An application to de-register an historic protected building in Castletown has been turned down by planners.

Roy and Susan Tilleard had been granted permission at the first instance to de-register Lorne House, a Georgian building, formerly the Lieutenant Governor’s residence, near to Castletown Harbour.

But an appeal against the decision was allowed after being passed to an independent planning inspector.

In his application, Mr Tilleard said he had no objection to registering the house, which dates possibly from the early 1800s but he challenged the inclusion of the kitchen garden and field area, which he wanted removed from the register. He questioned the legality of including these in the listing, saying registration could apply only to a building. He argued that both the building and associated parts, including the paddock and kitchen garden should be de registered and then the building and archway alone re-registered.

In February, government planners agreed to de-register the house then issue a new registration limited just to the house and the entrance archway and turret.

In the appeal against the decision, it was argued that the idea of dividing the house from its grounds was ’abhorrent’ . The house and grounds were said to provide ’beauty and continuity’ in the centre of Castletown. The grand house was unique to the island, it being a location where there had been no aristocracy to build grand country houses akin to Chatsworth or Castle Howard. It was also argued that the house and grounds comprised a single unit with the walled kitchen garden providing vegetables for the house and the field supporting livestock.

’It would be an act of vandelism to allow this unit to be dismembered,’ the appeal was told.

The appeal also heard: ’It was clear that the application for de-registration was motivated by a desire to develop the open land with housing.’

The Isle of Man Antiquarian Society objected to the proposed deregistration of Lorne House, saying the whole site was historically important. The walled garden was one of only two remaining intact, and the field contained one of only two subterranean ice houses in the island.

Paul Moncaster, of Lorne House Lodge, objected to the de-registration, saying Lorne House and its grounds were integral parts of a whole, which the present owners had repeatedly tried to break up. For instance, in 2010, there had been no fewer than 10 planning applications affecting the property.