Heritage, Design and Access Statement. Sandown Town Hall Grafton Street Sandown PO36 8JJ Front Entrance on Grafton Street Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 1 P a g e Brief This statement has been prepared in accordance with the requirement for submission of planning application and Listed building consent. The planning statement focuses on the relevant policies for this site close to Sandown town Centre and the nature of the proposed use.     The Island Plan (Core Strategy) adopted March 2012 is the approved development plan. The National Planning Policy Framework NPPF is the national planning policy The application has been the subject of pre-submission discussions with the Local Planning Authority The application is for Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent This statement has been prepared in a connection with a detailed planning application for the change of use of a former town hall a non-residential institution to a mixed-use development of 11 residential units plus 229m2 of non-residential accommodation consisting of a hall and associated facilities to be used for education and training, exhibitions, public hall and community use. Current Situation Sandown Town Hall is one of very few listed buildings in Sandown. The building was formerly the home of Sandown Town Council since 1869 and Sandown Fire Brigade since 1879. Sandown Town Council moved from the building some years ago and are now located in a new building at the Broadway centre. For a limited-time the fire station and lower ground floor were used as youth club. The building has been empty for the last couple of years, the Central Eltham youth project were the last occupants leaving in June 2017. The building has been vacant since then. The site was listed as an asset of community value in 2017 and the council indicated its intention to market the site at this time. The interim moratorium period lapsed. No offers for the building were received during the consultation period. The council has now changed its approach and is looking retain the building and to find an alternative use for the building. Because of the nature of the architectural features and the size and placement of the windows, the hall is difficult to convert. It is therefore proposed to protect the architectural integrity of the hall, as a single space. Other parts of the building more easily convert to residential and can provide nine units of accommodation. The outbuildings at the rear, while they are within the curtilage of the site are not physically attached to the listed building and are not mentioned in the list description. These buildings are not listed individually and are not within a conservation area and not on the local list. The proposed demolition of these outbuildings will enable two additional residential units to be built as enabling development to help fund the restoration of the hall. The building is 150 years old, there are significant defects with the fabric of the building arising from both its age and the poor quality of previous alterations. The cost of the repairs and the cost of conversion to improve the performance of the building so that it can be comfortably occupied exceeds the market value on completion of repair and conversion, allowing for all development costs, but assuming a nil value for the land. The two cottages at the rear of the site will help to address the conservation deficit that exists with this building. Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 2 P a g e The proposal Eleven residential units as follows            Unit 1 – 2B4PH – 77sqm – Former Caretakers Cottage Unit 2 – 1B2PF – 67sqm – Shared entrance Town Hall office Unit 3 – 1B2PF – 54sqm– Shared entrance Town Hall office Unit 4 – 1B2PF- 60sqm– Shared entrance Town Hall office Unit 5 – 2B4PH- 126sqm – Former Fire station Unit 6 – 3B5PM-115sqm- Maisonette off Grafton Lane Unit 7- 3B4PH-115sqm – New Build Enabling Development off Grafton Lane Unit 8 – 3B4PH- 115sqm – New Build Enabling Development off Grafton Lane Unit 9 – 1B2PF- 62sqm – Shared entrance from Grafton Lane Unit 10 -1B2PF – 56sqm – Separate entrance off the path Unit 11- 1B2PF – 56sqm – Separate entrance off the stairs The Hall with its own separate entrance off Grafton Street is 229m2. Within the halls entrance there would be an office with tea making facilities and toilets for the hall. It is proposed that a new enclosed fire escape staircase would be constructed at the east end of the hall providing a protected escape route on to Grafton Lane. The hall will be managed and maintained by the Local Authorities selected tenant on a leasehold arrangement. The hall would be limited to a maximum occupancy of 120 persons, subject to fire escape, licencing and building regulations approval. The arrangements for the hall use are yet to be determined but it is suggested the use could be conditioned to allow for flexible uses that might include some or all of the following The hall could be used from 8:00 am until 7pm Monday to Saturday for use as creative workshops, learning, training, education using light industry, hand tools, with no loud sounds, smells or dust. There would be control over the limit of use of the hall which are quite enough to be used along-side residential. Possible Community use, including dance, fitness, circus training, meetings may occur 9.00 am to 9pm on Monday to Saturday. Commercial