Case Officer: Mr S Moore Photo Taken: Site Visit: Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation
Officer's Report
The Site
The site is the curtilage of the Gaiety Theatre, a Victorian theatre building situated on the western side of Harris Promenade, between the Sefton Hotel and the Villa Marina Arcade. To the rear of the site is Back Marina Road.
The building has its principal pedestrian entrance off Harris Terrace. The building is a distinctive and internally and externally very well preserved theatre which is still used for its original purpose. The building has a barrel vaulted roof within which is a proscenium wall (a proscenium is the area of a theatre surrounding the stage opening. A proscenium arch is the arch over this area) which sits approximately two thirds of the way back from the front of the building. At the edge of the barrel vaulted roof is a rendered stone wall with capping, some of which is currently in poor condition, and lead lined gutters linking the wall to the roofing. The proscenium wall is built of brick and projects above the barrel vaulted roof by around 1m. The parapet wall projects above the guttering by around 0.5m.
The Proposal
Proposed is the enclosure of the proscenium wall in an aluminium capping at 0.7 gauge screwed to new timber framework around the wall. The parapet wall is to be reduced in height to around 100mm with a new pre-cast concrete coping bedded in mortar.
The drawings are annotated incorrectly: the proscenium wall section is shown as B-B but as A-A on the roof plan and the parapet wall as A-A on the section and B-B on the plan. The plans have been amended and the local authority and highway authority notified accordingly.
Planning Status And Policy
The site lies within an area of Tourism use on the Douglas Local Plan of 1998, together with the Sefton Hotel and Villa Marina complex.
As there is no change of use, the proposed works should be considered in respect of the following parts of General Policy 2:
"Development which is in accordance with the land use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:
Application No.:
12/01528/CON
Applicant:
Department Of Community And Leisure
Proposal:
Registered Building Consent for remedial works to roof and proscenium wall (RB no 200 in association with 12/01527/GB)
Site Address:
Gaiety Theatre
Harris Promenade
Douglas
Isle Of Man
IM1 2HH
b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the space around them; c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality."
The building is also Registered and within the Douglas Promenades Conservation Area.
As such, the following Strategic Plan policies are applicable:
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."
Environment Policy 35 states "Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character of 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 contains advice on the protection and enhancement of buildings and areas of interest. It includes advice which echoes that of the Strategic Plan in terms of both Registered Buildings and Conservation Areas as follows:
"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."
Also,
"Policy Rb/9 - Registered Buildings In Government Ownership
Registered buildings in Government ownership will be subject to the same conditions as those which are in private ownership, but there is the further implied requirement that such buildings should be dealt with in ways which will provide examples of good practice to other owners. It is particularly important that every effort should be made to maintain historic buildings in good condition, and to find appropriate new uses for buildings in Government ownership which are no longer in active use. Prompt disposal is important: empty buildings should not be retained on a contingency basis, with all the risk of neglect and disrepair that this can create."
And
When considering proposals for the possible development of any land or buildings which fall within the conservation area, the impact of such proposals upon the special character of the area, will be a material consideration when assessing the application."
Section 18 (4) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 states that special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character of a conservation area in the exercise with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under the act".
Planning History
There have been various planning applications submitted for the Gaiety Theatre, none of which is considered relevant to the consideration of this current application.
Representations
Douglas Borough Council indicate that they do not oppose the application.
Assessment
The proposed works are intended to resolve existing problems of water ingress and make the building more weatherproof. This is of course in the interest of preserving the building which is an acceptable objective. The issue to be considered is whether the works will achieve this are acceptable to retaining the character and integrity of the building.
In this respect it is relevant that this part of the building is largely unseen by the public.
Conservation Officer'S Supplementary Report:
As The Gaiety Theatre is a Registered Building (RB 200) located within the Douglas Promenade Conservation Area designated in 2003, the relevant planning policies from the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 are General Policy 2, Environment Policies 32 and 34. These should be read in conjunction with Policies RB/1: Registration of Buildings - Criteria to be applied, RB/3: General Criteria Applied in Considering Registered Building Applications and RB/5: Alterations and Extensions from Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Conservation of the Historic Environment).
