Addendum to Planning Application

5. Hope Street, Castletown For Gombo Investments Limited

Addendum To Planning Application

Removal of Render

During the course of repairs and refurbishment to the above property, internal walls to the front, side and rear elevation were suffering from lateral damp penetration due to defective external render. The render, which was boxy and badly cracked, was easy to remove since there was no key or bonding between the render and the stonework, indicating that the stonework was never previously rendered.

The stonework to the gable was poor since all bonding had been lost in the central portion of the wall beneath the chimney stack and indeed, due to the size of the flues, the remaining external stonework was very thin and indeed, it was possible to see into the flues. Repairs were carried out and the gable re-render.

The front elevation stonework was however, in much better condition, stone cills were in good condition together with stone lintels, all of which remained. Stonework was good and sound and needed little work, but of more importance was the fact that previous historical features were discovered in the stonework, whereby a large stone lintel was noted with straight joints below, indicating that there was once a centrally located larger door or gate and of course, this feature has been retained, illustrating a past use of the building.

The present windows are top hung casement and were fitted at the time of applying the render. Permission has been granted for their replacement with softwood sliding sash and these windows are presently being manufactured, but it is worthy to note that the new sliding sash windows will be slightly larger than the existing casement windows, given that the modern cement render has narrowed the opening from what previously existed and the new render to the reveals merely filled a gap between the frame and the window.

Repair work to this property is not expected to be complete until the summer and it is only in recent days that the decision was made to leave the render off the front elevation. It is now possible for the local heritage and amenity societies and the public at large to interpret the former historical and social changes that have occurred to this building.

The exposed stonework matches the recently approved and built garage, the original high stone wall, the church opposite and many other residences along this street.