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consequence of these continuing improvements there were 60,000 visitors during 1870 which had increased to 182,000 by 1884 whilst in 1887 there were 310,916 visitors for Queen Victoria. By 189135% of the islands population lived in Douglas. Today the population is nearly 30,000, just over 33% of the Isle of Man's population.
In the same way as the demographics of the Isle of Man were affected, so the development of architectural style in Douglas during the nineteenth century was inevitably affected by the longstanding trade with the UK, including the historic shipping links with Liverpool which clearly contributed to the steady development of Douglas as a health giving seaside resort accessible as an exclusive location for the wealthy and fashionable from the UK. This would inevitably have been strengthened by the King being the Head of State in the Isle of Man.
Urban development during the nineteenth century included an enormous amount of house building, and the domestic architecture of the time very closely expressed social status and aspirations. A “good” address could clearly show that a person had “arrived” socially.
Style was an equally important social indicator. Georgian architects in the UK during the early eighteenth century had developed urban terraces that were uniform and symmetrical employing Classical pilasters, pediment doors and sash windows, and graceful mouldings. This, of course echoed the development of the Classical and Renaissance Styles for towns and cities throughout Europe. By about 1720 the “palace fronted” terrace had developed when the entire frontage was treated as a stylistically unified composition with pilastered elevations and emphasised by a central pediment and possible end projections. New shapes such as the crescent and the circus at Bath, designed by John Wood “the Younger” had developed. The Royal Crescent in Bath dated from 1767 - 1775 These palatial and unified terraces tended to be the town houses of the aristocracy and landed gentry and were built
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from brick with stone dressings, from stone in towns such as Bath, or occasionally stuccoed.
5.2.4 John Nash's (1752 – 1835) terraces of the 1810s and 1820s marked the absolute supremacy of the unbroken terrace. There was an element of “democratisation” as they were frequently relatively cheaply built, and the grandeur was created in stucco rather than stone and brick, although frequently stucco was restricted to the basements and ground storeys. The square, a variant of the terrace, had appeared in the mid eighteenth century. London’s first symmetrical square was Bedford Square built between 1775 – 83. By the 1820s, the square with uniform terraces on each side often surrounding a central garden accessible to all residents was considered the most desirable of all forms of housing development. Nash, who died in 1835, had embraced the grand stuccoed terrace and the square and, assisted by his Royal patronage, created a hugely fashionable legacy in his enormous unified architectural stuccoed façade at Regent’s Park, Regents’ Street, Belgravia and South Kensington. Their grand facades made plain Georgian brickwork look very drab by comparison! Gaius Tranquillius Suetonius stated in “Divus Augustus” that the Emperor had boasted that he found Rome brick and left it marble. It was said of John Nash and his Royal patron that they found London brick and left it plaster. Stucco faced houses designed in the grand classical manner remained fashionable long after Nash’s death in 1835. His designs for the planting at Regent’s Park also proved to be influential models for later developments.
5.2.5 The influences of aspects of this fashionable style were widespread throughout the UK and internationally well beyond its shores owing to the growing power, trade, and influence of the United Kingdom. The elegant stuccoed style was widely democratised to influence the vernacular design of much more architecturally modest terraces and squares. There can be no doubt that it resulted in the design of Derby Square in Douglas resulting from its close trading association with the United Kingdom and its similarly growing wealth and fashionable status.
