DEC Officers Report 2

Case Officer: Mr S Moore Photo Taken: Site Visit: Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation

Officer's Report

The Site

1. The site defined in red represents part of the curtilage of St. Peters Church, a church building sitting to the south of the Onchan village centre to the south and west of Church Road. The church sits within its graveyard with an additional section of cemetery sitting to the south.

The church itself is a rectangular orientated west - east as many churches are, built in pointed stone with a naturally slated roof and a bell tower at the western end.

The Proposal

1. Proposed, is the installation of replacement guttering (RB No119 in association with Registered Building Consent application 14/00469/CON)

Planning History

1. There are no applications considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application. The following are the only recent applications relating to the property:

14/00469/CON Registered Building Consent application for the installation of replacement guttering (in association with 14/00468/GB) - Application Pending Consideration

02/02256/GB Erection of sexton's store/office, St. Peters Church, Church Road, Onchan - Application Permitted 01/00999/GB Erection of lean to toilet with internal access, St. Peters Church, Church Road, Onchan - Application Permitted 00/02216/GB Erection of lean to external toilet, St. Peters Church, Church Road, Onchan - Application Permitted on Review 93/00803/B Provision of spotlighting and floodlighting, St. Peters Church, Church Road, Onchan - Application Permitted

Application No.:	14/00468/GB
Applicant:	Revd Clive B Burgess
Proposal:	Installation of replacement guttering (in association with 14/00469/CON)
Site Address:	St Peter's Church
Church Road
Onchan
Isle Of Man
IM3 1BF

Development Plan Policies

1. The site lies within an area annotated as 'Church' on the Onchan Local Plan of 1989. In terms of the Local Plan, the site is surrounded by predominantly residential to the west, mixed use to the north private woodland to the south east and south west and predominantly residential to the immediate south. The site also lies within Onchan Conservation Area designated in 1990 and the building is Registered (RB No119). As the church is both Registered and located within a Conservation Area, it is appropriate to consider Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policies 32, 35 and 34 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (20th June 2007) and Policies RB/5 and CA/2 Special Planning Considerations from Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man) is also considered to be relevant to determining this application.

Strategic Policy 4

Proposals for development must:

• (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings, Conservation Areas, buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest;
• (b) Protect or enhance the landscape quality and nature conservation value of urban as well as rural areas but especially in respect to development adjacent to Areas of Special Scientific Interest and other designations; and
• (c) Not cause or lead to unacceptable environmental pollution or disturbance.

Environment Policy 32 states:

"Extensions or alterations to a Registered Building which would affect detrimentally its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest will not be permitted."

Environment Policy 34 states:

"In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred."

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."

RB/5: Alterations and Extensions:

"In considering whether to grant planning approval for development which affects a registered building or its setting and in considering whether to grant registered building consent for any works, the Department shall have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses.

Registered Building consent is required for the building's alteration in any way which would affect its special architectural or historic character. There will be a general presumption against alteration or extension of registered buildings, except where a convincing case can be made, against the criteria set out in this section, for such proposals.

Applicants for registered building consent for alteration or extension to a registered building must be able to justify their proposals. They will be required to show why the works which would affect the character of the registered building are desirable or necessary and they should provide full information to enable the Department to assess the likely impact of their proposals on the special architectural or historic interest of the building and on its setting. Where registered buildings are the subject of successive applications for alteration or extension, consideration will also be given to the cumulative affect upon the building's special interest as a result of several minor works which may individually seem of little consequence."

Policy CA/2 - Special Planning Considerations states:

"When considering proposals for the possible development of any land or buildings which fall within the conservation area, the impact of such proposals upon the special character of the area, will be a material consideration when assessing the application.

Where a development is proposed for land which, although not within the boundaries of the conservation area, would affect its context or setting, or views into or out of the area; such issues should be given special consideration where the character or appearance of a conservation area may be affected."

REPRESENTATIONS:

1. Onchan Commissioners 'recommend that the application be approved'.

ASSESSMENT

1. The application seeks Planning Approval for the installation of replacement guttering

7.1 The existing guttering is modern, black PVC and of no architectural or historic interest which is already fading.

7.2 The replacement guttering is proposed as 'ogee' profile guttering in extruded aluminium which is acceptable and should not fade as readily as PVC.

7.2 Whilst it is not set out in the application information, it is understood that the present guttering is not able to satisfactorily dissipate all of the rainwater discharged off the roof. This is having a detrimental impact upon the fabric of the walls and the internal finishes. The proposed gutters are slightly larger and have been calculated to be able to better drain the roof during heavy downpours.

7.4 It is considered that the proposals do not have a detrimental impact upon the character of the Registered Building and the Conservation Area within which it is located and in doing so, it is considered that the application conforms to the basis of Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policies 32, 34 and 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (20th June 2007) and Policies RB/5 and CA/2 Special Planning Considerations from Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man). It is therefore considered that the impact upon the character and appearance of the Registered Building and the Conservation Area within which it sits would be acceptable.

RECOMMENDATION:

1. For the above reasons the application is considered to be acceptable and is recommended for approval.

PARTY STATUS:

1. The local authority Onchan Commissioners is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, paragraph 6 (4) (e), considered an "interested person" and as such should be afforded interested person status.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision: Permitted

Date of Recommendation: 02.05.2014

Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal

• : Notes attached to refusals

C 1.

The works hereby granted registered building consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this consent.

Reason: To comply with paragraph 2(2)(a) of schedule 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented registered building consents.

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This approval relates to A3 Boundary Map Scale 1:500, 4No. A4 black and white photos, 4No colour photos, Technical Specification Sheets for Stratus Moulded Ogee Gutters.

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I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control /Head of Development Management/ Senior Planning Officer.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 4/6/14

Determining officer (delete as appropriate)

Signed : _________________________ Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer

Signed : _________________________ Michael Gallagher Director of Planning and Building Control

Signed : _________________________ Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer

Signed : _________________________ Jennifer Chance Head of Development Management