5 March 2012 · Delegated - Senior Planning Officer
Nunnery Mills, Old Castletown Road, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM2 1qa
The proposal involves adding a full four-storey external glass lift enclosure with timber-clad top section and pitched roof on the south-eastern side of the existing office building, plus a new door and canopy on the northern gable.
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The officer noted the site lies in Private Woodland (Open Space) per Douglas Local Plan 1998 but found no directly relevant policies since the building is existing office use (not rural/residential co…
Environment Policy 11
Provides advice on conversion of existing rural buildings, requiring no adverse effect on appearance. Not directly applicable as east building was completely rebuilt (not converted), but officer confirmed proposed works would not adversely affect appearance given the building's modern features.
Time limit
The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
Approved drawings
This permission relates to the installation of a lift and enclosure and the canopy all as shown in drawings P001A, P002A, P003A, P004A, P005A, P006A, P007A, P008A, P009A, P010A, P011A and P012A all received on 26th January, 2012.
no objection to the proposals
Douglas Borough Council has no objection to application 12/00116/B and multiple other listed applications.
Douglas Borough Council
No ObjectionDouglas Corporation have no objection to the proposals listed below.; It should be noted that the above comments are made in relation to the Town and Country Planning Acts and does not imply approval or consent under any other relevant enactment, byelaw, order or regulation.
The original application sought permission for renovation, alterations, and conversion of two historic mill buildings into office accommodation with a high-level bridge link, following partial construction under prior residential approval that stalled due to market conditions. The local planning authority refused permission primarily on grounds that the site was outside the town centre and the buildings did not sufficiently meet Policy 3.13's exception for preserving buildings of architectural or historic interest, alongside prior refusals and parking concerns. Appellants argued the buildings' historic significance as the only mills on the River Douglas in town, prior residential approval implying recognition of their value, and that revised drawings addressed appearance issues while parking could be provided. The planning department and Douglas Corporation defended the refusal, asserting insufficient historic interest especially post-rebuild of the east building. The inspector concluded the group of buildings warranted the Policy 3.13 exception due to their monumental proportions, historic water wheel and machinery in the west building, and role as town monuments, recommending allowance subject to conditions on roof treatment and parking.
Precedent Value
Demonstrates that unregistered historic industrial buildings can qualify for Policy 3.13 exceptions if they retain key fabric and occupy prominent historic sites; future applicants should provide comprehensive historic evidence and be prepared to amend schemes at inquiry.
Inspector: JRM