5.2.6 By this stage, development that used unfashionable architectural features could be difficult to let and landlords who owned developments had to satisfy the current international taste for stucco, refinement and elegance with Italianate detailing. It is worth noting at this stage that houses on the large estates were not sold but leased for fixed terms, or were rented. Landlords therefore retained control over their appearance. They were therefore able to rework exteriors and indeed interiors so they frequently reflected the taste at the time of their last lease renewal
5.3.1 It is into this historical context that Derby Square and its environment were developed.
5.3.2 The land on which Derby Square is built was still farmland when sold by its owner Calcott Heywood in 1811 to Robert Steuart, the Receiver General who had substantial estates and had already developed the Villa Marina. He was the son of George Steuart, the architect of Red Pier and Castle Mona. By his death Robert Steuart owned a large area of increasingly prime land extending from Harris Promenade and the Villa Marina up as far as Prospect Terrace. His widow was equally shrewd and whilst speculating in land retained her best land on the hill until such time as Finch Road and Woodbourne were opened following which developers were anxious to expand the town up the hill. In 1836 she sold what was to become Derby Square to John Putnam who planned a development of 81 building plots on four sides of an open square with an additional 16 plots to be called Derby Terrace abutting the north side. This was later incorporated into Derby Road. The initial layout of plots is illustrated on an early plan dated 1846 signed by a consortium of colleagues. Development seems to have occurred subsequent to this and the result was illustrated on a plan dated 1869. (Appendix 1.2)
5.4.1 The Plan illustrates the layout of Derby Square, Derby Terrace, Cambridge Terrace, Osborne Terrace and Windsor Terrace as designed and actually constructed by 1869. The only elements of the eventual road layout not yet shown is the northern extension of Windsor Terrace and its associated row of houses to its east past the end of the row of houses named Cambridge Terrace until joins with the road to its north also named Cambridge Terrace.
5.4.2 The plan of the square illustrates a large formally planned garden at its centre, with splayed corners, surrounded by a generously wide road which extends around all four sides.
5.4.3 Of particular note is the manner in which the road as it encloses the east and west sides of the central garden extends out of the square to the north and south on both sides creating visual permeability whilst the road as it encloses the north and south sides of the garden merely connects to the more continuous flanking roads.
5.4.4 The terrace of quite large and deep houses on the north side of the Derby Square is therefore of a finite length and was shown terminated at each end by a generous area of planted side garden that extends to the passing road. It is clearly designed as a flat fronted terrace separated from the road on Derby Square by narrow front garden in the manner frequently adopted for formal terraces of housing throughout the Isle of Man and indeed the United Kingdom. Here, however they are illustrated on the plan as formally planted with repetitive circular areas of planting. They have very small rear gardens generally substantially filled by rear offshots which are ubiquitous to many nineteenth century terraces of houses. Here, however, the offshots vary in plan and length suggesting some may have already been extended to accommodate occupants or owners' individual needs.
5.4.5 The terrace on the slightly shorter south side of the square is similarly of a finite length bounded at each end by the north-south passing roads. The layout of this terrace, however, appears to comprise of abutting houses with that at its east end appearing to have a much wider frontage. There appears to be a four house wide gap to the west of the larger house at its east end suggesting that it was in the process of being developed by individual owners or by the developer to reflect lettings as a series of abutting houses rather than constructed as a complete terrace.
5.4.6 In the light of the current proposal, of particular interest is the design of both the east and west terraces which enclose the square. It would have been possible for these sides to have been enclosed by terraces or houses designed to not just to flank the square but to extend continuously to the north and south visually extending the street enclosure out of the square to the areas beyond to the north and south. In that case the square would not
have been a purely self contained townscape element but would have appeared to expand out from a more general environment of similar scale and design. Instead however, the terraces enclosing the east and west sides of the square are of finite lengths in a manner similar to that enclosing the north side, and indeed the south side. These terraces extend just far enough to stop the views at the ends of the road as it enclose the north and south sides of the square which maximises its sense of physical enclosure creating a sense of repose and of particular INDIVIDUAL space enclosed by its own individual buildings that are not part of a more extensive street enclosure.
5.4.7 This sense of Derby Square as an individual townscape enclosed space as an independent urban feature is emphasised by stopping the north and south ends of these enclosing terraces by areas of open space clearly laid out as formally planted gardens. It appears to be designed specifically not just an expansion off a more fluid passing overall urban environment
6.0.0 THE EXISTING APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER OF DERBY SQUARE IN THE WINDSOR ROAD CONSERVATION AREA IN THE VICINITY OF THE SITE UNDER CONSIDERATION.
