Officer Report

Application No.: 18/00048/B Applicant: Manx Museum & National Trust (Manx National Heritage) Proposal: Erection of a glasshouse and erection of replacement fencing Site Address: Site Within Grounds Of Rushen Abbey Rushen Abbey Ballasalla Isle Of Man Case Officer : Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken: 20.04.2018 Site Visit: 20.04.2018 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 14.06.2018 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

• C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping must be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the completion of the development. Any plants which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed, or become seriously damaged or diseased must be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species.

Reason: The landscaping of the site is an integral part of the scheme and must be implemented as approved.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawing titled Site Plan _ v2 date stamped and received 18/05/2018, and site location plan, elevation drawings, site photographs, historic photograph and associated specification brochure for the greenhouse all date stamped and received 18/01/2018.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

NONE _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site forms a small part of the grounds of Rushen Abbey, Ballasalla. The site comprises a small area of existing hard standing located nearest the western boundary wall separating the site from the main road. Internally the hard standing is enclosed by a short stretch of existing wicker fencing which projects into the grounds. - 1.2 The Abbey is not Registered, but it does lie within the Ballasalla Conservation Area.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Full planning approval is sought for the installation of a greenhouse on the existing area of hard standing and the relocation and replacement of the existing wicker fence with a new timber fence closer to the area of hard standing and the installation of screen planting. - 2.2 The current proposal follows from an earlier scheme which had limited information for the fence and did not include screen planting.

- 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 Although not specifically relevant in the determination of the current application, PA 16/00560/B was approved most recently for the installation of replacement fencing and gates, creation of new gates, hard standing areas and footpath and infilling of dig sites. - 4.0 DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES

4.1 The application site is within an area zoned as "Buildings or Land for Civic, Cultural or Other use" identified on the Area Plan for the South 2013, and also lies within the Silverdale Conservation Area. The Abbey is described as one of the key tourist sites in the South of the Island in the Area Plan for the South, and the primary one in Ballasalla itself, but no specific policies within the Plan apply to this proposal. As such, and given the nature of the application, it is appropriate to consider General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan.

4.2 General Policy 2 states:

"Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:

• (b) Respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;
• (c) Does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;"

4.3 Environment Policy 35 states:

"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."

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 DOI Highways Services indicated no highway interest on 07/02/2018.

5.2 Malew Commissioners offered no objection on 07/02/2018. - 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The main issue to consider in the assessment of the application is the impact upon the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, as well as to Rushen Abbey and its grounds / setting.

6.2 The works would lie within the site and therefore be visible only by paying visitors. However, the sensitivity of the site requires the development to be sympathetic. While a greenhouse is perhaps not a structure you would normally find here, its small size and location behind replacement fencing that is to be appropriately screened with native willow and ivy, and stained to a dark green colour will cumulatively help to limit the visual impact and ensure the historic archaeology remains the focal feature of the site.

6.3 The proposed greenhouse is expected to facilitate the general upkeep of the site and bring about an improvement to the overall maintenance and appearance of the site as a whole in the future. - 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 In view of the positive findings it is considered that the application meets the tests of GP2 and EP35 and is acceptable subject to a suitably worded condition relating to the installation of screen planting. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
• d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 8.2 The decision-maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

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.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 20.06.2018 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.