APL Planning Statement

Planning Statement

A panoramic photograph showing a cloudy sky above a building roof covered in scaffolding and white sheeting, with large trees visible on the right side.

A photograph showing a gravel driveway curving through grassy grounds towards a stone building with Gothic windows and scaffolding.

To support an amendment to an approved planning application for a New Engine House to house a Manx Utilities sub-station and proposed site services at

Bishopscourt

Kirk Michael

Figure 1. The Chapel, Palace, West Wing, old Dairy and modern Garage Block at Bishopscourt seen from the South East. The re-servicing of these buildings and the use of pre-existing routes for buried services in the gravel walks and drives is the purpose of this amendment to an approved application.

RK/6296 Phase 11 ~ January 2024

Planning History

On the 11th of October 2023 application 23/00910/B was approved for a New Engine House containing a Manx Utilities Sub-Station, for a plant farm and for the upgrading of services generally at Bishopscourt. An extensive statement detailing the proposals and the history of the site’s services was included with that application. This shorter planning statement supports proposed amendments to the approved application.

Bishopscourt comprises the episcopal palace associated with the Bishops of Sodor and Man and with a collection of associated structures including utilitarian outhouses and the Chapel is designated a Registered Building by the Isle of Man Government (RB No. 1, 23rd May 1983). The estate is located to the north-west side of the Main Road (A3) leading north from Kirk Michael to Ramsey and close to the west coast of the island in a relatively open landscape close characterised by agricultural enclosures, pastures, woodlands and scattered dwellings.

Bishopscourt is a Registered Building (Isle of Man Government, Code MH/H/R/A, RB No. 1, 23rd May 1983) comprising the principal house and the ‘buildings contiguous therewith’. It is located beyond the boundaries of the nearest Conservation Areas, including Kirk Michael to the south (designated 2006) and Glen Wyllin Conservation Area (also designated 2006); and the Ramsey Conservation Area (Planning Amendment Order, 1992), albeit at some distance to the east. Each is beyond the scope of the subject site, and their setting is not affected.

Amended Proposals

Aerial photograph showing a residential property with a large building covered in scaffolding and a yellow construction vehicle on the driveway.

Aerial photograph of a property showing a driveway with paving blocks, a lawn, and a shed with solar panels.

Amended Route for Approved Concrete Services Duct

A new, buried concrete services duct was approved in application 23/00910/B, running between the main house and the New Engine House and its sub-station, plantroom and adjacent plant farm. The proposed duct was to run alongside the Wash House before turning down the drive to the large Garage Block, both the drive and the building having been built in 2001. It was then to run beneath the garage block to the New Engine House.

The route beneath the garage block is not viable and an amended route has been proposed from the point where the duct turned after it had passed the Wash House wing: instead of going under the Garage Block, the duct is instead to run alongside the Garage, buried within the re-instated gravel carriage drive shown on the 1870s ordnance survey map. The re-instatement of this lost 19th century drive was also approved in application 23/00910/B. Like the previously approved route, the amended route will take the duct through ground which has been much disturbed since the sale of Bishopscourt in 1979 and especially during intensive landscaping work after 2001.

Additionally, practicality requires that the approved locations for the condenser units and the paved stone surface adjacent to them be swapped.

Figure 2. The area affected by the proposed change to the services duct layout detailed on the proposed site plan.

Replacement Trees

A close-up section of a topographical site plan or OS map extract showing contour numbers, tree symbols, and boundary lines.

A close-up section of a historical topographical map showing a building footprint labeled 205, surrounded by trees, paths, and contour lines indicating elevation.

A close-up section of a site location map or OS map extract showing plot numbers 206, 207, and 209 with vegetation symbols and boundary lines.

Sycamores 4003 and 4004 alongside the re-instated drive and new duct will have to be replaced – the details of their health are included in the accompanying arboricultural report. The merits of replacing these two trees with saplings in the same position have been considered and found wanting on account of the degraded landscaped mound around the privy, an historical feature of the gardens which is still being studied and which would be further disturbed by the introduction of new trees.

Instead, two new trees have been proposed at the north end of what was the Long Walk, a gravel path – now lost – which can be seen in the 1870s ordnance survey map.

Figure 3. The Long Walk marked in yellow on the 1870s Ordnance Survey map.

Refectory Walk

A photograph showing a paved driveway winding through a garden area with blooming daffodils and trees.

A photograph showing a paved driveway winding through a wooded area with trees and flowering plants along the side.

The Refectory Walk is an existing dirt track between the old theological college and the Refectory where the ordinands used to dine. Before the Refectory was sold and the drive fell into disuse, it was a formal gravel drive of the same width as others at Bishopscourt, as shown by the 1870s Ordnance Survey map. Approval was granted for its re-instatement as a gravel walk at 2,4m wide, however this has been found to be unsuitable for the passage of emergency vehicles and needs to be re-instated as 3,2m wide. This will require geocell root protection for the adjacent trees, as detailed in the accompanying arboricultural report.

Figure 4. The Refectory Walk photographed c.1940, shortly before it fell into disuse. It was gravelled like the rest of the Bishopscourt drives. Three of the Manx palms forming an avenue remain.

Amendment to Position of Condensers

The image shows a site layout plan detailing proposed changes including a re-instated gravel carriage drive, a proposed sub-station, and a service yard area.

A site plan illustrating proposed changes including a substation, gravel service yard, and driveway reinstatement with service trench routes.

Technical engineering drawing displaying side and front elevations of outdoor plant equipment enclosures with dimensions and airflow arrows.

A row of large white external plant units, likely HVAC equipment, installed on a paved surface next to a stone wall.

The alteration to the approved line of the buried services duct means that the services engineer has requested an alteration to the position of the condensers approved in the main application. This equipment was approved for installation behind the New Engine House, screened by shrubbery detailed in an accompanying landscape plan. The current proposal is to swap the approved condensers with an approved stone terrace or hard standing for firewood.

Figure 5. The approved application (left) and the proposed amendment (right) with

items included in the amendment highlighted. This shows the requested change to the position of the approved condensers.

Figure 6. A drawing and photograph of the condensers approved for installation in the previous application. There is no change to their design and scale. As per that application, the condensers will be dark green to help them blend into the newly established shrubbery.

APL Planning Statement

Source & Provenance