6.1.0 Derby Square wrapping around a pleasant grassed and verdant central garden creates a distinctive enclosed self contained and architecturally disciplined environment adopting an elegant vernacular interpretation of the fashionable and popular Domestic Classical Style that successfully avoids any intimidating formal grandeur. The terraces on all four sides of the square were originally similar in design with only limited variation creating the expected architectural consistency but with the formality of classically repetitive pattern and rhythm modified by the manner in which the dwellings and terrace facades simply step up and down in response to the sloping ground, which adds to its vernacular charm. Despite unsympathetic alterations to glazing and the additions of raised parapets to create extra floors to some properties which have detrimentally modified the originally
consistent style, the Square retains much of its essential integrity and its very considerable domestic charm.
6.1.2 As with "squares" generally, it looks in on itself and its central garden, with the principal views being of the enclosing self contained terraces around and across the central garden but with distinctive views out of the square to distinctly different urban environments in the vicinity of its four corners.
6.1.3 The north terrace (Photographs 1-3) overlooking Derby Square was clearly built in the vernacular classical domestic style as a terrace of identical two bay stuccoed dwellings stepping up the hill. The design accepts the sloping ground and resulted in an unpretentiously simple and dignified three storey façade with simple tripartite windows alternating with panelled doors flanked by flat pilasters under arched overlights at ground floor level, with a plain sill-bands under well-proportioned first floor sash windows with central vertical glazing bars and simple moulded architraves with plain undressed second floor attic windows that are both narrower and shorter under a gentle cornice and coped blocking course serving as the parapet concealing the roofs. As already noted e unsympathetic alterations to glazing and the additions of raised parapets to create extra floors to some properties have affected its appearance and character but, nevertheless, the terrace retains much of its integrity and its very considerable domestic charm.
6.1.4 Seen from the square and especially from the road to the east and west of the central garden, the self contained form of the north terrace and its limited length terminated at each end by the approach road is very evident and is an essential characteristic of the square. (Photograph 5) Unfortunately the partial loss of the cornice and the vertical extension of the parapet to create an additional roof-level storey, coupled with the loss of the gable end chimney stack, has compromised its detail, form and proportions and substantially destroyed the character of its originally gabled west end. However, this does not alter the still very self contained nature of the terrace with its classical pattern, rhythm and overall proportions of window and door apertures and their proportional relationship to solid wall and doors still very
evident, and with the classical detailing substantially forming the essential character on the terrace as a whole. (Photographs 1-3)
6.1.5 The distinctive form and character of the northern terrace and those on the other three terraces enclosing all four sides of the square is put into sharp focus when compared with the very different scale, and the much more indigenously muddled and vibrantly articulated character, of the smaller differently designed abutting buildings of varying heights with varying fenestration rhythms and patterns which climb the hill approaching the west side of the square from the north. (Photographs 5 and 7) The view out from the square is only materially visible from the east and west legs of the road surrounding the central garden and when relatively close to the entrances to the square.
