DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 23/00176/CON Applicant: Mrs Hazel Smith Proposal: Registered Building Consent to apply etchings on two existing glazed internal doors - RB 85 Site Address: Christ Church Church Hill Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7AX Registered Buildings Officer: Mr Ross Brazier Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 24.04.2023

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions 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.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal will preserve the building and accords with the Strategic Plan and Planning Policy Statement 1/01.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following: LOCATION PLAN Proposed Etching Existing photos And all other supporting information received on 13.02.23 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is Laxey Christ Church, adjacent to the Laxey MER station. The church is a mid-19th century small stone Registered Building (No.85) with a slate roof and traditional lead windows. At present there is a green welcome sign between a window and north elevation edge of the church, which is within Laxey Conservation Area and partly screened by mature trees.

2.0 PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for the installation of etchings on two existing glazed internal doors

3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions

• (3) In considering —

• (a) whether to grant planning approval for development which affects a registered building or its setting, or
• (b) whether to grant registered building consent for any works, the relevant 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.

S18 Designation of conservation areas

• (4) Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act

3.2 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016 Strategic Policy 4: Environment Policy 32:

• Environment Policy 34: In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred.
• Environment Policy 35:

3.3 Planning Policy Statements: 1/01 Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man POLICY RB/3 POLICY RB/5 ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS POLICY CA/2 SPECIAL PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS POLICY RB/10 - ECCLESIASTICAL BUILDINGS

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 There have been Registered Building applications and planning applications for this site, including applications 12/01427/GB and 12/01428/CON for alterations, internal re-ordering and erection of replacement porch both of which were approved, none of the other are particularly relevant to this application.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Garff Commissioners have no objection to the application (08.03.23).

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issues in this case are whether the proposed works to the building will preserve the registered building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses and will preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the conservation area.

6.2 The proposals are for the introduction of etching upon internal doors, so will have no impact upon the conservation area. The glazing of the doors to be etched is not historic and it is considered that the introduction of the etching will not result in any harm to the special interest of the building and the proposed design relates to the history of the church and is considered acceptable.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 The proposal will preserve the building and accords with the Strategic Plan and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Guide to the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man, it is recommended for approval.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013 (As Amended), the following are automatically interested persons:

• o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• o Manx National Heritage, and
• o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

8.2 In addition to those above, the Regulation 9(3) requires the Department to decide which persons (if any) who have made representations with respect to the application, should be treated as having sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Director of Planning and Building Control in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 24.04.2023 Determining officer Signed : J CHANCE Jennifer Chance Director of Planning and Building Control

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