DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 22/00806/GB Applicant: Manx National Heritage Proposal: Replacement of part of rear external wall, replacement of roof to corridor, works to cell roofs, and change of use of building to hotel reception (class3.1) and exhibition / community space (class 4.3) (in association with 22/00808/CON) Site Address: Former Police Station The Quay Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1LD Registered Buildings Officer: Mr Ross Brazier Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 24.11.2022

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

• C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. Notwithstanding the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 2019, the use hereby approved shall be as a hotel reception hub and exhibition or community space only.

Reason: the application has been assessed on this basis only, and any other use would require assessment as part of a separate application.

• C 3. No development shall commence until details of the material, colour and texture of the render have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The development shall not be carried out unless in accordance with the approved details. Reason: To ensure the satisfactory preservation of this registered building

• C 4. No development shall commence until a schedule of materials, finishes and samples of the materials to be used in the following have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department: d) Rainwater goods f) Glazed roof structure to former yard;

• h) External lighting
• i) External security cameras The works shall not be carried out unless in accordance with the approved details. Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.

• C 5. No new grilles, security alarms, lighting, security or other cameras or other fixtures shall be mounted on the external faces of the building other than those shown on the drawings hereby approved. A method statement of how the fixtures shall be mounted on the external faces shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department, the works shall be undertake in accordance with the approved statement. Reason: to ensure the satisfactory preservation of this registered building
• C 6. Any damage to the registered building during the course of the works hereby approved shall be made good upon completion of said works. All making good works shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department and thereafter implemented within time period to be agreed with the Department. Reason: to ensure the satisfactory preservation of this registered building

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposals are considered to be in accordance with the Strategic Plan policies, Policies RB/3 AND RB/5 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and are acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following: Drawings numbered:

• 01 LOCATION PLAN
• 02 SITE PLAN
• 03 EXISTING GROUND FLOOR
• 04 EXISTING SERVICES PLAN
• 05 EXISTING ROOF PLAN
• 06 EXISTING NORTH ELEVATION
• 07 EXISTING WEST ELEVATION
• 08 EXISTING EAST ELEVATION
• 09 EXISTING SECTION AA
• 10 EXISTING SECTION BB
• 11 PLANNING STATEMENT
• 12 PLANNING POLICY
• 13 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
• 14 PROPOSED SITE PLAN
• 15A PROPOSED FLOOR PLAN
• 16A PLAN NOTES
• 17A PROPOSED REMOVALS
• 18 PROPOSED REMOVALS - ROOF PLAN
• 19A FLOOR PLAN ALTERATIONS
• 20A PROPOSED SERVICES
• 21 PROPOSED ROOF PLAN

• 22 PROPOSED NORTH ELEVATION
• 23 PROPOSED WEST ELEVATION
• 24 PROPOSED EAST ELEVATION
• 25 PROPOSED SECTION AA
• 26 PROPOSED SECTION BB
• 27 PROPOSED FIREPLACE
• 28A FEATURES TO BE AFFECTED
• 29 FEATURES TO BE AFFECTED
• 30 FEATURES TO BE AFFECTED
• 31 ILLUSTRATIONS
• 32A ILLUSTRATIONS And all information received on 12.07.22 and 07.09.22. ______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

none _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the Registered Building RB No 27. The former Police Station, a building designed by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott a notable architect in the Arts and Crafts Movement. The property is located within the Castletown Conservation Area. - 1.2 The site is in an area defined within the Area Plan for the South 2013 as Mixed Use. The area is not at risk of flooding. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Seeks Planning approval for the replacement of part of rear external wall, replacement of roof to corridor, works to cell roofs, and change of use of building to hotel reception (class3.1) and exhibition / community space (class 4.3) (in association with 22/00808/CON) STATUTORY AND PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT - 3.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 (3) Registered buildings: supplementary provisions S18 (4) Designation of conservation areas

3.2 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016; Strategic Policy 4 General Policy 2 Business Policy 1 Business Policy 11

• Environment Policy 32
• Environment Policy 33
• Environment Policy 34
• Environment Policy 35

3.3 Area Plan for the South (2013) 6.6 Encouragement of Sustainable Mixed Use Schemes

• 6.6.1
• 6.6.2
• 6.6.3

3.4 Planning Policy Statements: 1/01 Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of theHistoric Environment of the Isle of Man

• POLICY RB/3
• POLICY RB/4
• POLICY RB/5 POLICY RB/8 Policy CA/2 PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The site has been subject of a number of applications since being registered those considered of note to this case are the following;

Reference Number: 85/00919/B Status: Permitted Proposal: Alterations and extension to form interview room, canteen and W.C., Police Station, The Quay/Castle Street, Castletown

Reference Number: 99/01688/GB Status: Permitted Proposal: Alterations to Castletown Police Station

Reference Number: 10/01872/CON Status: Permitted Proposal: Registered Building Consent for external maintenance works and internal alterations (RBno 27)

• Reference Number: 21/01120/CON Status: Permitted Proposal: Registered Building consent for demolition of rear extension, alterations and repair to former yard wall, Registered Building Number 27
• Reference Number: 21/01121/GB Status: Permitted Proposal: Demolition of rear extension, alterations and repair to former yard wall, Registered Building Number 27

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only;

5.1 DOI's Highways Division stated there is no Highways HDC interest (NHI) in: (27.07.22) and continued to have no interest in the amendments (09.09.2022)

5.2 Castletown Commissioners raised no objection to the proposals (03.08.2022)

5. 3 Manx National Heritage (MNH) were consulted (17.07.22) on the application, howeverno comments were received, it is noted they are the owners of the building.