6.1.6 The design of the western terrace closely matches that of the northern terrace and has also been quite significantly altered whilst still successfully maintaining much of its integrity as an overall vernacular domestic classical façade. (Photograph 4) Importantly, however, this and its quality as a freestanding terrace has been very substantially compromised and arguably destroyed by the abutment of a plainly detailed two storey rendered building and the gabled two storey building to its north, both constructed subsequent to the original construction of the square as illustrated on the 1869 Plan. (Appendix 1.2) These two buildings effectively limit the diagonal view from the square towards the surrounding townscape and funnels the outward view it along the road itself. Architecturally, the impact is slightly modified by the two storey height of the immediately abutting building and its utilitarian workshop style, which is inappropriate in quality but fortunately self effacing with both abutting buildings being subservient to the height, scale or street enclosing quality of the western terrace. (See also detail in photograph 8). The impact of these additional buildings is particularly apparent from the centre of the square (Photograph 10) where they close off the previously open corner view and result in a continuity of street enclosure out of the square into the surrounding townscape so destroying a significant element of its intended appearance and character. Fortunately this characteristic remains intact at the north east corner of the square, (Photograph 11) and
although modified is still very evident at the south east corner (Photographs 17 and 18) and although not similarly illustrated on a photograph is equally evident at the south west corner where the building infilling the corner is also single storey. (Photograph 28)
6.1.7 The east terrace enclosing the square differed in design detail from the north and west terraces by the incorporation of bay windows at ground floor level whilst first floor windows have corniced hood moulds supported on brackets. In other respects the design is essentially similar to the other three terraces although the vertical movement over the hill has greater articulation which is exaggerated by later alterations including raising the parapet to incorporate an additional floor, the occasional addition of dormer windows which add an inappropriate staccato rhythm to the eaves line (Photographs 15 and 16) and the strident variation in colour which although possibly perceived by some as adding a sense of individuality to ownership unfortunately disrupts the form of the terrace.
6.1.8 The terrace retains its intended character and appearance as an individual freestanding building substantially if not entirely free of buildings at either end. This is clearly illustrated by the view north east past the north end of the north terrace of Derby Square towards and across the spacious and deep front garden of the single storey small house, “The Vine”, which was clearly intended to form one of the series of four large open spaces, one in each corner of the square which physically isolate it from the surrounding less disciplined architectural and townscape environment. (Photographs 11 and 12) Whilst physically separating Derby Square from its surrounding environment, the open corners contribute to a surprising visual permeability from near its corners which effectively emphasises the enclosing townscape quality of the Square itself, the tranquillity of its central garden, the scale and modest dignity of its surrounding terraces and its very particular sense of ordered place within a larger environment. The contrast in scale and style is equally pertinent when approaching the north east corner of the square, and its eastern terrace, from the north past a low single storey semi industrial building which is of no architectural significance and the single storey “Vine” which with its deep front garden separates Derby Square and its eastern
enclosing terrace from the wider townscape.
6.1.9 At the south east corner of the square, the originally intended landscaped area terminating the southern end of the eastern terrace is now partly occupied with two single storey utilitarian and wholly undistinguished semi industrial buildings of no architectural merit. Whilst somewhat compromising the visual permeability out from the square to the surrounding built areas, the single building comprising Nos. 26-27 is fortunately set fairly well back from the road whilst the one and two storey stepped building on the site under consideration at 28-30 Derby Square is only slightly set back from the road and is more evident. (Photographs 17 and 18) Fortunately, however, when seen from some distance within the square only 28-30 is significantly visible but both buildings are sufficiently low, small in scale, horizontal, and with a sufficiently reticent lightweight character to still allow the nineteenth century east terrace enclosing the square to appear essentially freestanding and unencumbered by buildings. Moreover, the sky filled gap between the ends of the east and south terraces allows the impression of visual permeability out from the corner of the square and the freestanding expression of each terrace building. From a distance within the square, therefore, their ground hugging horizontality results in their not too seriously impinging on the scale and “presence” of the square resulting in only a small and localised detrimental effect. Inevitably they become more visually detrimental to the appearance and character of the square when in their more immediate vicinity. (Photograph 19)
