APL Planning Statement

DEFA Planning & Building Control Directorate Murray House Mount Havelock Douglas IM1 2SF The Old School House Main Road Sulby IM7 2HP 14th December 2022 Re: The Old School House, Main Road, Sulby, IM7 2HP. Our planning application seeks to address a number of important issues with regard to the building’s present lack of energy efficiency.

The original Vendors, who initially were granted planning approval for the conversion of the redundant municipal building did not inject any quality whatsoever into their internal fittings out but left us instead with a depressing internal atmosphere in proceeding with an internal conversion that did little to reflect the buildings quality! Ie.

• - The existing poor-quality pine staircase that was installed abuts the protected glass panel screen.
• - In creating first-floor accommodation the timber-suspended floor cuts through the middle of the 4 large sash windows thus reducing adequate natural lighting and scarring the window aperture with a clear view of the floor depth..

At present The Old School House enjoys 5 bedrooms all of different shapes and sizes due to the previous conversion. We want to reduce this now to 4 good-sized double bedrooms which will all enjoy more natural daylight.

We currently have planning approval for completely refurbishing all the existing sash windows to all elevations (at present not one opens).

We now have permission to overhaul the large pitched slated roof which will include new battens, felt underlay, thousands of galvanized roofing nails and a very large number of period slates to replace those that are broken or have slipped out already.

We have permission also to remove and replace the badly rusted cast iron gutters and downpipes presently surrounding the building.

We are now proposing to remove all the existing plasterboard and inferior stud work attached to the Manx Stone walls and literally start again. The original homeowners failed to incorporate any insulation whatsoever! Our mission is to fully insulate ALL of the external walls with slabbed insulation sheets which will vastly improve its energy efficiency to a level that has long been lacking.

Planning Permission was granted back in 2002 to erect a single-story extension with a pitched roof which presently accommodates the kitchen/breakfast room for The Old School House. We are now seeking approval to take down this characterless structure having been built to a budget and replace this time using superior building materials that blend in with the registered building. The identity of this room will then change to a double bedroom of quality.

GENERAL POLICY 2

STRATEGIC POLICY 4 – Our proposals for this development must protect or enhance the fabric and setting of this registered building.

• - It is already on record that our previous planning applications 21/01056/CON and 21/01056/GB passed on the 21st of February 2022 had given us the approval to overhaul the roof, overhaul the existing sash windows, replace the existing guttering and down pipes, repoint all the elevations in lime mortar.
• - This amount of committed enthusiasm, work and financial cost can only enhance and further protect the appearance of this now private property.

ENVIRONMENT POLICY 32

• - This refers to extensions or alterations to a registered building.

• - The single storey extensions proposed would accommodate superior double bedrooms thus removing the inferior prison-like bedroom that exist at the front in the conversion that was previously allowed to take place! Please note – One of the single-storey extensions to the rear was to replace an existing longer already out of character kitchen/conservatory.

• - We have a duty to show off the internal screen which presently is suffocated and compromised by the cheap pine staircase that abuts it at present!
• - WITHOUT DOUBT OUR APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL HOLDS MORE POSITIVES THAN NEGATIVES. We want to work with The Heritage Department and invite them down to the site for an internal inspection.

ENVIRONMENT POLICY 34

In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre 1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred. We agree wholeheartedly to continue to use local traditional materials on this site which is vividly visible from the construction of the new build next door.

ENVIRONMENT POLICY 42

This does not apply.

POLICY RB/3

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

• The importance of the building, the building setting, and its contribution to the local scene cannot be underestimated. Please note that the extension that we are proposing is all to the rear of the building.

POLICY RB/5 ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS

Planning permission HAD been granted in 2002 for a single-storey extension to the rear which incorporated a kitchen/breakfast room. We are proposing to replace this existing structure now with a superior extension which will this time be in keeping with the registered building as opposed to the inferior existing structure. At the same time, a similar single-storey extension will be built at the other end of the registered building to provide balance.

CONCLUSION

It is regretful that we have been unable to obtain any advice from the department – learning from the reasons for the refusal of our last application, we feel we approach the department with a scheme that directly answers the reason for refusal.

We have never underestimated the importance and physical presence of The Old School House in Sulby and hope that now (with our final application) that we can seek approval with our proposed application.

You can quickly see that we have kept changes to a minimum, the only change of heart is to rebuild the existing single-storey structure to the rear in more pleasing traditional materials than existing and to change its identity from a kitchen/breakfast room to a comfortable double bedroom.

We are mindful of the fact that the existing single-storey extension is not part of the building registered status, but it is important for us as we need to rectify a number of major building mistakes that were carried out by the original owners who built and converted the internal layout from an open school room to living accommodation. Taking all this into consideration we desperately need to remove the entire ground floor and first-floor accommodation to one side of the protected timber and glass screen. An identical single-storey extension to the other side of the rear two-storey extension will now accommodate the fourth bedroom. This family home will then provide 4 comfortable good-sized bedrooms, all with ensuites.

Our Chief Minister (Alfred Cannan) made a very valid comment on Manx Radio at the end of September 2022 in relation to the present planning policies –

“THERE ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO PROTECT THE PAST – BUT IN DOING SO THEY ARE DESTROYING THE FUTURE. We look forward to our application proceeding to everyone’s satisfaction. Yours faithfully

B D PARMENTER