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Application No.: 19/01020/D Applicant: Foxdale Heritage Proposal: Erection of interpretation board to wall within clock tower garden area Site Address: Clock Tower Mines Road Foxdale Isle Of Man Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.10.2019 _________________________________________________________________
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the drawings and information received on 12th September, 2019. _______________________________________________________________
Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THE SITE
1.1 The site is part of the area where the Foxdale Clocktower curtilage situated on the northern side of the A24 in Foxdale village. The Clocktower is a Registered Building (RB 286). - 1.2 The Victoria Clock Tower, also referred to as the Queen Victoria Memorial, is a heritageregistered clock tower located in the former mining village of Foxdale, Isle of Man, and is said to have been the first memorial in the British Empire dedicated to the 64-year reign of Queen Victoria. - 1.3 The tower was commissioned and paid for by the Isle of Man Mining Company and stands at the southern end of what was once the Miner's Institute, Foxdale village, facing the mine company's offices. Donated as a gift from the company to the people of Foxdale, when completed in 1901 it was situated in a specially advantageous position, having been so arranged that the clock could be seen from all points of the village in order to provide a much needed standard of time to the inhabitants. - 1.4 Design and construction: constructed in a Gothic style, the tower stands at 40 ft (12.2 m) and was designed by John Nicholls, engineer of the mine, with the stonework being undertaken by masons and labourers employed by the works. Built with local stone and with corner pieces and decorative features of concrete, it has at its base eight supporting buttresses. - 1.5 The clock was supplied by J.B. Joyce & Co., of Whitchurch, Shropshire. The clock consists of two faces, one which would have faced the mine works and the other which at one time would have faced Pott's Shaft. The faces are 5 ft (1.5 m) in diameter consisting of ironwork filled with opal and are visible across the valley. Initially it was intended to have the faces illuminated at night, however this never occurred. - 1.6 The dedication ceremony of the monument took place on Thursday 16 May 1901 and was an occasion of immense civic pride for the village of Foxdale. The ceremony was performed by James Mackee, Chairman of the Isle of Man Mining Company, accompanied by Captain William Kitto with numerous other dignitaries and the Foxdale Mines Band. Upon the clock striking six
Victoria. R.I. Reigned 64 years. And still reigns in the hearts of her people. Following the dedication the band struck up the British National Anthem and Mr Mackee called for "Three Cheers for The King."
1.7 Subsequent life: in 1912 following the winding up of the Isle of Man Mining Company, a liquidation sale of its assets which included the Victoria Clock Tower was held. Despite having previously been donated to the people of Foxdale, the mine company had undertaken to keep the structure in a good state of repair as well as providing the finances for its upkeep. The structure, along with the Institute, were purchased by a Mr. Kerruish who again donated the clock tower as well as the nearby institute to the village of Foxdale. By 1939 the clock had succumbed to a state of disrepair and a committee was formed with a view to raising money in order to carry out repairs.[4] A sum of £50 was raised, which included a donation of $5 from a Foxdalian who had emigrated to Kirkland Lake, Ontario. The money was used to carry out repairs to the clock, which were undertaken by a company from Leeds and in addition a tablet, consisting of the names of the directors of the Isle of Man Mining Company as of 1901, and which had been languishing in the cellar of the old mine's pay office since its closure, was placed within the lower part of the tower. The ceremony of the restarting of the clock, together with the unveiling of the tablet, was carried out 1 July 1939. - 1.8 The tower is the property of Patrick Parish Commissioners.
2.1 Proposed is the installation of a signboard. This will have an area of just under a metre long, 70cm high and attached to the wall to the north west of the clocktower. The sign will contain information about the clocktower and mining industry. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Foxdale Local Plan of 1999 as Residential.
3.2 When it comes to applications for advertisement The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 makes clear that the only considerations which can be applied to applications made under them are in the interests of amenity and public safety. In the case of amenity, such things as the general characteristics of the area need to be taken into account along with the presence of any features of historic, architectural, cultural or similar interest and the public safety should consider the safety of any person using a road, railway, tramway, harbour or aerodrome including the obscuration of any traffic sign or similar. In understanding this impact we may also have consideration to General Policy 8 which specifically refers to rural advertisements:
3.3 General advice on rural adverts is found in General Policy 8: "Within rural areas the display of external advertisements will be permitted only where:
3.4 In this case, there is also the impact on the RB to consider and the following policy is also relevant: Strategic Policy 4: "Proposals for development must: (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings..."
4.1 There are no previous applications which are relevant to the consideration of the current application. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Highway Services have no highway interest in the application (02.10.19). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The works are clearly intended to assist the interpretation by the public of the history of the building they will be close to and would comply with GP3h. The sign is modest in size and of a height to be readable by a variety of users and would of interest rather than intrusion to the enjoyment of the building. The sign is unlikely to be visible or prominent other than to those walking around the RB.
6.2 The applicant is in the process of applying for a number (10) of these signs which will be erected around the village.
6.3 There is no objection to this application on the above basis. However, as advertisement consent is not required to change the content of a sign, and any other form of advertisement would not fall within GP3h it is important that a condition is attached to prevent the board being used to advertise anything else without prior approval.
7.1 The signage will add interest to the village with a minimal impact on the environment including the RB and the application is supported. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
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 : 06.11.2019 Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management
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