6.1.10 The southern terrace is similar in design to that enclosing the east side of the square with segmental windows at ground floor level. (Photographs 6 and 18) and It is enclosed by roads at both ends emphasising is freestanding individuality with diagonal visual permeability out from the square at both ends as already noted. As with the other three terrace buildings its principal elevation has been modified to a similar degree by glazing and roofline alterations. Is east facing gable end elevation however, comprises the principal elevation with entrance doorway to No 31 Derby Terrace which directly faces Nos.26-30 Derby Terrace, which includes the development site under consideration. The gable end is of distinguished and original
architectural status and is indicative of the original architectural quality of the remainder of the square before it was subjected to alterations. The garden on the gable end illustrates the original design intention of the corners to the square having an open and verdant garden quality to which this was intended to relate.(Photograph 21)
6.1.11 To the south of Derby Square in the vicinity of the site under consideration, the architecture is less distinguished than that of the Square. The rear elevation of the mews style garaging at the rear of Nos.31 –40 Derby Square seen on Cambridge Terrace has a mews style working character which is slightly reminiscent of the buildings on the site under consideration at 28-30 Derby Terrace which is visible at the east end of the road and is of a similar subservient scale but which conceals the rear elevation of the terrace from street level view.(Photographs 22 and 23)
6.1.12 The mid twentieth century architecture of small two storey houses along Windsor Terrace within the Conservation Area is modest and of no architectural significance. (Photograph 24)The north end of Windsor Terrace is terminated by the rear two storey elements of the existing buildings on the site at 28-30 Derby Square. (Photographs 25 and 26))
6.2.0 Concluding Comment
6.2.1 The architectural, historic, and townscape appearance, character and significance of the square therefore is considerable and is directly related to the more general development of Douglas during the early to mid nineteenth century, its developing political and social organisation, its long established trading and Royal connections with the United Kingdom, its shipping and trading links with Liverpool, the fashion of the time for stucco and formal squares along with and the developing fashion for sophisticated and smart health giving seaside resorts popularised by the Prince Regent in the United Kingdome which resulted in Douglas developing as an exclusive and fashionable seaside resort accessible for the wealthy by ship from Liverpool. It was this collection of timely contemporary influences that resulted in the development and style of Douglas Square in terms of architecture and designed townscape. Of particular significance is the layout of the square as
observed and described above with the contrasting terraced enclosure of the garden-centred square with the designed and generally still existing open nature of its corners allowing a distinctive relationship with its surroundings and a uniquely distinctive special character and local sense of place. Taking into consideration the policy guidance notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man Policy Guidance Statement 1/01 Policy CA/1 the special character of Derby Square has been identified by –
7.1.0 I consider that the primary issue related to the planning application in the conservation area is whether the demolition of the existing building at 28-30, and the redevelopment of the site as proposed, “will preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character are protected against inappropriate development” in accordance with Environmental Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan, adopted in June 2007.
7.2.0 The Planning Statement that accompanied the Planning Application for Approval in Principal stamped 12/01689 states –
"The site is currently occupied by a single storey building which is not in keeping with the character of the conservation area. The proposed development would form a continuation of the terraces that face onto the square.
We seek approval in Principle to demolish the existing single storey garage building and in its place construct a block of 7 Apartments and associated parking. The form and scale of the new building will be similar to the existing terrace of houses and set over 5 floors, lower ground (off road garage parking), ground floor (Derby Square front entrance). first & second floor apartments and third floor apartment in roof space.
The front elevation will adopt a traditional appearance and takes its design precedent from the existing Derby Square properties. The rear elevation will provide a more contemporary feel with the use of balconies to provide small external spaces which would otherwise not be possible in a tight urban setting. Consideration would be given to the neighbouring properties with the use of full height opaque glass screens to balconies where necessary.
7.3.0 The introduction to the planning statement establishes the basic assessment of the conservation area; the applicants assessed impact of the existing single storey building on the application site and the design principle of the proposal. It states –
"The site is currently occupied by a single storey building which is not in keeping with the character of the conservation area. The proposed development would form a continuation of the terraces that face onto the square.
7.3.1 Based on my detailed observation, analyses and assessment of the Conservation Area in the vicinity of the site and most especially taking Derby Square and its setting into consideration, I consider that the applicant's analyses of the impact of the existing single storey building on the character of the conservation is inadequate and inappropriate. I have noted and described in detail the collection of contemporary influences that resulted in
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