DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 22/01168/CON Applicant: Mr & Mrs David & Ann Grioux Proposal: Installation of replacement windows - RB 1 Site Address: Bishopscourt Mansion House Bishopscourt Kirk Michael Isle Of Man IM6 2EZ Technical Officer: Mr Thomas Sinden Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 24.10.2022

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 interest is being preserved. The application also meets 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, preserved and traditional materials are being used. The application is therefore judged to be acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to drawings 6296 PL01, 6296 PL02, 6296 PL03, 6296 PL597, 6296 PL598, 6296 PL599, 6296 PL600, 6296 PL601, 6296 PL602, 6296 PL603, 6296 PL604, 6296 PL605, 6296 PL606, 6296 PL607, 6296 PL608, 6296 PL609, 6296 PL610, 6296 PL611, 6296 PL612, 6296 PL613, 6296 PL614, 6296 PL615, 6296 PL616, 6296 PL617, 6296 PL618, 6296 PL619, 6296 PL620, 6296 PL621, 6296 PL622, 6296 PL623, 6296 PL624, 6296 PL625, 6296 PL626, 6296 PL627, 6296 PL628, 6296 PL629, 6296 PL630, 6296 PL631, 6296 PL632, 6296 PL633, 6296 PL634 and 6296 PL635 all submitted on 16th September 2022. In addition to the drawings, this decision also relates to the Design and Access Statement and Historic Window Assessment submitted on 16th September 2022.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

It is recommended that the Department of Infrastructure Highways Division should not be awarded Interested Party Status as their comments do not meet the tests within paragraph 2 of the Policy. _____________________________________________________________________________

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, parts of 'King Orry's Tower', is thought to date from the end of the 14th Century. The property is not located within a conservation area.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 This application seeks registered building consent to replace all of the windows in the property, aside from those within the Chapel. The style, form and method of opening for windows around the property varies, and it is proposed to reinstate what the applicant believes to be the most historically appropriate window in each wing/phase.

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: Proposals for development must: (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings(1), Conservation Areas(2), buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest;

Environment Policy 32: 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.

Environment Policy 34: In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred.

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 General criteria applied in considering registered building applications

The issues that are generally relevant to the consideration of all registered building applications are:-

• o The importance of the building, its intrinsic architectural and historic interest and rarity, relative to the Island as a whole and within the local context;
• o The particular physical features of the building (which may include its design, plan, materials or location) which justify its inclusion in the register; descriptions annexed to the entry in the register may draw attention to features of particular interest or value, but they are not exhaustive and other features of importance, (e.g. Interiors, murals, hidden fireplaces) may come to light after the building's entry in the register;
• o The building's setting and its contribution to the local scene, which may be very important, e.g. Where it forms an element in a group, park, garden or
• other townscape or landscape, or where it shares particular architectural forms or details with other buildings nearby (including other registered buildings). POLICY RB/5 ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS

In considering whether to grant planning approval for development which affects a registered building or its setting and in considering whether to grant registered building consent for any works, the 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.

Registered building consent is required for the building's alteration in any way which would affect its special architectural or historic character. There will be a general presumption against alteration or extension of registered buildings, except where a convincing case can be made, against the criteria set out in this section, for such proposals.

Applicants for registered building consent for alteration or extension to a registered building must be able to justify their proposals. They will be required to show why the works which would affect the character of the registered building are desirable or necessary and they should provide full information to enable the Department to assess the likely impact of their proposals on the special architectural or historic interest of the building and on its setting. Where registered buildings are the subject of successive applications for alteration or extension, consideration will also be given to the cumulative effect upon the building's special interest as a result of several minor works which may individually seem of little consequence.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 There are a number of historic applications 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). Planning and Registered building consent applications
• 22/00446/GB and 22/00328/CON respectively approved various alterations and structural works to the kitchen and wash house.

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 - 5.1 The Department of Infrastructure Highways Division have stated that there is no highways interest in the application (27.9.2022).

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The issue here is whether the proposals would affect detrimentally the building's special interest. - 6.2 The existing windows proposed to be replaced are not historic, and in many cases have inappropriate frame details and styling. A large amount of detailed information has been submitted in support of the application. This includes a Historic Windows Assessment that attempts to analyse each block of the building and determine the window units that were installed at the time of construction. The building is very clearly multi-phase in terms of its style and date, and as such it is agreed that one single style of window across the property would not be appropriate. Perhaps the most obvious instance of this is the presence of differing window styles on the ground floor and then upper floors of the principal elevation (facing the main road). It is considered that the various styles proposed are acceptable given the historical evidence that has been provided, and that the building's special interest is being protected and preserved. The level of detail provided in respect of the section details and wall junctions is judged to be such that no conditions for more detailed information are required.

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 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, preserved and traditional materials are being used. 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: 25.10.2022 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner

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