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Application No.: 16/00909/B Applicant: Isle Of Man Post Office Proposal: Demolition with retention of front and side walls and construction of a two storey retail unit, with alterations to front facade at ground floor to provide access and windows suitable for retail purposes Site Address: Douglas Post Office Regent Street Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 2EA Case Officer : Mr S Moore Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee
THE PLANNING APPLICATION IS BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AT THE REQUEST OF THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND BUILDING CONTROL
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application forms the curtilage of the former Douglas Post Office, on Regent Street, a two and a half storey, Ruabon brick built property located on the northern side of Regent Street in the heart of the retail sector of Douglas and immediately adjacent to the Douglas Promenades Conservation Area.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks Planning approval for demolition of the building but with the retention of the front and side walls and construction of a two storey retail unit, with alterations to front façade at ground floor to provide access and windows suitable for retail purposes.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There have been several previous planning applications approved for the site, including alterations to the internal and external fabric, formation of a front access, removal of a chimney stack and the erection of a satellite dish. - 3.2 It is noted that there is also one current and non-determined planning application for the site. PA 16/00959/C for the temporary change of use of ground floor to office use for the scanning of documents.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site is identified as 'Area of Predominantly Shopping Use' on Map No.1 (Central) of the Douglas Local Plan 1998. - 4.2 As the former Douglas Post Office, Regent Street is located immediately adjacent to the Douglas Promenades Conservation Area, the relevant planning policies from the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2012 are Strategic Policy 1, General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 36. These should be read in conjunction with Policies CA/2 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man).
4.3 Strategic Policy 1: Development should make the best use of resources by:
4.4 General Policy 2 states: "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:
4.5 Environment Policy 36: "Where development is proposed outside of, but close to, the boundary of a Conservation Area, this will only be permitted where it will not detrimentally affect important views into and out of the Conservation Area". - 4.6 Business Policy 9 states: "The Department will support new retail provision in existing retail areas at a scale appropriate to the existing area and which will not have an adverse effect on adjacent retail areas. Major retail development proposals will require to be supported by a Retail Impact Assessment(1)." - 4.7 Business Policy 10 states: Retail development will be permitted only in established town and village centres, with the exceptions of neighbourhood shops in large residential areas and those instances identified in Business Policy 5.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council have considered the application and 'have no objections hereto'
5.2 Highway Services do not oppose this application (26.08.2016) for the following reasons:
"This proposal is to alter an existing building from office and retail to retail only. Due to the location of the site within the town centre and the provision of customer parking throughout the town the main highway consideration is loading and pedestrian access.
Loading will be via the existing road network similar to the existing situation; pedestrian access will be improved by lowering the ground floor to be level with the footpath.
Highway Services do not oppose this application."
5.3 Manx National Heritage welcomes the retention of the façades of this building which make a significant contribution to the character of Regent Street and to the retail area of Douglas; disappointed that the application does not include an assessment of historical and architectural significance. In the absence of such an assessment it is our recommendation that a programme of photographic recoding is undertaken of the façades prior to the commencement of building works and that a record is also made of the particular and characteristics infrastructure which has been developed inside the building which reflects its use as a Crown Post Office over the last 140 years
5.4 The owner/occupant of Claremount, Old Castletown Road, Port Soderick has concerns relating to the finish to the front elevation ground floor, this should be red brick and/or sandstone to match the upper floor, otherwise the effect will be the same mess as the IOM Bank next door (13.08.2016).
6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 Proposed here, is the demolition of the former Douglas Post Office whilst retaining the front façade and the return façade in to Villiers Lane. - 6.2 In terms of the principle of the retail development the proposal would comply with the land use designation of the Douglas Local Plan and would comply with Business Policies 9 & 10 which both seek new retail development within existing retail areas and in established town and village centres. - 6.3 The former Douglas Post Office is a striking red brick Victorian building that clearly makes a positive contribution to the townscape in Regents Street. The building is two and a half storeys high, with the top floor located within the roof, lit with dormers. The ground floor to the main part of the building is elevated above street level with the resultant steps and ramp providing access, although the section on the corner of Villiers Lane has level access to the street. - 6.4 The building becomes increasingly modelled and detailed as it rises toward the skyline. A simple canted brick plinth creates the base of the building and in conjunction with the sandstone surrounds to the ground floor fenestration, is the only detailing at this level. At first floor, the windows are grouped beneath the twinned dormers and central gable. All windows are arched headed with decorative hood moulds over and in some cases, decorative ceramic tiles in a panel between the two. The mouldings forming the edges of the window reveals finish at stop chamfers which add a depth to the façade of the building. Paired dormers break the eaves line and frame the central gable, projecting forward of the façade on sandstone brackets that have the dual function of forming the cill of the dormers and the head of the first floor windows below. The central gable is pierced by three windows, the mullions of which are simple round columns supporting scalloped arched heads offering an Italianate feel to this section of the façade. Façades modelled to this level of detailing are relatively few and far between in Douglas and are indicative of the Victorian's tendency to celebrate public buildings. - 6.5 The reduction of the ground floor to street level, the removal of the external steps and ramp and the resultant alterations to the fenestration are the most obvious external alterations onto Regents Street. The existing windows throughout are powder-coated aluminium and are clearly not the originals. The reduction of the ground floor level and the removal of the masonry beneath the existing windows will result in the planar glazing extending to the street level allowing increased light into the building and better visual connection with the street.
6.6 The two storey new build to the rear of the façade is typical flat roofed retail 'box', finished in a coloured render to reflect the colour of the brickwork on the retained façade. Thankfully, the retention of the return of the existing brick façade onto Villiers Lane eases the visual transition between the street and the lane beyond. - 6.7 Whilst the preference would always be to retain and re-use the entire building, in this instance, the interior of the existing building is of limited architectural and historic interest and issues such as the location and construction of the building's large safe and the ground floor level set some 800mm above street level have provided a building that has been difficult to re-order internally to meet with modern requirements. - 6.8 The architectural and historic interest in this building lies very much in its façade. Façades such as this create a townscape of individual character, a sense of place. Losing such buildings is damaging to a town's identity creating 'anywhereville', a high street that could literally be anywhere in the UK. That said it is important that our town centres adapt to accommodate the needs of the consumer as without that, the town centres will suffer. - 6.9 In conclusion, the proposed creation of a modern, spacious retail unit of this size and location within the town, in tandem with the retention of the façade and the positive contribution that makes to the streetscape and wider townscape, is a positive step for Douglas town centre. - 6.10 In conclusion, this application which seeks Planning approval for demolition with retention of front and side walls and construction of a two storey retail unit, with alterations to front façade at ground floor to provide access and windows suitable for retail purposes is thereby considered to comply with Strategic Policy 2, General Policy 2, Environment Policies 36 and Business Policies 9 & 10 and is therefore acceptable.
7.0 RECOMMENDATION: - 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 (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word 'Department' to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order.
8.2 In accordance with Article 6(3) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure)(No2) Order 2013 and paragraph 2(1) of Government Circular No. 01/13, the following persons who have made representation to the planning application are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application: The owner/occupant of Claremount, Old Castletown Road, Port Soderick.
Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 13.10.2016 Conditions and Notes for Approval: C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Reason: To ensure the satisfactory preservation of the facades of this building and the application has been approved on the basis of the façades to the front and side being retained.
This approval relates to drawing reference numbers P-01, P-02, P-03, P-05, P-06, P-07, P-08, P-09, Architectural Design Statement, Planning Statement, and Supporting Planning Statement all received 3rd August 2016.
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.
Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date 31.10.2016
Signed : C BALMER Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
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