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Application No.: 17/00073/CON Applicant: Mr Keith Strachan Proposal: Registered Building Application (RB 171) for demolition of existing garage and outbuildings, erection of new garage and garden walls (in connection with application 17/00072/GB) Site Address: Old School House Main Road Sulby Isle of Man IM7 2HP Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation
Officer’s Report THE SITE
1.1 The site is the curtilage of the Old School House in Sulby, a Registered Building (RB) which sits alongside St. Stephen's Church hall, another RB, all on the southern side of the A3 TT Course. Both buildings were added to the Protected Buildings Register on the 24th of April 1998 by reason of their special architectural and historic interest. - 1.2 The site accommodates the Old School House, now a private dwelling and land at the rear: the curtilage extends around the rear of the church hall curtilage where there sits an existing garage which is a relatively modern structure with two single garage doors which face south west and rendered unpainted walling. Immediately to the rear of the Old School House are other outbuildings which are more interesting with stone walls and monopitch, slated roofs. The existing garage, the subject of this application, was permitted on Review on the 21st February 2001. THE PROPOSAL
2.1 Proposed are the demolition of the garage and outbuildings referred to above and the erection of a garage immediately behind the Old School House. The garage will have a footprint of 6.5m by 6.5m (0.5m in each direction smaller than the existing to be demolished) and will be as close as 1m from the rear of the rear extension at the back of the house but 6m from the rear of the main part of the building. - 2.2 The garage will be finished in walling formed with a stone plinth up to a height of 400mm with a facing brickwork band above and rendered walling all under a dark slated or slate effect roof. The building will also be characterised by facing brickwork quoins and heads following the slope of the eaves. The garage door is a single, large one measuring 5.2m wide by 2.1m tall and will be of sectional design, shown in white with a line of small windows across the top. - 2.3 The applicant has taken his lead for the design and finish from those of the buildings alongside and that existing stone from the demolished walling will be used where possible. Whilst it has been commented that the large single garage door would be better replaced by two smaller ones, it is the applicant's belief that as proposed the door is most practicable and with the glazing at the top of the door, the resulting visual impact is acceptable. They have opted for a lower pitched roof than the main house in order not to dominate the main building which should remain the more important on
3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Sulby Local Plan of 1999 Residential with the adjacent hall and land directly to the rear, annotated as Worship. - 3.2 Of perhaps more importance is the identification of the main building as a Registered Building which brings the following Strategic Plan policies to be considered:
Strategic Aim: To plan for the efficient and effective provision of services and infrastructure and to direct and control development and the use of land to meet the community's needs, having particular regard to the principles of sustainability whilst at the same time preserving, protecting, and improving the quality of the environment, having particular regard to our uniquely Manx natural, wildlife, cultural and built heritage.
Strategic Policy 4: Proposals for development must:
3.3 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." - 3.4 Planning Policy Statement 1/01 reiterates the above principles and refers to the importance of considering a Registered Building's setting and its contribution to the streetscene and particularly where this shares particular architectural forms of details with other buildings near by (Policy RB/3). PLANNING HISTORY
4.1 The Old School House was converted to a dwelling under 00/01660/GB and most recently planning approval has been granted for the erection of a dwelling to the rear of the school hall (15/00794/A) where the garage currently sits and for another dwelling to the south west of the Old School House (15/00795/A). Both were approved on appeal but where the inspector had recommended that the house to the rear of the church hall be refused due to its harmful impact on the setting of the church. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Lezayre Parish Commissioners recommend that the application is refused as they consider the proposed garage does not reflect the style of the surrounding Registered Building with its slate effect roof, very little stone incorporated into the walls, the shallow pitch of the roof and the proposal will change the setting of the RB, making it feel very enclosed. They also note that the proposal involves the removal of a section of walling attached to the main house and consider that the description of the development should have included that (15.02.17). They submit further views on 22.06.17, adding that this should not establish the design approach for the buildings approved under 15/00794/A and 00795/A.
5.2 The Rector and Wardens of St. Stephen's Church consider that what is proposed is very modern with an insufficiently steep pitch of roof and single, large garage door which all do little to help the building blend in with its surroundings. They consider that the site will become overdeveloped and congested as a result of the proposed building. They consider that this garage should be considered as part of the other developments proposed on the surrounding sites (10.02.17). They submit further comments on 20.06.17, referring to the comments of the inspector who recommended refusal to the principle of the erection of a dwelling to the rear of the church hall, considering this to be "significantly harmful to the setting of the church". ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The Conservation Officer has been consulted and supports the following assessment. The location of the proposed garage is close to the rear of the Registered Building. At present, the part of the site of the proposed garage is open, so the erection of the proposed garage would have an impact upon the rear of the Registered Building. That said this aspect of the Registered Building is ancillary which is also illustrated in the lack of detailing found in the (North) front and East elevations of The School House.
6.2 The proposed garage draws some design cues from the main building in the use of its brick bands and quoins. The type of brick proposed should be a close match to the existing building and not the recent gate pillars. The large garage door is unfortunately modern and the slope of the roof shallower than that of the main building and therefore less interesting as a result but the location of the proposed building, particularly given the approved dwellings on either side, will lead to it being a modest element in the group and thus these details less important than they otherwise may be, even given the historic and architectural importance of the buildings near by. - 6.3 The only details offered of the new boundary walls, the proposed gate pillars and gates are a note on the Proposed Site Plan which states; '1m high wall to match existing boundary wall to St Stephen Church Hall' and the notes 'New Garden Walls' ' . . to be constructed to match boundary wall to St. Stephens Church Hall' and 'Stone to be reused from demolished outbuildings where possible'. The recent gate pillars offer a direction for the detailing of the proposed; the 1m high boundary walls should be a match for the existing low boundary walls with the cementitious domed capping. The section of existing wall to be demolished is not considered objectionable. - 6.4 The outbuildings proposed here to be demolished. Are unremarkable and were not considered sufficiently significant to be included within the Registration of the School House and the adjoining Church Hall. The outbuildings are single storey; mono pitched and constructed in random rubble from the same local slate as the School Room, but lack the detailed approach of its neighbour. - 6.5 Given the siting, massing and use of materials in the proposed, it is considered that the proposed would not have a detrimental impact upon the character of the Registered Buildings and is therefore acceptable.
INTERESTED PERSON STATUS By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013, the following are automatically interested persons:
Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 11.07.2017 Conditions and Notes for Approval: C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
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.
Reason: To ensure that all boundary treatment is appropriate for the setting of the Registered Buildings.
This approval relates to drawings 100A and 102A both received on 24th May, 2017 and 103 received on 23rd January, 2017.
I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.
Decision Made : Permitted Date : 12.07.2017 Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management
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