McGarrigle Jackson Planning Statement

Approval in Detail to Demolish Existing House and Garage and Erect a Dwelling with Ancillary Accommodation including garaging

at

Clougher House

Ballamodha Straight

Ballasalla, Malew

for

Mr. S Morgan

Planning Statement

RECEIVED ON

12 JAN 2007

DEPT. OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT Job No. 01.1493 McGarrigle + Jackson architects and urban designers

Prepared by:

McGarrigle + Jackson

19 Mount Havelock

Douglas

IMI 2QG

Tel: 01624 628141

Fax: 629334

email: [email protected]

web: www.mcgarrigle-jackson.com

9 January 2007

The application is for a replacement dwelling, and ancillary accommodation including garaging. The existing dwelling although occupied until quite recently is non-the-less in a poor state of repair, the garage/external store was in similar state and has recently had emergency repairs carried out. The present buildings represent a basic Manx farmhouse, which was fairly extensively altered in the 1970s, at which time a large, two-storey flat-roofed extension was added. The garage/external store is a substantial detached structure and is essentially a Nissan hut.

The alterations carried out some 30 years ago consisted of removing most of the front wall of the house and replacing it in 'modern' panelled construction with large windows and infill panelling. Internally extensive alterations were implemented which resulted in little of the existing form or content of the existing Manx farmhouse being retained. The work was carried out to a very low standard and much of the building fabric is now in an advanced state of decay, the existing building cluster has no architectural merit whatsoever.

The present proposals seek to replace this dwelling and garage on basically the same footprint. The overall footprint area as exists is $236.13\mathrm{m}^2$ the new total area of footprint is $298.8\mathrm{m}^2$. The existing floor levels have also been followed. There will be no alteration to the established access from the main road, the means of access to the shared farm lane being entirely as existing.

Our client recently rebuilt the adjacent cottage [PA 02/01721] and garage [PA03/00694/B] to a high standard and has occupied the building since completion. At the time of rebuilding of the cottage, new incoming services were brought into site and the opportunity was taken to upgrade all the house services at the same time to avoid further disruption to the main road or lane. The septic tanks were also renewed at this time in addition to the soakaway being formed. The final sw drainage to a watercourse, including a spillway, are presently under construction, in accordance with the DOT Data Sheets. A license for the discharge has been granted for both septic tanks.

The design of the new dwelling seeks to retain the scale of the present buildings whilst improving the facilities available to a high standard of modern construction. A typical Manx farmhouse is the centre of the scheme with a three-car garage linked by the entrance hall forming the extensions to the west and kitchen and sunroom forming the extensions to the south, the impression intended is of a typical Manx farmhouse growing in a vernacular fashion. The north elevation facing the entrance lane has been broken into several separate smaller elements both in plan and elevation to give the impression of a group of cottages clustered around the main house and adjacent barn building.

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Whilst the overall impression is of several buildings the link is with the materials selected, ie slate roofs, stonework and render being common throughout, and of course all are absolutely consistent of what would be expected in a country setting such as this.

The principles of Planning Circular 3/91 have been incorporated in the detail as it is our intention to present a cluster of Manx buildings having been added at different periods as the need arose, our client has developed differing styles of stonework with local stonemasons from his work in the cottage and garage already completed, and again it is the intention to slightly differ the stone styles in separate areas to emphasise the continuing development of a community of buildings over a period of time.

We have met with Mrs Mullen and Miss Corlett during the design process to explain the principles of the scheme which to summarise are:-

• The existing building is in a poor state and has no architectural merit.
• Overall footprint area although larger than the existing, follows the existing plan form.
• The design principle is of a typical Manx farmhouse with later additions, built in a vernacular style.
• The scale and massing is broken into several smaller elements.
• Materials closely follow typical examples common throughout the Manx countryside.
• The use of the building is exactly as existing.
• The access to the main road is unchanged.
• The services and drainage are adequate and a new septic tank for the present house has recently been installed.

Our client Mr Morgan, has also invited the Malew Commissioners to visit and view the existing buildings, completed projects and drawings. We understand that they have no inherent objection to the proposals.

There is a lake shown on the site plans. This does not form part of this application and is included for illustrative purposes only and will be the subject of a separate application.