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The former Police Station is located within the historic core of the CastletownConservation Area. The Police station is of special interest as a unique Arts and Crafts stylebuilding designed by Baillie Scott in a manner clearly influenced by the Castle which it sitsopposite. The building clearly makes the most of the awkward site and makes a positivecontribution to the Character and Appearance of the Conservation Area.

6.2 The building was in continuous use as a police station for 116 years and as an institutional building and has undergone alterations both internally and externally over the decades. The proposals will result in the general upgrading of building that require repair or replacement and new services as the building has had limited maintenance and improvements in recent years. The upgrading work will also facilitate the new uses of the building. The proposals will also result in the change of use to hotel reception and community exhibition space.

6.3 The issues for the application are the preservation of the registered building, its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest and upon the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and the suitability of the proposed uses and impact upon the amenity of nearby properties.

6.4 The works will involve the removal of modern fixed furniture that has had a negative visual impact upon the character of the building, the proposals will see the reinstatement of missing features such as the fireplace in the Inspectors office and reinstatement of historic colour scheme to the public foyer as well as preservation of surviving historic features. The roof covering the once opening yard is to be replaced with a new glass roof that will enable better appreciation of this once outside space, issues with the cells roof structure and flooring will be address via upgrading and replacement of materials to help with damp issues. Flooring that has been contaminated with asbestos will be removed and replaced, thermal and energy efficiency improvements are also proposed within the proposals.

6.5 It is considered that the change of use and associated works will preserve the existing features of special interest within the building and will generally improve its appearance and character externally. - 6.6 The Building has been vacant since 2017 when the police moved to their new facilities within the Civic Centre and has now been without a use for 5 years. There is clearly no need for the building as a Police Station given the facilities the police now have within the Civic Centre. The proposed use is as a reception and hub for the for the neighbouring tourist accommodations owned by Marlinspike Properties which includes the adjacent Derby House, which once complete will have 4 rooms available for overnight accommodation. The former cells and Inspectors office will be available for use as exhibition/community space.

The impacts on the living conditions of the local residents and the impact on the amenity of the locality.

6.7 There are residential properties close to the site which could be affected by the additional comings and goings associated with a hotel reception with exhibition space. However, the site lies firmly within the town centre and is in close proximity, other businesses which operate into the evenings and at weekends and also close to public parking areas where vehicles are able to come and go at any time of the day or night. As such, there is a reasonable expectation for people living in a town centre that there will be activity outside of the usual working day. It is also of point that the building is rather small and only has limited capacity so would not be able to be used for large events. Car parking - 6.8. The existing use requires no spaces, Whilst the Class 3.1 uses requires one space for the each accommodation room available, the building will not be providing any such spaces and as such parking issues will have been considered in the applications for the properties the reception hub will serve The parking standards for use class 4:3 are not defined in appendix 7 of the Strategic Plan, however as previously noted the building is small and with total floor area of 112 square meters, is not going to be able to be used for large community events. The building has never had onsite parking provision and as such the proposed uses result in no change to the deficit in the satisfaction of the parking standards from the existing situation. It

is also relevant that the tourist focus nature of the use well result in a greater possibility of the users not having their own vehicle compared with say office use whose occupants are more likely to have their own vehicle which needs to be parked in Castletown and for longer periods during the day. The Strategic Plan clarifies that parking standards may be relaxed in certain circumstances and it is considered that the proposals fulfil these exemptions as it concerns a Registered Building, sensitive street scene and a Conservation Area and is also within close proximity of the public transport services of both buses and the steam railway and the ample car parking this is available in the town itself.

Highway safety

6.9 It is considered that there will be no adverse impact on highway safety from the proposal. The site is within walking distance of the town's shops, restaurants and service as well as its public transportation and whilst some of the town's pavements are not overly wide, given its historical layout and character, there are safe and acceptable ways of getting to and from the site from other parts of the town. Change of Use - 6.10 The addition of a new hotel reception and community exhibition space within the town centre will add to the range of attractions and amenities of the town which will help to maintain a vibrant town centre in accordance with the relevant planning policies. The proposed works will result in the preservation of the appearance of the building whilst also enabling the property to be upgraded. CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposals are considered to be in accordance with the Strategic Plan policies, Policies RB/3 AND RB/5 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and that there is no demonstrable harm arising from the proposal in view of the provisions of the change of use and impact upon local amenity, the application is therefore recommended for approval. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

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: 24.11.2022 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner

Customer note This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/ customers and archive records.