**Document:** 06 Planning Statement **Application:** 22/00607/B — Refurbishment of derelict house and barns plus construction of linking extension to form a new dwelling; construction of detached garage / store and creation of new vehicle access using adjacent field **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2022-08-10 **Parish:** Rushen **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/8979-colby-rollage-earystane-extension-garage/documents/951742 --- # 06 Planning Statement - 01.0 APPLICATION DETAILS Rollage-ny-Twoie (formerly Croit-e-Kirkjufal), The Sloc, Colby, IM9 4BW Application for Full Planning Approval Mr Mark O’Meara + Miss Kathryn Newton • Applicant Horncastle Thomas Ltd • Agent - 02.1 INTRODUCTION 02.2 AMOUNT - 02.3 LAYOUT The layout of the site will remain legible as a result of the development, iex the residential curtilage, the house as the primary visual component, the barns being secondary and the new link section being subservient to the existing set of buildings. The house will contain two upper floor bedrooms along with a ground floor sitting room and a small family bathroom; the small barn will contain the main bedroom and en-suite; the barns will contain two small ground floor bedrooms along with a larger upper floor sitting room (see note on PHASING below); the main link section will contain the main kitchen and dining space as well as the smaller snug and utility spaces. - 02.4 DESCRIPTION • APPEARANCE + SCALE The application seeks approval to upgrade the existing house and barns, as previously approved in applications (14/01420/B + 19/00966/B) but to adopt a smaller and less visually intrusive linking building. - 02.2.1 Measuring Existing Building Footprint only, ie ground floor, measured externally EXISTING (gross external area): House ground floor: 70sqm Small barn: 28sqm Link: 14sqm Barn ground floor: 63sqm North barn: 32sqm TOTAL: 207sqm PROPOSED: House ground floor: 51sqm Small barn: 28sqm Barn ground floor: 63sqm Proposed link: 89sqm North barn: 32sqm TOTAL: 263sqm INCREASE IN FOOTPRINT 56sqm (27% of original) - 02.2.2 If the total building area were to be considered, including the upper floors, measured externally: EXISTING (gross external area): Rollage-ny-Twoie is a set of derelict countryside buildings located on the Sloc Road approximately 1.7miles to the North West of Colby. The buildings consist of a small two-storey house, a small single-storey barn, a larger two-storey barn (previously linked by a pitched roof) and the remains of a third barn to the north of the main group. The main curtilage of the site is clearly defined by a low bank/ hedge within which all of the buildings are included. This sits within a larger field in the applicant’s ownership, the extents being clearly defined by an access track that leads to “Tremon”, Lower Scard Farm and Upper Scard Farm. - 02.4.1 WALLS The applicants’ intention is to repair and restore the stonework to existing buildings, the main house and the barns, removing cement pointing and areas of render, then re-pointing with lime mortar, allowing the stone walls to breathe and function as intended, re-rendering the house with lime render. The stonework to the existing chimney stack and wall to the Sloc road gable end has been receiving some attention to ensure its stability and a number of rotten timber lintels are being replaced in order to ensure that the structure remains safe during the design development and applications stage. - 02.4.2 ROOFS The existing small porch roof (and the small store to the north side of the main barn) retain their stone roofs; these will be refurbished and retained. All replacement roofs to the existing buildings will be natural slate finish. The two barn roofs will each have 3nr rooflights in the north-facing roofs. The small lean-to barn roof will have a new insulated corrugated metal roof. The new link extension will have a flat green roof, both visually appropriate and offering a positive biodiversity contribution. Note that the rear lean-to of the existing house is to be removed (19sqm) with the stone being retained on site for repairs to other buildings and landscaping elements. - 02.4.3 WINDOWS A single unifying strategy has been adopted over the existing buildings on the site in that all replacement windows will be timber frame with a single undivided pane. The windows will be distinguished as new and relating to the refurbishment, rather than adopting a historical sash window that may be appropriate to the house but not when infilling the previous door openings to the barns. Whilst not strictly recreating the historical character of original windows, this modern approach has been successfully adopted on properties around the Island and elsewhere without detracting from the overall character of the property. The single-pane windows will significantly improve views from the property and thereby improve the amenity of the inhabitants. - 02.4.4 PROPOSED LINK The house and larger barn currently have no internal floor or roof structures; the primary roof structures for the smaller barn and link to the larger barn remain in place although the rusted corrugated sheet coverings have been removed and set aside for safety reasons. The applicants purchased the site with planning approval in place for the buildings’ redevelopment (14/01420/B + 19/00966/B). This application seeks to adopt a similar approach to the site’s development by using a new infill section of building to link the existing buildings, but also takes the opportunity to reduce the impact of the development: House ground floor: 70sqm House upper floor: 49sqm Small barn: 28sqm Link: 14sqm Barn ground floor: 63sqm Barn upper floor: 48sqm North barn: 32sqm TOTAL: 304sqm Firstly, by proposing a reduction in size and massing of the linking building in order to better protect the character of the existing buildings and, thereby, the character of the Manx countryside; also by proposing a differentiation in the link building’s form and materials from the existing buildings, such that the redevelopment of the buildings may be clearly and simply understood; PROPOSED: House ground