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Application No.: 14/00806/GB Applicant: The Vicars And Wardens Of St German's Cathedral Proposal: Landscaping works in Cathedral grounds relating to the erection of three sculptures (in association with PA 14/00807/CON) Site Address: St German's Cathedral Derby Road Peel Isle Of Man IM5 1HH Case Officer : Mr S Moore Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation
1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site represents the western portion of land between western gable of St German's Cathedral, Peel and the boundary to Atholl Street. The site is currently heavily wooded with mature trees. These proposals will not result in the loss of any of those trees. - 1.2 St German's Cathedral is a Registered Building (RB 204), added to the Protected Buildings Register on the 18th October 2002 located within the Peel Conservation Area designated in 1990.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks Planning Approval for landscaping works in Cathedral grounds relating to the erection of three sculptures (in association with PA 14/00807/CON).
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 This is the current application in a string of recent applications to alter and add to the Cathedral. It is clear from discussion, that there is a desire to increase the usability of the Cathedral as a result, the following applications are considered relevant:
13/00765/CON - Registered Building Consent for revised route of pedestrian path (retrospective, RB No 204 in association with 13/00764/GB) - Application Permitted
13/00970/CON - Registered Building Consent for internal alterations to provide a prayer room and installation of an Aumbry (RB no 204) - Application Permitted
12/00417/CON - Registered Building consent for the removal of pews (Registered Building Nos. 204) - Application Permitted
11/00024/CON - Registered Building Consent for creation of landscaping scheme including the erection of an electricity sub-station, replica keeill and hermit's cell, and bus shelter lay-by (RB No 204 in association with 11/00023 GB) - Application Permitted
11/00023 GB - Creation of landscaping scheme including the erection of an electricity substation, replica keeill and hermits cell, and bus shelter lay-by (In association with 11/00024 CON). Application Permitted
10/01641/CON - Registered Building consent for internal alterations to the South Clergy Vestry, electrical re-wiring and installation of lighting scheme to the main body of the Cathedral and installation of kitchen facilities to the North Transept. Registered Building Nos. 204 - Application Permitted
10/00676/CON - Registered Building consent for the installation of a Nave Organ, double ending all pews in aisles to make them movable. Registered Building Nos. 204 - Application Permitted
08/00848/CON - Registered Building consent to erect a dwelling within grounds of (In association with 08/00822/GB) Registered Building Nos. 204 St German's Cathedral, Derby Road, Peel. IM5 1HH. Application Refused.
08/00822/GB - Erection of a dwelling within grounds of St German's Cathedral, Derby Road, Peel. IM5 1HH. Application Refused.
05/01502/GB - Alterations to north entrance, introduction of paving setts, forming new steps and disabled ramp, relocation of car parking (with additional spaces and landscaping) and relocation of lamp post and flag pole (amendments to approved 02/00692) (in association with 05/01502 CON). Application Permitted
05/01502/CON - Alterations to north entrance, introduction of paving setts, forming new steps and disabled ramp, relocation of car parking (with additional spaces and landscaping) and relocation of lamp post and flag pole (amendments to approved 02/00692) (in association with 05/01502 GB). Application Permitted
02/00692/B - Replacement of tarmac with concrete setts and widening of drive and access, area outside main public entrance of St German's Cathedral, Peel. Application Permitted
4.0 DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES - 4.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Peel Local Plan of 1989 adopted by Tynwald on 19th April 1989 as Church. This is surrounded Mixed Use, Civic and Residential. - 4.2 The site also lies within Peel's Conservation Area and the building is Registered (RB No. 204). - 4.3 As St German's Cathedral is a Registered Building (RB 204) and is located within the Peel Conservation Area designated in 1990, the relevant planning policies from the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 are General Policy 2, Strategic Policy 4, Environment Policies 32 and 35 and Policies RB/3, RB/5, RB/10 and CA/2 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.
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:
"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 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."
Policy RB/3 General Criteria applied in considering Registered Building Applications states:
"General criteria applied in considering registered building applications. The issues that are generally relevant to the consideration of all registered building applications are:-
"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 RB/10 - Ecclesiastical Buildings states:
"The same provisions apply for registered buildings which fall within this category, as apply elsewhere. Contrary to the situation which prevails elsewhere, no exemption exists with respect to ecclesiastical buildings in the Isle of Man.
In considering applications for registered building consent for alteration or extension to buildings in this category, it is acknowledged that factors such as the size and requirements of modern congregations may differ considerably from when the church was originally constructed. Applicants considering carrying out alterations, extensions or improvements to ecclesiastical buildings which are registered, should consider the extent to which their proposals will affect the particular historic merit or architectural character of the building in question. An application is less likely to succeed if either of these qualities is markedly affected.
It must also be remembered that in addition to the requirement for registered building consent, it will usually be necessary to obtain the formal consent of the appropriate church authority: early dialogue can often assist in deciding upon the most appropriate way to progress such works."
Policy CA/2 - Special Planning Considerations as set out within Planning Policy Statement
"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."
