Demolition Planning Statement

18/00891

Robert Graham & Co

Chartered Quantity Surveyors

DEMOLITION OF DERELICT HOTEL/GUEST HOUSE & CONSTRUCTION OF NEW INFILL BUILDING TO PROVIDE BASEMENT OFFICES & 9 No. RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS

Marina Hotel, 47, Loch Promenade, Douglas Im1 2Lz.

General Statement

The Marina Hotel/Guest House has not been in use for some time and a Planning Application was made on 10th October, 2016 to convert the property from its original use as a hotel/guest house into nine apartments plus offices on the lower ground floor (Basement).

This previous application for conversion (16/01163/B) was approved on 24th May, 2017.

Whilst regular inspections and limited remedial works have been undertaken over the last few years to maintain the integrity of the external fabric of the building, its exposed location has caused its fabric, especially the rear roof section and external fire escape to deteriorate, to the extent that the rear roof and floor structures below are in an unstable condition.

Due to the poor condition of the remainder of the internal fabric of the property, a soft strip has been undertaken internally to isolate the electrical, plumbing and heating installations, together with the removal of ceiling and wall plaster to identify the condition of the existing masonry walls, existing floor joists, lintels over structural openings, etc.

The Structural Feasibility Report set out the building current condition.

On review of the conversion proposals, the Structural Feasibility Report, the condition of the existing building generally, its location, restricted rear access and the extent, nature, process and procedures required to undertake a conversion of all floors and a six-storey rear extension to achieve a completed structure to meet current building standards with no compromises would be extremely difficult given all of the deficiencies found in the existing structure.

The application for demolition and rebuilding does not increase the number of apartments or the base office accommodation previously approved in PA 16/01163/B.

The application does increase the floor area of the apartments on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors into a void area at the rear of the building by approximately 12m² per floor level in addition to what was approved in PA 16/01163/B.

The design of the frontage of the replacement building will match the existing façade, with the glazed curtain walling to the front elevation on the 4th floor to match what was approved in PA 16/01163/B.

The benefit of demolition will allow the entire building to be constructed to current Building Regulations, with modern materials from the foundations upwards and in the process from the rear to the front, to provide safer construction processes and overall a safer site to work on.

Due to the current and deteriorating condition of the property there is an urgency due to its condition for it to be demolished which is tied in to an application for its rebuilding.

A concurrent Building Regulations application is presently being prepared for submission. Robert Graham MRICS FASI FCIOB 21st August, 2018