Historic buildings need appropriate windows say Planning Panel

The Planning Applications Panel (PAP) heard two applications yesterday to replace windows with modern ones but refused both because neither applicant had chosen a style sympathetic to their property.

 

The owner of a property in St Martin applied to replace 20 original historic timber windows in their farmhouse with double glazed ones. Le Cotil, in La Rue St Julien, is a Potential Listed Building so the applicant has to justify why the historic windows are being replaced, and not repaired.

 

At an earlier PAP meeting, the panel told the applicant they could replace some of the windows if they chose an historic style sympathetic to the building and  justified to Planning which windows needed replacing.

 

Meanwhile, the owner of a property at Les Ormes Farm, La Rue de la Blanche Pierre, St. Lawrence, also a Potential Listed Building, applied to replace seven modern windows. They too were advised they could replace the windows if they chose an historic style sympathetic to the building.

 

Smallholder’s extension plans fail

 

The applicant wanted to create an apple juice processing room, incubation room, boot room, store room and a tractor/trailer parking area on the ground floor, with a farm office, toilet and occasional training room on the first floor.

 

At an earlier hearing, the panel asked for more financial information to show whether the business was viable, in line with the requirements of the original planning permit. But yesterday, it decided there was not enough evidence of this, no clear agricultural need for some of the development, and a concern about the impact of the new building in the landscape.

 

Plans to demolish a hotel in the green zone in St Mary and replace it with five new homes has been approved because of the environmental benefits.

 

A report on the application stated that over a number of years, the West View Hotel has suffered from a series of poor quality extensions, and the proposed new development will be significantly smaller in scale and mass than the existing hotel.

 

PAP heard the new development was of a high quality design with locally-relevant architecture and materials, and will result in improved road safety for pedestrians and motorists. The applicant will give land to the public for junction improvements, and for a pavement and a bus stop with seating area to be built.

 

Replacement home at Les Ruisseaux not appropriate

After a site visit, the panel supported the concerns of residents and refused the application. The contemporary style was considered to be out of keeping with its surroundings. Of particular concern was a first floor ‘pod’ which was considered inappropriate for the site, particularly given the visual impact on immediate neighbours.