). - 6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The application seeks Registered Building consent for alterations, erection of external water treatment plant room and stores and location of water holding tank and oil tank (in association with 17/01335/GB) Registered Building Nos. 117. 6.2 The key issue in the consideration of this application is whether the proposals 'would affect detrimentally its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest and the impact upon the amenities of the countryside. - 6.3 The construction of external stores to house the water treatment plant, the garden store, water holding tank and oil tank and general storage are simply formed in dry stone walling to match that in the immediate vicinity, simple stained timber framing and galvanised steel corrugated roofing sheets match the aesthetic of the area and in particular the existing tin shed elsewhere on the site. This addition is therefore considered to have a minimal impact upon the setting of the Registered Building or upon the visual amenities of the countryside and is therefore considered to be an acceptable approach. The - 6.4 In conclusion, this application is thereby considered to comply with part (a) of Strategic Policy 4, Housing Policy 15, Environment Policies 32 and 34 and Policies RB/3 and RB/5 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man) and is therefore acceptable. ## - 7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 For the above reasons the application is considered to be acceptable and is recommended for approval. - 8.0 PARTY STATUS: 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013, the following are automatically interested persons: - (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; - (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application; - (c) Manx National Heritage; and - (d) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated _____________________________________________________________________ I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation. Decision Made : Permitted Date: 29.01.2018 Determining officer Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer ## 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/27582-braddan-kates-cottage-mountain-road-alterations-erection-external/documents/1112855*