Planners ignored historical building policy, researcher says

Dr Martin said some rebuilds were 900% larger than the original

A more consistent approach to planning applications to replace old buildings on the Isle of Man is needed, a select committee has heard.

Researcher Andrew Martin said about 75% of decisions on replacing historical buildings from 2014 to 2018 did not refer to relevant government policy.

He described this approach by officers as "a major failing".

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) has been contacted for a response.

Dr Martin, who is a research associate in long-term ecology at the University of Oxford, was giving evidence in a personal capacity to a Tynwald committee looking at how to preserve or repurpose old buildings.

He began looking at the issue when farms on the island close to his family's farm from the 1700s "started to disappear".

'Collateral damage'

Dr Martin noted that over a four-year-period the senior officer for the north of the island referenced the relevant government guidelines in about half of cases.

But the officer for the south did not mention them at all, which meant "there was no assessment whatsoever of anything to do with historical merit of the buildings" in these cases, Dr Martin said.

He said as there was "no real avenue" for new-builds in the countryside, historical buildings were becoming "collateral damage" to make way for them.

Policy states they could be pulled down to make way for like-for-like rebuilds, but Dr Martin said "in a large amount" of cases that did not happen.

Some had been built up to 900% bigger and on occasions the older buildings did not get demolished, he said.

He recommended there be an automatic consultation with bodies who could offer advice surrounding issues such as heritage or biodiversity on applications of that nature.

The planning process "should need to have regard to the advice given", Dr Martin added.

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