"Planning Policy Statement 1/01 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:
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;
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;
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 landscape, or where it shares particular architectural forms or details with other buildings nearby (including other registered buildings)."
That proposed is the enclosure of the proscenium wall in an aluminium capping at 0.7 gauge screwed to new timber framework around the wall. The parapet wall is to be reduced
in height to around 100mm with a new pre-cast concrete coping bedded in mortar. The replacement of four 'Colt Roof Mounted Fire Vents to match existing' with the same.
The drawings are annotated incorrectly: the proscenium wall section is shown as B-B but as A-A on the roof plan and the parapet wall as A-A on the section and B-B on the plan. The plans have been amended and the local authority and highway authority notified accordingly.
The starting point with any such proposals is to establish the significance of the building as a whole in order to assess the impact that these proposals will have on that significance. The Gaiety is one of the Island's undoubtedly finest historic buildings, designed by Frank Matcham (22 November 1854 – 18 May 1920) the English theatrical architect and designer. He was known for his designs of many London theatres including the Hackney Empire (1901); the London Coliseum (1904); the London Palladium (1910) and the Victoria Palace (1911). Matcham himself designed: the interior of the Theatre Royal, Newcastle; Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham (1891); the Blackpool Grand Theatre, the Theatre Royal, Wakefield and the Buxton Opera House (1894); the Royal Hall (Kursaal) in Harrogate (1903); and the Liverpool Olympia (1905). Matcham is remembered in Northern Ireland for his design of the Grand Opera House (opened December 1895) on Great Victoria Street, Belfast.
The significance of the theatre is in the fact that it is so intact; it is one of Matcham's finest pieces of work and the frontage it offers to the Promenade and its Conservation Area setting.
These works seek to address water ingress issues. Whilst they do impact upon aspects of the historic fabric, the current roof cladding is understood to have been installed as part of the major remedial works carried out by the Isle of Man Government in 1998 following storms that resulted in water damage to the interior. Photographic evidence from before 1998 also shows the barrel vaulted roof to have been covered in a light gray, 'corrugated tin'.
The proposed enclosure of the proscenium wall in an aluminium capping is intended to staunch the ingress of water through the brickwork which is damaging the proscenium arch below. Whilst the use of modern, 'crinkly tin' in other instances could be considered detrimental, in this occurrence, this material has been readily utilised for the main part of the roof and the proposals and therefore should not look out of place. In carrying out these works, the delicate and highly important interior below is protected and the works are considered to be readily reversible returning this aspect of the Registered Building to its previous format. These proposals are not therefore considered to have a detrimental impact upon the character of the Registered Building.
Similarly to the works to the proscenium wall, the works to reduce in height the parapet wall is intended to provide a better drainage gutter for water cascading from the roof. The existing gutter is too narrow and results in water penetration to the building causing damage to the interior. The reduction in wall height and increase in gutter width is not considered to have a detrimental impact upon the Registered Building or the Conservation Area within which it is located.
The replacement of four 'Colt Roof Mounted Fire Vents to match existing' is similarly not considered to be detrimental to the character of the Registered Building as they will to all intents and purposes match those that are currently in place and are a necessary part of the buildings fire safety strategy.
In conclusion, the proposals are considered to comply with the provisions of General Policy 2, Environment Policies 32 and 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007, together with policies RB/3: General Criteria Applied in Considering Registered Building Applications and
RB/5: Alterations and Extensions from Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Conservation of the Historic Environment) and are therefore acceptable.
Party Status
The local authority is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered an "interested person" and as such should be afforded party status.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation: 24.12.2012
Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal
C: Conditions for approval N: Notes attached to conditions R: Reasons for refusal O: Notes attached to refusals
C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
C 2. This permission relates to the alterations to the building as shown in drawings PA/01, PA/02, PA/03 and PA/04 all received on 15th November, 2012. RB / RB
I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control / Development Control Manager/ Senior Planning Officer.
Decision Made: Permitted Date: 24/12/12
Determining officer (delete as appropriate)
Signed: _________________________ Anthony Holmes Senior Planning Officer