5.0 CONSULTATIONS: - 5.1 Peel Commissioners comment 'recommend for approval.' - 5.2 The Department of Infrastructure Highways Services 'Do not oppose'. - 5.3 DEFA have commented as follows:
"Whilst I am generally supportive of adding sculptural interest to our towns, it is my duty to point out that the proposals involve uplighting within trees that are likely to be foraging habitat for bats (and might even have roosts). I have previously recommended that a bat survey might be useful to the cathedral, bearing in mind the scope of the ongoing developments there, but I am not aware of a survey having been undertaken yet. However, I know that brown long-eared bats inhabit the town centre and these are considered to be woodland foragers which do not move far from their roosts. These, and adjacent, trees probably form the best habitat within the town centre. I therefore suggest that there might be an impact on the use of the site by some bat species (those that tend to avoid light, such as the brown long-eared bat) if the proposals cause a glow within the tree canopy, which would probably be unavoidable. Whether this might be deemed a significant impact or not would depend on the strength and range of the lit area and the bat activity found at the site. The way to assess this would be to get a bat survey and lighting diagrams."
The sculptor is currently discussing suitable fittings with Luminaires of Douglas. Luminaires have confirmed that various fittings are available and the remaining conditions of the report can be complied with.
6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The application seeks Planning Approval for landscaping works in Cathedral grounds relating to the erection of three sculptures (in association with PA 14/00807/CON). - 6.2 These are the latest proposals in the landscaping scheme taking place around the Cathedral part of which was previously approved in applications 11/00023 GB, in association with 11/00024 CON for the creation of landscaping scheme including the erection of an electricity sub-station, replica keeill and hermit's cell, and bus shelter lay-by. The landscaping scheme is intended to help tell the story of Christianity on the Island. - 6.3 The works here entail the planting of 'box' hedging to formalise and sub-divide the area to the north west of the War Memorial, which backs onto the Corrin Hall on Athol Street and the south western corner bounded by a garage on Atholl Street and dwellings to the immediate south of the site. - 6.4 The southern garden known in these proposals as the Knockaloe Gardens will include a sculpture entitled 'The Knockaloe sculpture' which is proposed to be 3 metres high formed in stainless steel. The application information informs that the sculpture will incorporate imagery relating to Joseph Pilates' exercises and Archibald Knox designs intertwined with barbed wire as an emblem of the Knockaloe internment camp. The oval base is to be made from hand painted bricks based on fables from four different parts of the world that have experienced genocide. The sculpture is set within four themed gardens based on the four regions of the world that feature in the fables. - 6.5 Two Peace Poles at 3.75m high, constructed in smooth Portland stone or with a Portland cement render and illustrated from below with LED lighting are located to the rear of the garage on Atholl Street and the rear of the Centenary Centre on Atholl Street. The poles are to be set at the end of a short avenue of box hedging that focus on the War Memorial. The poles have the phrase 'May peace prevail on earth' written on them in various languages. - 6.6 An avenue of trees is proposed to line the access from the Athol Street entranceway which will emphasise the vista from the Atholl Street gateway to the Cathedral. - 6.7 The proposals are considered to enhance the setting of the Registered Cathedral and its link with Atholl Street and the wider Conservation Area of Peel and are therefore acceptable. In doing so, it is considered that the application conforms to the basis of General Policy 2, Strategic Policy 4, Environmental Policies 32 and 35 from the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 (20th June 2007) and Policies Policy RB/3 General Criteria applied in considering Registered Building Applications, RB/5 Alterations and Extensions, RB/10 - Ecclesiastical Buildings and CA/2 Special Planning Considerations of Conservation Areas of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man) and is therefore correspondingly acceptable.
8.0 RECOMMENDATION: - 8.1 For the above reasons the application is considered to be acceptable and is recommended for approval.
9.0 PARTY STATUS: - 9.1 In line with Article 6(4) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure)(No2) Order 2013, the following Persons are considered to have sufficient interest
in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application: the applicant or, if there is one, the applicant's agent; the owner and occupier of the land the subject of the application, or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested; the Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture, as their comments have been deemed material; Highway Services, and the Local Authority, Peel Commissioners in whose district the land the subject of the application sits.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation:
19.11.2014
Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal
C : Conditions for approval
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.
Reason: In order to mitigate the potential impact of lighting on any foraging bats using the Cathedral grounds.
Drawing Numbers 0804G/01 Rev A 'Location Plan', 0804G/04 'Existing Site Plan', 0804G/05 'Proposed Site Plan', 'Architectural Illustration - Sheet 1', 'Architectural Illustration - Sheet 2', document entitled 'Cathedral Isle of Man - Proposed Sculptures July 2014' all date stamped 10 July 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 : 28/11/14 Determining officer (delete as appropriate) Signed :…………………………………….. Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer Signed :…………………………………….. Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer Signed : Michael Gallagher Michael Gallagher Director of Planning and Building Control Signed :…………………………………….. Jennifer Chance Head of Development Management
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