Why Was This Refused?
- ✓Conservatory judged excessive in size, subsuming the rear elevation of a registered church
- ✓Design would mask and compete with important architectural and historic features
- ✓Timber-clad box element considered bulky and clumsy in appearance
- ✓Historic single-storey annex would be incorporated to its detriment
- ✓No details provided for rainwater goods, raising risk of water ingress
- ✓Submitted drawings did not accurately represent existing building features or the conservatory's impact
- ✓design
- ✓materials
- ✓character
- ✓heritage
This application sought permission to erect a conservatory to the rear elevation of Our Lady Star of the Seas and St Maughold church on Queens Promenade, Ramsey — a registered building. The application was considered alongside a related listed building consent application. The Department of Infrastructure refused the proposal, finding that the conservatory's size, form, and design would be harmful to the church's architectural and historic qualities. The structure was considered oversized, with a timber-clad box element linking the glazed framing to the rear wall that was judged bulky and clumsy. The side elevation's offset framing bars were seen as giving a cluttered appearance, and the historic single-storey annex would be negatively affected by being incorporated into the new structure. The decision also noted practical shortcomings: no details were provided for rainwater goods or floor slabs, creating a risk of water ingress into the registered building.
The Department of Infrastructure refused this application on 1 November 2013. The conservatory was considered too large, poorly designed, and harmful to the architectural and historic character of the church, which is a registered building. Specific concerns included the bulky timber-clad linking element, cluttered framing on the side elevation, the negative impact on the historic single-storey annex, and the absence of details for rainwater goods and floor slabs. The submitted drawings were also found to be inaccurate in showing existing features and how the conservatory would affect them.
Refusal Reasons
- ✕The proposed conservatory, by reason of its size, form and design, would be detrimental to the architectural and historic qualities of the church, a registered building. The conservatory would be of an excessive size which would subsume the rear elevation of the church and would mask and compete with a number of important architectural and historic features. It would incorporate the historic single storey annex to its detriment. The timber clad box element which links the glazed framing with the rear elevation would appear bulky and clumsy. The use of timber cladding would also introduce an unnecessary additional material which would visually compete with the other materials used elsewhere in the scheme and which feature in the existing building. The horizontal off-set framing bars on the side elevation of the conservatory would give the side a cluttered and busy appearance when simple lines would be preferable. There are no details of rainwater goods and there would be a risk of water ingress into the registered building, particularly from the flat roofed box element. Furthermore, there are no details of the floor slabs on which the conservatory would stand. The submitted drawings do not accurately show the detailing and features in the existing building or how the conservatory would impact on them. There is insufficient justification for the design of the conservatory or demonstration that it would respect the architectural and historic qualities of the registered building. Having regard to the above criticisms, the proposal is contrary to Strategic Policy 4, General Policy 2 and Environmental Policies 32 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007; and Policies RB/5 and RB/10 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01.
