29 July 2020 · Planning Committee
Field 425318, Main Road, Ballabeg, Castletown, Isle Of Man, IM9 4eh
The proposal involves building a traditional-style single-storey dwelling with a garage and utility room, measuring 11m wide by 9.3m deep with a 7.9m ridge height, finished in stone walls and slate roof, located 40m west of existing farm buildings.
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The principal issue was whether the dwelling is justified by agricultural need, which was accepted based on the recent Approval in Principle (19/01077/A) establishing the principle with no change in c…
General Policy 3
Permits essential housing for agricultural workers outside zoned development areas, subject to Housing Policies 7-10. The officer assessed the proven agricultural need from prior AIP and farm evidence as satisfying the exception to the countryside presumption against development.
Housing Policy 7
Requires real agricultural need for new agricultural dwellings in exceptional circumstances. Officer confirmed need via labour unit calculations, on-site necessity for livestock oversight, and lack of affordable tied dwellings.
Housing Policy 8
Mandates occupancy restriction to agricultural workers or dependants. Applied via condition 2 to ensure compliance post-approval.
Housing Policy 9
Requires siting within/adjoining farm buildings, set back from highways, via existing access. Site is 40m from farm buildings, access is new but 85m from main entrance deemed acceptable; landscaping screens from A7.
Housing Policy 10
Requires design per Planning Circular 3/91 (policies 1-7). Traditional design with 11m frontage, stone/slate materials, chimney stack, and pitched roof assessed as appropriate for countryside.
Environment Policy 1
Presumption against development in countryside for protection. Exception justified by agricultural need; visual impact acceptable with landscaping.
Environment Policy 2
Protects countryside. Proposal sited close to farm group, sympathetic design and materials ensure landscape integration.
Time limit
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.
Agricultural occupancy restriction
The occupation of the dwelling hereby approved shall be limited to a person engaged or last engaged solely in agriculture on the Isle of Man, or a widow or widower of such a person, or any resident dependants. Reason: The site is in an area where new dwellings are not normally approved except where an agricultural need has been established and accepted by the Department.
Landscaping implementation
All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping must be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the completion of the development or the occupation of the dwelling, whichever is the sooner. Any trees or plants which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed, or become seriously damaged or diseased must be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species. Reason: The landscaping of the site is an integral part of the scheme and must be implemented as approved.
Demolition if agricultural need ceases
Once constructed, if the dwelling is no longer required or occupied by persons engaged in agriculture, as required by condition 2 above, it must be demolished and the ground returned to part of the surrounding fields. Reason: an exception to the general presumption against development is being made on the basis of agricultural need and should that need no longer be present, there is no justification for the dwelling and it should be removed.
support the application
no objection subject to conditions for access, garage retention, and provision of an electric vehicle charging point
content that proposed new hedging will mitigate loss of hedging for access; advise on Wildlife Act provisions
Highway Services raised no objection subject to conditions on access, garage retention, and EV charging point. DEFA Ecosystem Policy Officer raised no objection subject to a condition securing native hedge and tree planting plus a bird nesting advisory. Arbory and Rushen Parish Commissioners supported the application.
Key concern: potential for nesting birds in the hedge bank which is to be removed
Highway Services Division
Conditional No ObjectionHighway Services raises no opposition subject to conditions; Recommendation: DNOC
Conditions requested: access, pedestrian and vehicle areas to accord to drawings 226/020 and 226/021 hereby approved; any gates to open inwards; garage retention for its stated purpose; provision of an ECVP
DEFA Ecosystem Policy
Conditional No Objectionin order to comply with Strategic Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, the Ecosystem Policy team request that the hedge and tree planting as specified with the proposed site plan be secured via a planning condition
Conditions requested: hedge and tree planting as specified with the proposed site plan be secured via a planning condition
Arbory and Rushen Parish Commissioners
Supportthe Board considered the following applications and supported a) and c) below; c) 20/00553/B Field 425318 & 424873 Friary Farm. Erection of an agricultural workers dwelling with associated vehicular access.
