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Application No.: 25/00579/CON Applicant: Onchan Parish Church Parochial Church Council Proposal: Registered building consent for the removal of cement strap pointing on the East Wall of Onchan Parish Church and replacing with lime mortar - RB 119. Site Address: St Peter's Church Church Road Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 1BF Technical Officer: Tom Sinden Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.07.2025 _________________________________________________________________
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.
The proposals are judged to accord with strategic policy 4, environment policies 32 and 34 as the repointing in lime mortar is considered to protect and preserve the registered building, and traditional materials are being used. The proposals are also judged to meet the tests of environment policy 35 as the repointing in lime mortar of one the principal buildings within the conservation area is considered to preserve and enhance the area's character and appearance. The application is therefore considered to be acceptable.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the application information received on 9th June 2025. _________________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status Interested Party Status Onchan Commissioners are automatically granted Interest Party Status by virtue of section 8.1 of the regulations.
The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of registered building consent applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given the Right to Appeal. With this in mind, DEFA Forestry cannot be awarded Interest Party Status.
_________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is St Peter's Church, Onchan, registered building 119. The church was designed by Hanson and Welch, with the foundation stone laid in 1830, with the church completed in 1833.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks registered building consent to remove the cement strap pointing on the building's east elevation and repoint the wall with lime mortar.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions
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.
3.3 Planning Policy Statements: 1/01 Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man
4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 There are various previous applications for both planning approval and registered building consent relating to the church. However, given the very-focussed nature of this application, none of the previous applications are considered pertinent in this instance.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only. - 5.1 Onchan Commissioners have commented that they recommend that the application is approved (9.7.2025). - 5.2 DEFA Forestry have stated that they have no objections to the proposals, and have requested that a standard tree retention condition be added to any approval (11.6.2025).
6.0 ASSESSMENT Statutory Tests - 6.1 Section 16 of the Act requires that when considering whether to grant registered building consent, the Department must "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." The replacement of cement pointing with lime pointing on this registered building is clearly something that is intended to preserve the building's special interest, and as such it is considered that the statutory test is being met in this instance. - 6.2 Section 18 of the Act requires the Department to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of any conservation area in the exercise of any powers under the Act. In this instance, St Peter's Church is the largest and one of the most significant buildings in the conservation area. The proposal to removal the cement pointing and repoint in lime mortar is one that is clearly intended to preserve and protect the building's appearance and its fabric. With this in mind, the proposals are considered to pass the Section 18 statutory test. Policy Tests - 6.3 As mentioned in 6.1 and 6.2 above, the proposal within this registered building consent application proposes to remove the cement strap pointing from the east elevation of the building and repoint the elevation in lime mortar. When the building was constructed in the 1830s, the mortar used would have been lime. At some point during the 20th century the building has been repointed using cement-based mortar. This mortar will be too hard in comparison to the stone in the wall, meaning that any water within the wall will either remain in place, damage, travel internally and damage the internal finishes, or escape externally through the stone itself. The repointing proposed, in lime mortar, will enable water to exit the wall externally through the mortar, protecting both the historic stone wall and the internal finishes. With the above in mind, it is considered that the proposal would protect and preserve the building's special interest, as well as preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area, and accord with environment policy 34 as traditional materials are being used. - 6.4 DEFA Forestry have requested a tree protection condition be added to any approval. As there are no trees in the vicinity of the eastern gable of the building, and this application for registered building consent is solely in relation to the repointing of the eastern wall, it is not considered reasonable to add this condition in this instance.
7.1 The proposals are judged to accord with strategic policy 4, environment policies 32 and 34 as the repointing in lime mortar is considered to protect and preserve the registered building, and traditional materials are being used. The proposals are also judged to meet the tests of environment policy 35 as the repointing in lime mortar of one the principal buildings within the conservation area is considered to preserve and enhance the area's character and appearance. The application is therefore recommended for approval.
8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013 (As Amended), the following are automatically interested persons:
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 and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made : Permitted Date: 17.07.2025 Determining Officer
Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner
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