floor: 51sqm House upper floor: 49sqm Small barn: 28sqm Barn ground floor: 63sqm Barn upper floor: 48sqm Proposed link: 89sqm North barn: 32sqm TOTAL: 360sqm finally, proposing an alternative vehicle access to the previous approval: access would be via the existing perimeter track - this would mean that a significantly smaller section of hedgerow would be affected by the development in relation to both preserving and maintaining the character of the Manx countryside and significantly reducing the disturbance and damage to natural habitat that the existing hedge represents, particularly with respect to the earlier (2006) sighting of lizards in this area. INCREASE IN AREA 56sqm (18% of original) The comments made by Rushen Parish Commissioners on the previous approved application, ultimately leading them to appeal the Planning Committee decision to permit the development, have been noted by the applicants. These points have been carefully considered during this design development, particularly with regard the appearance of the extended house appearing intrusive from the north and the perceived negative contribution of the large ‘church style’ window. The link building is proposed as a more lightweight timber-frame structure to contrast with the more traditional Manx stone masonry structures of the existing buildings. As an expression of this more lightweight approach, the link would be clad in timber boards. In order to reduce the massing of the link (in relation to the previous approved proposal) it is firstly proposed that the link is single-storey only and secondly that it has a flat roof rather than a pitched roof. This approach would ensure that the link section, first of all, remains clearly subservient to the existing buildings, connecting them in a more ‘low key’ manner than the previously approved proposals, and also ensures that the new section remains visually distinct. Further, we are able to ensure that the new roof eaves will generally sit at or below the existing buildings’ eaves level. In each corner junction between the new link and the existing buildings, the new building is set ### 01 back to ensure that the corner of the existing building is exposed and visible, further ensuring visual subservience. In addition to the benefits of its appearance, adopting a timber frame construction provides the opportunity to reduce the impact of the new construction on the existing buildings, with the possibility of reducing the depth of foundations required etc. The flat roof construction provides the opportunity to accommodate a ‘green roof’ with local grasses and wildflowers offering a biodiversity benefit. The smaller snug and utility sections of the new link step down in section, generally in line with the existing topography, allowing the roofs to also step down. The floor-ceiling heights in these smaller spaces are also reduced enabling the link roof levels to be reduced in relation to the main kitchen space, giving the link its own visual hierarchy and accommodating clerestory windows to the main space at these junctions, thereby improving natural daylight levels in the main space. The main space would open onto the area next to the barn via a full-width bi-fold door and the snug would have a timber-framed corner window taking the benefit of the countryside views to the southeast. A chimney flue in the corner of the snug would be installed for a log burning stove. - 02.4 PHASING In order to fund the development in stages, the applicants intend to initially develop the main barn as a temporary compact dwelling, enabling them to relocate to the site in the short term. They can then sell their other property and raise additional finance on the phase 01 development which will enable them to complete the whole house. The layout of the phase 01 barn development differs from the final layout indicated in drawings 11 + 12 and is shown on a separate plan drawing 17. The phase 01 ground floor would accommodate one double plus two much smaller childrens’ single bedrooms; the upper floor would include a kitchen/ dining area as part of the living space. Alterations to reflect the final layout would be made at the end of the construction work, once the applicants are able to occupy the whole house. 03 ACCESS - 03.1 VEHICULAR + TRANSPORT LINKS There are currently two access points from the applicants’ land onto the Sloc Road. Neither conform to current requirements and the previously approved application sought to provide a new vehicle access onto the Sloc Road which would have necessitated removal and re-profiling of a nearly 90m length of the sod bank hedge at the boundary of the property and the side of the road. The proposals in this application take a different approach which, in our view causes significantly less disruption to both existing wildlife habitat and to the detrimental visual impact on the character of the Manx countryside of the previously approved proposals. Vehicle access is proposed via the perimeter lane rather than directly to the Sloc Road. Although a longer driveway would be required (increased from 21 to 58m), the effect is to significantly reduce the loss of hedgerow from the previous approx 90m to approx 5m. This approach has been developed in discussion with officers of the DoI Highways Services team. 11/05/2022 ISSUE PLANNING Mark O'Meara + Katie Newton 280_Rollage-ny-Twoaie Address ## 06 Number Scale 1:500 @ A3 Planning Statement Do not scale from this drawing • All dimensions must be checked on site prior to commencing works. Any discrepancy found between information given on this drawing and that given elsewhere or recorded on site shall be notified immediately to the project architect in writing. 20 Athol Street Douglas ISLE OF MAN IM1 1JA © horncastle:thomas a r c h i t e c t s + d e s i g n e r s 01624 663 383 ![A photograph showing a derelict stone building with scaffolding and exposed window openings, located behind a dry stone wall in a rural landscape.](https://images.planningportal.im/2022/05/6878461.jpg) --- *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/8979-colby-rollage-earystane-extension-garage/documents/951742*