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THIS APPLICATION DOES NOT WARRANT BEING REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE UNDER ANY OF THE PROVISIONS OF GOVERNMENT CIRCULAR 1/06. HOWEVER, IT IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED IN RESPECT OF THIS SITE, SOME OF WHICH ARE TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEE AND AS SUCH, FOR CONSISTENCY AND IN ORDER FOR THE
COMMITTEE TO BE AWARE OF THE EXTENT OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, THE APPLICATION IS SO REFERRED.
THE SITE The site represents the curtilage of Lorne House, a large house situated between Bridge Road, Douglas Street, Brewery Wharf apartments and School Lane which abuts Victoria Road Primary School. The entrance to the site is from Douglas Street at its junction with School Lane where there are three properties which back onto the site - Lorne House Lodge, Stable Cottage and Coach House Cottage.
Lorne House sits in its own grounds with lawns, trees and flower beds to the south west, a tennis court to the west, lawns to the rear (north east) and a kitchen garden to the south east are fields on which sheep are sometimes grazed. There is presently a compound area when the tennis courts were previously, whilst works are undertaken around the site. At the entrance to the site there is the remains of a former piggery building which has recently been demolished due to fears over its stability - a structural report was commissioned in this respect.
Lorne House dates back in its original form, to 1826 and not surprisingly has historical importance having accommodated the Lieutenant Governor in 1832. The house has been altered over time although retains its status and character as a landmark building in its own grounds although seen by relatively few due to the high stone wall which runs around the grounds. The house is visible from the upper levels of Castle Rushen.
PLANNING STATUS The site lies within an area of Residential use within the grounds which are designated as Private Woodland on the Castletown Local Plan of 1991. The draft Town Plan of 2001 identifies the site as Woodland with a section to the north west of the house as Proposed Residential or Office development In Parkland. The draft Southern Area Plan which was published on 23rd October, 2009 identifies the site as Woodland with the area of Registered Trees defined and a scheduled Ancient Monument in the grounds also shown, a burial ground and possible assembly field at one time.
The site also lies within Castletown's Conservation Area. Lorne House is not Registered but is on the list of buildings worthy of investigation for such status.
PLANNING HISTORY The following applications have been submitted in respect of this site: PA 10/01059/B - Erection of boundary wall to extend existing wall Status - Pending Consideration PA 10/01048/B - Demolition of existing garage and erection of a replacement garage block Status - Pending Consideration PA 10/01046/B - Creation of a new vehicular access and driveway Status - Pending Consideration PA 10/01043/B - Erection of section of boundary wall (Retrospective) Status - Pending Consideration PA 10/01037/B - Erection of stone wall to replace existing boundary fencing adjacent to Smetana Close Status - Pending Consideration PA 10/01040/B - Demolition of existing outbuildings and erection of a gatehouse dwelling Status - Pending Consideration
PA 10/01039/B - Relocation of existing tennis court Status - Pending Consideration PA 10/00986/B - Erection of MEA sub station (retrospective) Status - Pending Consideration PA 10/0409 - Erection of a stone wall, iron railings and entrance gate (Retrospective) Status - Permitted 25th May 2010 - appeal in progress PA 05/01368/B - Erection of two houses with a single shared vehicular access from Bridge Street Status - Refused at Appeal - 3rd May 2006 PA 05/00340/B - Installation of a satellite dish on west elevation of Status - Permitted 28th April 2005 PA 97/00682/B - Erection of satellite dish, Lorne House, Castletown. Initial Decision - Permitted 3rd September 1997 PA 92/00364/B - Installation of Cattle Grid, inside entrance to Lorne House, Castletown Status - Permitted PA 91/00626/C - Change of use of domestic accommodation to office and domestic, Lorne House West, Castletown. Status - Permitted PA 89/01784/B - Construction of dormer in roof, How-yn-Gren, Douglas Street, Castletown. Status - Permitted PA 88/01705/B - Three-storey extension to form dining room and extra bedrooms, Lorne House, Castletown Status - Permitted PA 88/00714/B - Alterations and extensions to form new dining room and staircase, Lorne House, Castletown. Status - Permitted PA 88/00175/B - Erection of additional garage incorporating pitched roof over, How Yngren, Douglas Road, Castletown Status - Permitted PA 85/00107/B - Alterations, conversions and extensions to form additional living accommodation, How Yngren, Douglas Street, Castletown Status - Permitted
Proposed here is the change of use of the house from a mixture of offices and residential, to residential. Presently the basement of the building is used for offices, staff facilities and computer facilities, the ground floor is used as a range of sitting and meeting rooms with the rear extension used as the ground floor of a two floor residential unit which is accessible from the main house but with separate access points. The first floor of the main house is used as a suite of offices with the rear annex used as the top floor of the separate living unit. As proposed the basement will be used as leisure facilities associated with the house, the ground floor will be used for dining, living and sitting space and the first floor for bedrooms with a living room and kitchen for the rear unit which could be used separately, or in conjunction with the main house, as at present.
