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www.ruralbusinessconsultancyItd.com 17^{\text {th }} December 2019
Please find attached application forms and land ownership details for the application of planning in principle for a new agricultural dwelling, Field 324731, Ballavitchel Lane, Crosby. In assessing the application, please could you take the following points into consideration.
Mr Robbie Christian and his partner Miss Heather Moore are applying for planning in principle to build a new agricultural dwelling.
Ballaharry Farms Ltd is the farming business that farms the land at Ballavitchel and is also tenant on Michael Mountain. Please see attached maps.
Mr Robbie Christian is a director of Ballaharry Ltd, along with his father Mr Norman Christian.
The farming business is currently based on 2000 acres of rough grazing and 80 acres of good cultivatable grassland. Stocking includes approximately 1300 breeding ewes, 1000 of which are hill ewes plus replacement stock and 19 suckler cows. Currently the majority of lambs are finished, with some ewe lambs retained for breeding and the male calves sold as forward stores at 12-18 months of age.
As a result of the farming activity the total farming business has a labour requirement of 4.21 standard labour units.
The labour requirement has increased from 4.04 standard labour units in 2017 to the 4.21 standard labour units of today.
The Hill land is leased from the Isle of Man Government on a long-term agreement.
The farming operation is split between the rented hill ground (2000acres) and the owned land at Ballavitchel.
The owned land at Ballavitchel extends to 58 acres plus a further 18 acres nearby leased on long term agreements.
Stocking at Ballavitchel currently includes 19 suckler cows plus calves, 300 breeding ewes plus 250 replacement ewe lambs. All lambs are fattened either on crops or concentrates through the sheds at Ballavitchel and the labour requirement for the farming operation at Ballavitchel is 1.39 standard labour units.
Under the DEFA Agricultural Development scheme and Red Tractor Farm Assurance, which the business applies to and conforms to, there is a requirement that animal health and welfare is not compromised. Residing on site is an essential part to observing stock and also ensuring their management, handling, wellbeing and the security around livestock, medicines, fuels and machinery is a priority.
Currently all the finished lambs are sold to Isle of Man Meats with some of the female lambs sold through Central Marts as breeding stock to other sheep keepers.
The Cattle have been sold locally as stores for simplicity.
Mr R Christian is currently residing in Lezayre where he is employed as a farm worker. As a result of this a significant amount of time is spent traveling from Lezayre to Ballavitchel especially around lambing and calving time where an increased amount of observation and labour is required to ensure that animal health and welfare is not compromised.
Travel time from Lezayre to Crosby is approximately 40-45 minutes and through lambing and calving time, this journey can be made three or four times a day. Access to the farm and livestock is also problematic around road closures for road racing (TT & Classic TT).
Mr R Christians father, Mr N Christian, resides closer to the site and has until recently been able to provide some daily observation of stock.
Mr N Christian needs a replacement hip and at 66 years of age is not a reliable source of labour currently or into the long term.
Mr N Christian resides in his own private dwelling which is not or has not been associated with the land at Ballavitchel.
Mr R Christian wishes to build a new dwelling for himself and his partner and two sons, the provision of a dwelling on site will allow for the farming operation at Ballavitchel to be increased and costs reduced from so much travel.
Mr R Christian is a passionate Young farmer (38 years old) and is looking ahead to ensure his farming business is secure and that he can capitalise on the opportunities that he has available. The travelling is a big cost and time implication to him but has been necessary to allow him to provide for his family whilst developing his farming business.
Should be R Christian be able to build and reside on site at Ballavitchel then the farming business can expand with more breeding cows and cattle. As a result of residing on site, and growing the business, Mr R Christian will be able to realise a full-time income from his farming operation which will allow him to develop the land further and also seek out further land for leasing in the vicinity. When there is such a distance and time constraint to the current operation - expanding the farming operation at Crosby when residing in Lezayre does not seem logical.
