DEC Officers Report

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

Officer's Report

The Site

The site defined in red represents part of the curtilage of Malew Parish Church, a traditional church building sitting in an otherwise relatively isolated landscape between Great Meadow and Malew House, to the south west of Cross Four Ways. The church sits within its graveyard with an additional section of cemetery sitting on the south eastern side of the road which is identified in blue.

1.2 The church is a simple, rendered finish building which lies oriented west to east and set back from the highway by at least 10m. There are two pedestrian accesses into the church grounds, one to the east of the church itself and one to the south. Vehicular access into the site is not available. The church sits within the cemetery.

The Proposal

The application seeks Planning Permission for external works for the following:

2.1.1 To hack off the cement render and re-render in a lime render and lime wash to the front and side elevation and to flush point in lime and lime wash the remaining walls.

2.1.2 To introduce a coping to the west gable roof and to add two stone corbels to support this.

2.1.3 Relocate the sundial.

Planning History

The following applications are considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application relating to the property:

14/00251/CON Registered Building Consent for internal and external alterations (RB No 256 in association with 14/00250/GB), Malew Church, Great Meadow, Castletown - Application Withdrawn

Application No.:	14/00524/GB
Applicant:	The Vicars And Wardens Of The Parish Of Malew And Santan
Proposal:	Internal and external alterations (in association with 14/00526/CON)
Site Address:	Malew Church
Great Meadow
Castletown
Isle Of Man
IM9 4EB

14/00250/GB Internal and external alterations (in association with 14/00251/CON), Malew Church, Great Meadow, Castletown - Application Withdrawn

10/00260/CON Registered Building consent for the erection of a detached building to provide an office/staff rest area and lavatory (In association with 10/00259/GB) Registered Building Nos. 256, Malew Church, Great Meadow, Castletown - Application Permitted

10/00259/GB Erection of a detached building to provide an office/staff rest area and lavatory (In association with 10/00260/CON) Registered Building Nos. 256, Malew Church, Great Meadow, Castletown - Application Permitted

Development Plan Policies

As Malew Church, is a Registered Building (RB 256), the relevant planning policies from the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 are Strategic Policy 4, General Policy 2, Environment Policies 32 and 34 and Policies RB/3 and RB/5 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 states:

"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 unacceptable environmental pollution or disturbance."

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:

(a) is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief;
(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;
(d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses;
(e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea;
(f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks;
(g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
(h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space;
(i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways;
(j) can be provided with all necessary services;
(k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan;
(l) is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or flooding;
(m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and

(n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

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 extensions of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred."

Policy RB/3

General criteria applied in considering registered building applications

The issues that are generally relevant to the consideration of all registered building applications are:-

The importance of the building, its intrinsic architectural and historic interest and rarity, relative to the Island as a whole and within the local context;
The particular physical features of the building (which may include its design, plan, materials or location) which justify its inclusion in the register; descriptions annexed to the entry in the register may draw attention to features of particular interest or value, but they are not exhaustive and other features of importance, (e.g. Interiors, murals, hidden fireplaces) may come to light after the building's entry in the register;
The building's setting and its contribution to the local scene, which may be very important, e.g. Where it forms an element in a group, park, garden or other townscape or landscape, or where it shares particular architectural forms or details with other buildings nearby (including other registered buildings).

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."

REPRESENTATIONS:

Malew Commissioners 'do not object to these plans'.

Assessment

The church was added to the Protected Buildings Register on 08th April 2008 for the following reasons:

"Architectural Interest and Aesthetic Quality

The pews and panelling are Georgian and they have survived the Victorian period which saw the alteration of many of the old Manx churches. Malew church is said to be "What all the old Manx churches were like before Victorian restoration; outside a white-washed rectangle in fields; inside box-pews and Georgian fittings. North transept 18th century." (Manx Note Book).

The altar window dates from 1860 and it is believed to be the oldest modern stained glass in the Island.

Close Historic Association

The church is the burial place of the famous Manx martyr, Illiam Dhone. He was arrested for treason, shot at Hango Hill in Castletown on January 2nd 1663 and buried in the chancel of Malew church the next day. Some of the plotting of the rebellion is believed to have taken place within the church, with the co-operation of the vicar, Sir Thomas Parr.

There are connections with significant Manx families such as the Goldie-Taubman's of the Nunnery, Douglas (formerly of the Bowling Green, Castletown) who have many memorials within the church. The Moore family of Billown and Great Meadow paid for the construction of the Billown Gallery and they also own a private burial ground within the church grounds.

There is a wooden carving dating from c.1500 which shows the Three Legs of Man and the eagle's claw crest of Lord Monteagle of the Stanley family. The Stanley's became Lord's of Man in 1405 and ruled for 360 years.

Age and Rarity

The oldest part of the church is the nave. The nave is believed to be ancient in its age and it has been suggested that it could be over 1,000 years old, pre-dating the formation of the parishes in the twelfth century and making it possibly the oldest parish church on the Island."

The application seeks Planning Permission for external works as follows:

7.1.1 The hacking off of the cement render, understood to have been applied in the 1970s in conjunction with a white cementitious paint and re-rendering in a lime render with associated lime wash to the front and side elevation and to flush point in lime and lime wash the remaining walls is entirely appropriate for a building of this potential age and historic importance. From a building maintenance point of view, this is highly important as cement renders on a 'random rubble' built stone building such as this can be damaging to the interiors as water is held in and has a habit of showing itself in damage to internal finishes. The lime based renders and lime washes will allow the passage of water in a more natural way wetting and drying with the conditions. It is often said that lime based renders allow such a building to 'breathe' which is absolutely correct.

7.1.2 The introduction of a coping to the west gable roof and the addition of two stone corbels to support this are historically appropriate and a response to the overhang introduced with the re-roofing in 1929.

7.1.3 The proposal to relocate the sundial is in response to the fact that it does not function correctly following the 1929 re-roofing which introduced a larger overhang which overshadows the sundial. Re-locating the sun dial further down the wall will result in it receiving sunlight and therefore being able to function correctly.

It is considered that the proposals will have a positive impact upon the character of the exterior of the Registered Building and in doing so, it is considered that the application conforms to the basis of Strategic Policy 4, General Policy 2 and Environment Policies 32 and 34 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (20th June 2007) and Policies RB/3 and RB/5 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 interior of the Registered Building would be acceptable.

RECOMMENDATION:

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

PARTY STATUS:

The local authority Malew 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 party status.

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 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. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

Recommendation
Recommended Decision:	Permitted
Date of Recommendation:	02.07.2014

This approval relates to Drawing Number 09-jk-716 100B Existing Elevations, Drawing Number 09-jk-716 101B Elevations & Details, Drawing Number 09-jk-716 103 Location, Drawing Number 09-jk-716 104 Site Plan all date stamped 30th April 2014.

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 : 4/7/14

Determining officer (delete as appropriate)

Signed : _________________________ Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer

Signed : _________________________ Michael Gallagher Director of Planning and Building Control

Signed : _________________________ Jennifer Chance Head of Development Management

DEC Officers Report

Source & Provenance