Background
St Mary’s Monastery, Perth, has been an important part of the retreat and renewal ministry of the Church since its construction in the 1860s.
St Mary’s is a fine example of the neo-gothic revival of the nineteenth century and the Redemptorists are currently embarking on the necessary fundraising activities with the objective of completing the restoration of St Mary's to a standard where they can continue and build on their good work in the community of Perth. This work has also grown internationally and a good number of their participants come to St Mary's from many parts of the world.
Further information on the Redemptorists is available to view on their website: www.kinnoullmonastery.co.uk
Introduction
Due to the continuing deterioration of the internal fabric of St Mary’s and the lack of funding available to address the situation, the Trustees are looking to sell surplus land for residential development to enable extensive internal refurbishment of the Monastery to meet current regulations, and create a stable and viable business for the future.
They have previously exhausted all potential grant funding routes and other sources of income in relation to the external restoration completed in 2010 with help from Historic Scotland, local Perth Trusts, individual supporters of St Mary's and from the Trustees’ own resources.
This programme of internal refurbishment will allow St Mary’s to comply with current regulations such that it may continue in its current use as a place of quiet retreat. In addition, and indeed underpinning the rationale behind the application, is the objective of creating a building that is fit for purpose and more efficient to run, and therefore enable the Trustees to make significant savings on an annual basis. This, coupled with the need to increase their charges by a modest amount for their programme of retreats and other activities, will create a far more viable and sustainable business case for the future operation of St Mary’s and ensure that this development secures the Trustees’ future in Perth.
This type of development is known as enabling development, in that the overriding justification is the requirement to raise funds for works to the adjacent listed building in order to address the requirement for the internal restoration works to be undertaken to ensure the long term occupation, and also in clearly linking the development to the works to the Monastery. The housing development therefore enables the restoration work to be completed.
By their very definition, enabling developments cannot comply with all relevant planning policies, but it is the special case put forward that provides justification to grant planning permission when balancing the arguments for and against the proposed development. It is the Trustees’ hope therefore that the principles of enabling development are accepted and that planning permission will be granted for the development of the adjacent field.
Consultation
On November 10th and 11th 2011, St Mary’s undertook a public consultation exercise to inform interested parties of the intended residential development on the surplus land and the reasons behind the forthcoming planning application. The consultation exercise was undertaken over a 2 day period to give interest parties opportunity to view the proposals. A copy of the Exhibition information is available to download [5.36mb, pdf].
The Trustees have reviewed all the comments made at that consultation, and taken these on board. Of the 95 written responses submitted, over 90% of respondents acknowledged the special justification for development in ensuring the long term occupation by the Trustees and the creation of a viable business to ensure maintenance and other running costs can be met consistently in the long term. Respondents also felt that the proposed site layout addressed many of the site specific characteristics of the location. A small number of respondents were against the proposed development, seeking to protect the field from future development.
Having taken these responses on board, and after attending several pre-application meetings with Perth and Kinross Council, the Trustees subsequently lodged the application for planning permission in January 2012.
Planning Application
The Trustees have applied for planning permission for 19 detached dwellinghouses on the field immediately to the east of the Monastery buildings. There would be a single vehicular access off Hatton Road, creating a four way junction with Hatton View, leading into a single access road through the site. The layout has been designed in such a way as to protect the setting of the Monastery, provide a wide buffer to the slopes of Kinnoull Hill, and preserve the majority of the existing trees along Hatton Road. Finally, the number of dwellings is driven by the need to generate the funds necessary to enable the completion of the refurbishment works.
The supporting information lodged with the planning application comprises the following:
- Planning and Enabling Statement
- Pre-application consultation report
- Design & Access Statement
- Ecological Assessment
- A series of plans illustrating the site layout and house types.
This proposed residential development would enable the Trustees of St Mary’s Monastery to raise sufficient funds to undertake significant internal renovation works of the Listed Building. In recognition of the special planning case being promoted in this instance, the Trustees have prepared a legal agreement that ensures all of the funds received from the land sale (to CALA Homes) are utilised for the refurbishment works, the expected costs of which are in excess of £2 million.
In the event that planning permission, and hence funds for refurbishment are not secured in the short term, the Trustees have indicated that they will have no option other than to consider a relocation away from St Mary’s. Thereafter, the entire assets at St Mary’s may be subject to sale.
However should permission be secured, the Trustees hope to complete the works over the winter of 2012/2013 - a period in which at present it is very difficult to operate due to the poor and uncomfortable living and working conditions experienced at St Mary’s.
Timescales
The Trustees have also made submissions to the emerging Local Development Plan seeking the allocation of the site for housing. However, the Trustees have chosen to lodge the planning application at this stage due to the timescales of the Local Development Plan, and also since this site can be delivered in early course to address immediate housing land shortfalls in Perth. Having submitted the application for planning permission in January 2012, it is hoped that the application progresses towards determination in spring/early summer 2012.
Comments
Members of the public and interested parties/organisations are encouraged to make their views known on the above planning application.
Comments on the application should be directed to the Perth & Kinross Council website via this link.
Please use the planning application reference 12-00008-FLM in all correspondence.
Contact Perth & Kinross Council in writing:
Head of Planning
Perth & Kinross Council
Pullar House
35 Kinnoull Street
PERTH PH1 5GD
Alternatively, if there is any matter associated with the Planning Application that requires clarification you may write to:
Tony Thomas
Director
WYG Planning & Design
39 George Street
EDINBURGH
EH2 2HN
tony.thomas@wyg.com
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