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                                      20/00203/B                                     Page  1  of  3

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 20/00203/B Applicant : Mr Andrew Marsh & Ms Louise Teare Proposal : Erection of single storey extension Site Address : 2 Balnahow Farm Cottages Balnahow Farm Balnahowe Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1HN

Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 30.03.2020 __

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal is considered to accord with Housing Policies 11 and 15 of the Strategic Plan.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawings 1, 2, 3 and 4 all received on 21st February, 2020.

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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

THE SITE

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                                      20/00203/B                                     Page  2  of  3

1.1 The site is Balnahow Farm - a complex of a dwelling and agricultural outbuildings which were up until relatively recently, a working farm. The farm has been sold and the land around it sold separately and is now being farmed in association with Southampton Farm whose farm buildings are based in Port Soderick. Planning approval has recently been granted for a series of alterations and extensions to the main farmhouse which sits outside of this application site and for the conversion of the stone outbuildings to residential units.

1.2 The site sits on both sides of a private road which joins the public road some way to the west. This public road provides access to the Meary Veg sewage treatment plant, as well as a number of dwellings. The houses are a combination of traditional (Ballacregga and Balnahow Farmhouse) with the majority being modern properties of one and two storeys.

1.3 One group of the farm buildings are arranged in an L shape with additions to the east. The building to the south is linear with no projections front or rear.

1.4 The application concerns unit 2 which is attached to unit 3 to the south and is L-shaped in footprint. The unit lies at the northern side of the building group and has a small garden to the north and a paved area for access and parking to the south where there is also access from the farm road.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is an extension on the northern side of the building to provide and annex to the lounge. The footprint of the building will be 3.3m by 4m and it will have a profile similar to an existing annex which is original, on the other side of the northern elevation and like it will be finished in stone. The annex will have a large window which is subdivided into three vertical elements with similar glazing bars to the other windows in this elevation.

PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated as not for a particular purpose and of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance on The Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982. On the draft Landscape Character Assessment, the area is recognised as Incised Slopes - the most common of the land use character types. The accompanying text talks about the rural character of the area with open fields and wooded areas and the need to approach development sensitively, recognising traditional materials, densities and styles.

3.2 As the area is not designated for development, there is a presumption against new works as set out in General Policy 3 and Environment Policies 1 and 2 particularly where it would adversely affect the character and appearance of the countryside which is protected for its own sake.

3.3 Alterations to rural buildings are guided by Housing Policy 11 which presumes conversions will not result in any significant change to the building and that once converted, subsequent additions will not be added and Housing Policy 15 which suggest that existing rural dwellings should not be extended by more than 50% and should be in a form sympathetic to the existing building, where practicable and desirable, the conversion works should re-establish the original appearance of the building and use the same materials as those in the existing building.

PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 Planning permission was granted for the conversion of the buildings to residential along with other alterations and amendments to create a residential complex - 17/00563/B, 16/01408/B, 16/01190/B, 19/00682/B and 19/00890/B. More recently permission has been granted for extensions to other units - unit 5 had a porch approved as well as other units having garages and garden stores.

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Santon Commissioners have no objection (08.04.2020).

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                                      20/00203/B                                     Page  3  of  3

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The issue in this case is whether the development would have any adverse environmental impact on the area of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance, given that the planning policies here protect the countryside for its own sake and that protection of the landscape is a primary consideration.

6.2 Whilst the extension would be an addition to an approved conversion, it is of an appropriate form - solid walled and not significantly glazed or rendered which would give the building an unfortunate domestic appearance - and modest and would not be publicly visible.

CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposal is considered to accord with Housing Policies 11 and 15 and is supported.

INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

8.2 The decision maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status __

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted

Date: 14.04.2020

Determining officer Signed : C BALMER

Chris Balmer

Principal Planner

Customer note

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