There are no external changes proposed. Internally a flight of stairs in the centre of the building is to be added and one removed at the north western side of the house.
An occupant of 11, Queen Street expresses concern at the number of applications submitted in respect of this property which is of historical interest and asks why the various changes are proposed (not including any reference to the change of use proposed in this application).
The occupants of 10, Bridge Street expresses astonishment that the building is not Registered and suggests that it should be and any application for it should be judged on the basis of Planning Policy Statement 1 / 01 and objects on this basis. There is no assessment of the proposal and no evidence or information as to why the proposal does not satisfy the requirements of this policy.
The Trustees of the SPT Keig Will Trust objects to the application on exactly the same basis as the occupants of 10, Bridge Street.
Castletown Commissioners and Highways and Traffic Division indicate that they do not oppose the application.
The owner of the Malt House which is adjacent to the site, raises no objection to the proposal but seeks assurance that no significant alterations will be approved subsequent to any approval being granted.
The owner of Rushen House on Bridge Street which is adjacent to the site, supports the principle of the change of use.
As the property is located within the Castletown Conservation Area designated in 1990, the content of this application has been considered with particular regard to Policy CA/2 SPECIAL PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS of Conservation Areas as set out within Planning Policy Statement 1/01- Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man.
As commented on by the Planning Officer, Lorne House has been suggested for inclusion on the Protected Buildings Register in the draft Southern Area Plan, published on the 23rd October 2009.
These proposals seek approval for the change of use from a mixture of office use and residential to residential. As Lorne House was designed as a dwelling these proposals are considered to be acceptable.
There are no external alterations proposed and the proposed use would revert this very important building back to its original use which is to be encouraged. The proposed use would generate less traffic, although there is no parking or access problem associated with the property or its location.
The proposal is considered to be acceptable.
It is disappointing that those parties who have objected have not specified why this proposal is not acceptable and have objected for the same reasons to each the raft of applications which have been submitted, rather than looking at each individually and commenting accordingly. Simply expressing surprise that a building is not Registered is not a valid reason for objection. Indeed, some of the parties who have expressed a view on the other contemporaneous applications, have indicated that this application is worthy of support.
The reversion of the use of the building back to its original use cannot be other than a positive step and should be encouraged, not opposed.
The local authority is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered an "interested person" and as such should be afforded party status.
The Department of Transport Highways and Traffic Division is now part of the Department of Infrastructure of which the planning authority is part. As such, the Highways and Traffic Division cannot be afforded party status in this instance.
The occupants/owners/trustees of 2 and 10, Bridge Street are physically adjacent to the site should be afforded party status on the basis of 2(1)(a) of Government Circular 1/06 - Determination of Interested Party Status. However, neither of these parties is directly affected by the proposal nor do they raise any specific or material objection to the application and as such, as the Circular states that parties owning or residing in land or buildings which physically adjoin the site shall "generally" be afforded party status, in this case the Committee may consider it inappropriate to afford party status to these parties.
The owner of The Malt House and Rushen House are associated with property which physically abuts the site and as such should be afforded party status.
The owner of 11, Queen Street is not directly affected by the proposal and as such should not be afforded party status in this case.
Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 26.08.2010
Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal O : Notes attached to refusals
The use must be taken up within four years of the date of this notice in order for this approval to remain valid after that time.
PRIOR to the commencement of any internal building works, a photographic survey must be undertaken to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority to record all existing internal features of interest affected by these proposals.
26 August 2010
10/01042/C
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Authority in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the Town and Country (Development Procedure) 2005
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