DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 23/00610/CON Applicant: Mr & Mrs Ann & David Giroux Proposal: Registered building consent for the creation of service openings to enable implementation of works approved under 22/00328/CON (Registered Building 01) Site Address: Bishopscourt Bishopscourt Kirk Michael Isle Of Man IM6 2EZ Technical Officer: Mr Thomas Sinden Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 26.06.2023

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The works hereby granted registered building consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this consent.

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.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The application is in accordance with section 16 of the Town and Country Act 1999 as the building's special architectural and historic interest is being preserved. The application also meets the tests of Planning Policy statement 1/01 as well as Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 32 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 as the building is being protected and preserved. The application is therefore judged to be acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to drawings 6296 PL700, 6099-500-M1 rev B, 6099-500-M2 rev A, 6099-500M3 rev B, 6099-500-M4 rev B, 6099-500-M5 rev B, 6099-500-M6 rev B, 6099-500-M7 rev B and 6099-500-M8 rev B submitted on 17th May 2023.

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons None

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is Bishopscourt, and registered building (RB 1). A large house, formerly the home of The Bishop of Sodor and Mann and thought to have been founded by Bishop Simon (Bishop from 1230 to 1248). The house and remaining estate were sold into private ownership in 1979. The oldest existing section of the building, part of 'King Orry's Tower', is thought to date from the end of the 14th Century. There are sections from various other periods, including the Chapel and West Wings from the 19th century. The property is not located within a conservation area.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 This application seeks registered building consent for the creation of service openings at all levels of the building from basement up to the roof space. The proposed openings are to facilitate the works approved under 22/00328/CON, which included alterations and renovation/restoration works across all areas of the building.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions

(3) In considering —

• (a) whether to grant planning approval for development which affects a registered building or its setting, or
• (b) whether to grant registered building consent for any works, the relevant 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.

3.2 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016 Strategic Policy 4 Environment Policy 32 Environment Policy 34 - 3.3 Planning Policy Statements: 1/01 Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man POLICY RB/3 POLICY RB/5

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 There are a number of historic application at the property that are not judged to be relevant to the current application. In 2021 RB consent and planning approval was granted for replacement roofs to the tower, hall and west wing (21/01300/CON, 21/01301/GB, 21/01414/GB and

• 21/01416/CON). Applications 22/00446/GB and 22/00328/CON permitted the removal of an external staircase, various structural repair works and extensive internal repair and restoration works. 22/00773/CON approved the restorations to the tower crenellations, while application
• 22/01168/CON approved the installation of replacement windows. Most recently, applications
• 23/00253/CON and 23/00254/GB approved the installation of a dormer and various external and internal restoration works.

4.2 An application to install a French drain around the perimeter of the chapel and coach house is still under consideration.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS No comments have been received. - 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The pertinent issue with the application is whether the proposals would affect detrimentally the building's special interest. - 6.2 The works within this application form part of a wider and extensive scheme to restore and renovate the property. The applicant has had large amounts of research and other investigations

• undertaken regarding the building's varied history and the age of the surviving fabric. This application seeks approval to create openings within the existing fabric to provide service routes for the restored dwelling. Drawings have been submitted for all levels from Basement up to the building's roof space, and each drawing includes a table of openings, their position, size and purpose. Since the project to restore and renovate the property began, regular visits have been undertaken by the Registered Buildings Officer and Assistant Registered Buildings Officer. It is apparent that a great deal of care is being taken by the applicant to investigate all elements of historic fabric prior to undertaking any works. Although a significant number of service openings are being proposed within this application, it is judged that the locations have been appropriately considered by the applicant's design team, and that a minimum amount of impact will result to the building's remaining historic fabric.
• 6.3 No new externally visible openings are proposed within this application. As such, the building's external appearance is unaffected.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The application is judged to be in accordance with section 16 of the Town and Country Act 1999 as the building's special architectural and historic interest is being preserved. The application is also judged to meet the tests of planning policy statement 1/01 as well as strategic policy 4, environment policy 32 and environment policy 34 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 as the building is being protected and preserved. It is therefore recommended that the application is approved. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSONS STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013, the following are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) Manx National Heritage; and
• (c) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated

8.2. In addition to those above, the Regulation 9(3) requires the Department to decide which persons (if any) who have made representations with respect to the application, should be treated as having sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 27.06.2023 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner

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