Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No.: 25/00252/CON Applicant: Mrs Kirsty Guy (nee McHarrie) Proposal: Registered Building consent for the installation of replacement front external door - RB184 (in association with application 25/90253/GB) (retrospective) Site Address: 2 Church Cottage St Marks Ballasalla Isle Of Man IM9 3AH Technical Officer: Tom Sinden Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 29.04.2025 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

Given the alterations to historic fabric that have already been undertaken on this property prior to registration, and the presence of an existing UPVC front door, the replacement composite UPVC door is judged to meet the tests of Sections 16 and 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 as the registered building's special interest and the character and appearance of the conservation area are judged to be preserved. The proposals are also judged to meet the tests of Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 32 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and Planning Policy Statement 1/01, as the building's historic form and historic special interest is being protected and preserved. Finally, it is judged that the replacement door in the manner proposed would comply with Environment Policy 35 as the character of the conservation area is being preserved. The application is therefore considered to be acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the application information received on 7th March 2025. _________________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status None _________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is 2 Church Cottage, St Mark's (registered building 184). Now two separate dwellings, the building was historically three separate cottages. In 1846, Reverend Clark

• instigated the rebuilding of the former school into two church cottages in order to generate rents to help maintain the new schoolhouse and chapel. A third cottage, south of the first two, was added in 1899 by Bishop Straton. 2 Church Cottage is formed of one of the 1846 cottages and the 1899 cottage.
• 1.2 Although the cottages retain much of their historic appearance, their plan form, roof finish, wall finish, doors and windows have been replaced as part of the conversion to a single dwelling in 1981. Consent was granted to convert the single dwelling in to two dwellings in

1. The cottages form a strong grouping with the adjacent church (RB182) and school house (RB181) in the centre of the St Mark's Conservation Area.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks registered building consent to install a replacement front door. The application is concurrent with application 25/90253/GB. The existing door is UPVC with a large glazed panel in its upper section. This application proposes to install a composite UPVC door with a traditional four-panelled appearance and two glazed panels in its upper portion. The application is retrospective, and follows on from recently approved applications 24/01164/GB and 24/01031/CON.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions

• (3) In considering (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. S18 Designation of conservation areas
• (4) Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act.

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.
• Environment Policy 35: Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development.

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 POLICY RB/5 ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 Application 00/01825/B approved the conversion of the single dwelling into two separate dwellings. Since 2000, various applications have been submitted and approved for replacement windows and doors, and the installation of satellite dishes and a flue. More recently, application 24/00264/CON approved internal alterations and a roof vent. - 4.2 This application, together with concurrent application 25/90253/GB, are follow up applications to recently approved applications 24/01164/GB and 24/01031/CON, which granted consent for a replacement front door.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only. - 5.1 Malew Commissioners have requested that the application be deferred until after their next meeting on 7th May (2.4.2025).

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 door that is the subject of this application would replace a UPVC door, and whilst composite UPVC material is proposed, the appearance of a traditional fourpanelled door with glazing in its upper portions is judged to be an improvement on the existing door. Given the condition of the building at the time of registration and the alterations/materials that are now in situ, the replacement door is not considered to impact the building's remaining architectural and historic special interest, and therefore the building's special interest is judged to be preserved. - 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, the application proposes to replace a UPVC door with a composite UPVC door with a composite UPVC door with a traditional four-panelled appearance and two glazed panels in its upper portion. Whilst the replacement door would be composite UPVC, the style is judged to be an improvement on the existing door, and as such it is judged that the character and appearance of the conservation area would be preserved. Policy Tests - 6.3 As mentioned in 6.1 and 6.2 above, the building has been the subject of various alterations both prior to and since its registration. With this in mind, the installation of a replacement door in the manner proposed is considered to have no negative impact on the special character of the registered building, the character and appearance of the conservation area or the character of the locality. - 6.4 It is noted that Malew Commissioners have requested that determination of the application until after their meeting on 7th May 2025. However, given the very modest nature of this application and the fact that the commissioners did not object to the previous applications for a replacement door, it is not judged reasonable to delay determination in this instance.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 Given the alterations to historic fabric that have already been undertaken on this property prior to registration, and the presence of an existing UPVC front door, the replacement composite UPVC door is judged to meet the tests of Sections 16 and 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 as the registered building's special interest and the character and appearance of the conservation area are judged to be preserved. The proposals are also

judged to meet the tests of Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 32 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and Planning Policy Statement 1/01, as the building's historic form and historic special interest is being protected and preserved. Finally, it is judged that the replacement door in the manner proposed would comply with Environment Policy 35 as the character of the conservation area is being preserved. 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:

• o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• o Manx National Heritage, and
• o 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 the Head of Development Management 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 : 29.04.2025 Determining Officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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