use exhibitions, conferences, trainings and meetings 9am-7pm Private family focussed occasions may be booked with music allowed until 11:30 building empty by 12:00 only on Fridays and Saturdays maximum number of events limited to 20 per annum. The hall would be closed on Bank Holidays and Christmas Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 3 P a g e The site Outside, the land surrounding the building is mainly hard standing with boundary walls, this gives opportunity for a small area of private amenity space for most of the residential units. The passageway down the south side of the site is part of the adopted highway network, allowing access to the residential accommodation on the lower ground floor, units 10 and 11. At the front of the building there is an existing hardstanding currently used for car parking, there is capacity for 11 vehicles to park on the front of the building. All of these parking places are allocated to the residential units and uses of the hall would be accommodated by the nearby public carparks and the good public transport links. The location is in the town centre close to bus routes 2,3,8 and Island Coaster routes. There are regular bus services to Newport, Ryde, Bembridge, Shanklin, Ventnor. The site is within walking distance to the rail station. The site is within walking distance of St Johns Road public carpark and Station Avenue carpark. Historical Background Social entertainment in Sandown during the late 1800’s to early 1900’s included light entertainment and talks at the original smaller town hall in Bridger Street (now St John Road). The then Sandown Local Government Board, appointed a committee to consider the need for a larger building to serve the entertainment needs of Sandown’s growing population, the hall was designed to hold 500 persons seated. In April 1869 the committee agreed to go ahead with the building of a new Town Hall. When the new town hall was opened in Grafton Street the scale and offer of entertainment was increased. Concert programmes from the period record the variety and frequency at which the hall was used. The objective of the hall was to form a place where social amusement, recreation and enjoyment could be promoted for the inhabitants of Sandown. The property was conveyed to the Local Board for the District of Sandown in 1869 together with the site of the Fire Station. By virtue of the Local Government Act 1972 the Property and Fire Station vested in South Wight Borough Council who sold the Property to the County Council of the Isle of Wight on 31 March 1982. The building was listed on 14 February 1992 as being of special architectural or historic interest. The out buildings at the rear were mostly recently used as a council yard, although there are comments that the red brick building was used originally used as Sandown’s Mortuary. The mortuary building is in poor condition, structural cracks are apparent on the front elevation and the building is too small to be converted. The rear wall of Grafton Lane elevation was substantially rebuilt after it collapsed in great storms in 1989 Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 4 P a g e Site Location Sandown Town Hall, Grafton street, Sandown PO36 8JJ National Grid Reference: SZ 59652 84251 List entry Heritage Category: Listed Building Grade: II List Entry Number: 1034283 Date first listed: 14-Feb-1992 Statutory Address: TOWN HALL, GRAFTON STREET SANDOWN SZ58SE GRAFTON STREET 1352-0/4/171 Town Hall II Town Hall. Dated 1869 in Neo-Classical style. Current rendered with slate roof. Asymmetrical, 2 storeys 7 windows. The right-hand 3 bays, which are of higher elevation, have a pediment with Prince of Wales feathers and the motto "Town Hall 1869". 6 engaged fluted giant columns, the end ones coupled. 3 windows with 6 panes, the centre with triangular pediment, the end ones curved. The ground floor has a pedimented doorcase with console brackets and double panelled doors. Tented canopy with wooden fretwork and 4 cast iron console brackets. Central bay has ramped parapet and dentil cornice. 2 closely spaced sashes above pedimented door with semi-circular fanlight and keystone. Double doors. Left-hand 3 bays have open pediment with oculus and 4 coupled fluted giant pilasters. 2 segmental-headed windows to 1st floor and 2 round-headed windows to ground floor. Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 5 P a g e Historical Maps Epoch 1 The first county series published between 1843-1983 shows nothing on the site just a field. Location of hall shown in red line. Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 6 P a g e Epoch 2 The first county series revision published dates 1891 to 1912 shows the town hall is there, together with the fire station and rear outbuildings. Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 7 P a g e Epoch 3 the second county series revision published 1904 to 1939 shows the caretakers cottage has been added to the side of the town hall offices. Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 8 P a g e Planning policy The site lies within Key Regeneration Area, The Bay, Policy SP1, in principal development is supported on appropriate land with primary settlements such as Sandown. The number of units proposed is less than 15 therefore, there is no planning requirement to provide onsite affordable housing. Policy DM4 sets out that developers are expected to provide financial contributions for developments of 1 to 14 units in KRA. Ecology A preliminary roost and nest assessment was undertaken in July 2019 which identified the potential for bats and birds to be nesting in the building. As a requirement a follow up Bat Emergence Survey EPSL was commissioned and completed September 2019. Bats are roosting in the main structure but are not in the structures at the rear. The works to the roof will therefore be carried out under Licence providing mitigation and enhancement for the bats and the birds. It is considered providing the works are carried out at restricted times of the year, carefully and under licence the development proposals will not have a negative impact on the local bat population. Parking The site is located outside the town centre and is in an area where on street parking is limited. However, the site is close to the town centre and local amenities, the application includes a separate parking assessment. Affordable housing contributions The eleven units consisting of 6 flats and 5 houses could be offered for rent and or market sale depending on viability. The hall being leasehold on a long lease will be limited by condition in its use to education and training, exhibitions, public hall and community use such events as not to cause a nuisance to the residence. If the properties are sold on the open market the estimated values are given below, and the associated affordable housing contributions will be made through a Unilateral Undertaking or Planning Obligation under Section 106 of the Planning Act. Property Value Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 Unit 7 Unit 8 Unit 9 Unit 10 Unit 11 2B4PH 1B2PF 1B2PF 1B2PF 2B4PH 4B6PH 3B4PH 3B4PH 1B2PF 1B2PF 1B2PF GDV Property Value Threshold £164,574 £143,200 £115,415 £128,239 £269,302 £245,792 £245,792 £245,792 £132,514 £119,690 £119,690 £1,930,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 £100,000 Remaining Value £64,574 £43,200 £15,415 £28,239 £169,302 £145,792 £145,792 £145,792 £32,514 £19,690 £19,690 Tariff 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% Total SPD Affordable housing contribution £1,937 £1,296 £462 £847 £5,079 £4,374 £4,374 £4,374 £975 £591 £591 £24,900 Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 9 P a g e The open market value on completion is estimated to be £1,930,000. The development costs are likely to be higher that the gross development value because of the costs associated with the conservation of the hall. The ability to make affordable housing contributions will be dependent on viability the final development costs which cannot be certain at this stage. The applicant is willing to enter into a planning obligation subject to viability. Solent Recreation Mitigation Strategy The site lies within the 5.6km zone around the Solent Special Protection Areas a sliding scale of contributions is applied. This will be:£346 for 1 bedroom dwelling x 6 = £2,076 £500 for 2 bedroom dwelling x 2 = £1,000 £653 for 3 bedroom dwelling x 2 = £1,306 £768 for 4 Bed maisonette dwelling x1 = £768 The total bird mitigation contribution will be £5,150 A contribution to the Solent recreation Mitigation Strategy has been set out in the draft Heads of terms and the applicant agrees to pay the Council’s legal fees for completion of any legal agreement to secure the required contributions. Conclusion The alterations to the main building are to remove later inappropriate and unsympathetic extensions from the rear of the building. Including a two storey flat roof extension on the caretakers cottage, and a single storey flat roof extension on the rear of the fire station that is causing damp ingress into the hall. The main features of the building the front elevation, the hall and the main staircase will all be retained and restored together with the windows. In order to allow the hall to function as a separate element a new staircase extension will be built on the rear the brickwork will be chosen to match the existing. The existing entrance with facilities for the hall will be refurbished and restored. Details of the specification of the works to the listed building to bring the building up to building regulations standards in term of fire separation and noise separation have yet to be completed but The extensive costs of the repairs are likely to be in the order of £1,852,373. As enabling development the addition of two new build houses on land to the rear will help contribute to the viability of the development. The loss of the outbuildings and their replacement with a pair of houses will not materially harm the heritage value of the Town Hall building or its setting. Allowing the partial conversion of the building to residential will secure the long-term future of the Town Hall and the conversion will be sympathetic to the architectural features, retaining the hall as one space with potential that it can continue to be utilised for community benefit. The public benefit of restoring the hall, saving the building from further dilapidation decisively outweighs the disbenefits of harm to the outbuildings. Although the building has some Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 10 P a g e significant defects caused by damp ingress, the hall is capable of restoration and the enabling development proposed is the minimum necessary to fund saving the building. Sandown Town Hall Heritage Statement 11 P a g e