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Mr Christian wishes to grow the business to the point where the farming operation will encompass 40 beef breeding cows, plus 350 breeding ewes, finishing lambs, draft ewes from the hill and rearing cattle. Mr Christian has invested in higher value suckler cow genetics with a view to rearing high value replacement heifers for other breeders.
The potential standard labour requirement for the proposed farming operation at Ballavitchel is approximately 1.6 standard labour units. There is a further 2.84 standard labour units required for the hill operation. A total labour requirement of 6.09 standard labour units. A substantial farming business.
Mr R Christian has looked at purchasing private dwellings in the area and a market survey today indicates one three-bedroom home for £ 240,000 in need of modernisation, a 3 bedroom home in Glen Vine for £ 380,000, a 2 bedroom in Glen Vine for £ 239,000, a 4 bedroom bungalow in Glen Vine for £ 399,000. Other properties are available over this price range, which are completely out of any farm workers budget.
Mr Christian has also been looking for some time for an affordable tied agricultural dwelling to become available in the area, however none have come to market that are realistically affordable.
The consequences of purchasing a nearby private dwelling would be that the farm is unlikely to generate sufficient income to justify a large enough wage for Mr R Christian. As a result, it would be highly likely that the couple would have to source off farm income which would result in the business not being able to grow in order for it to sustain the wages required.
This business has only prospered due the fact that the family bought the bare land near to where family was residing. Since then they have erected buildings to aid the management and also health and welfare of the stock.
Having Mr N Christian residing nearby has allowed the business to expand and for Mr R Christian to become employed and provide for his family. With Mr N Christian reducing his involvement in the day to day operation of the business and looking to the long term, erecting a dwelling on the land is a realistic option for Mr R Christian.
With Mr N Christian reducing his involvement, there will be increased pressure on Mr R Christian to travel more often to see stock, as he doesn't wish to see welfare compromised, and along with the increased travel comes increased costs and reduced time available to spend with his young family.
Lambing the lowland ewes, takes place over a period of approximately 6 weeks and the hill ewes require extra supervision over a period of approximately 4 weeks. Cows are currently calving over a 9-week period which is considered a tight calving period for a suckler herd. Currently Lambing and calving are timed to coincide due to the labour and travelling. However, if Mr R Christian was residing on site, he would look to calve earlier and possibly lamb some ewes earlier too. This would extend the lambing and calving over 3 months with the result being lambs and calves being heavier at sale and worth more. Currently this is not possible due the extra time and observation required.
The location has been identified due this being owned and in close proximity to other residential dwellings. The access to the farm buildings will serve the proposed dwelling and therefore no new access will be required.
The proposed dwelling will be screened with sympathetic planting to ensure the environment and landscape is enhanced as much as possible.
The application for planning in principle for a new agricultural dwelling is seen as key for the development of this agricultural business. Mr R Christian has been working off farm to facilitate the business growth required to generate a full-time income. This business is at the point where residing on site is realistically achievable and the key to driving and realising the efforts into a business that sustains a farming family.
Encouraging the next generation into family farming businesses is key to ensure that the Islands family farming businesses develop and can deliver a stronger role in the Islands Economy and Environment.
Should you require any further assistance with this application, please do not hesitate to get in touch
Best Regards
Chris Kneale
Rural Business Consultancy Ltd.
| Total livestock | 6,681.0 | | :-- | :-- | | Total crops | 1,344.1 | | Overhead assumption | 401.3 |
assuming 5 % overheads allowance Total standard man hours per year \quad 8,426.4 Total labour units required \quad 4.21 assuming 2000 standard labour units per labour unit
Produced by the Agriculture Directorate of Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. These standards figures are sourced from the SAC Farm Management Handbook 25th edition, published September 2004, page 281
Produced by the Agriculture Directorate of Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. These standards figures are sourced from the SAC Farm Management Handbook 25th edition, published September 2004, page 281
Produced by the Agriculture Directorate of Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. These standards figures are sourced from the SAC Farm Management Handbook 20th edition, published September 2004, page 281
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