18 April 2019 · Delegated - Head of Development Management (Stephen Butler)
Outbuildings, Church Farmhouse, Lane From Malew Road To Church Farm, Great Meadow, Castletown, Isle Of Man, IM9 4eb
The application proposed internal alterations and two new windows to the late Victorian/Edwardian stone farmhouse, a single-storey side extension to create a separate two-bedroom tourist unit with modern materials like zinc roof, fair-faced blockwork, and timber cladding, conversion of a modern detached garage (6.7m x …
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The officer concluded that the garage conversion fails Environment Policy 11 (EP11) as the garage is not redundant for its original purpose (still needed for the main house, evidenced by the proposed …
General Policy 3
Presumes against development in undesignated countryside. Officer assessed the garage conversion and house extension as creating new habitable tourist units, breaching the policy's restrictions.
Environment Policy 2
Restricts development in countryside. Combined with GP3, failed by proposals undermining presumption against new units.
Environment Policy 11
Permits reuse of rural buildings for new uses like tourism if redundant, of historic interest, convertible without extension/adverse change, and other criteria met. Garage fails a (not redundant), b (no historic value), c (adverse domestic transformation); all criteria required.
Housing Policy 15
Extensions to traditional countryside properties must respect proportion, form, appearance; only exceptionally over 50% floorspace. Extension's modern materials/roof/canopy distinct from house's classical limestone/symmetrical form, causing harm.
no objection to the application
Malew Parish Commissioners stated no objection to application 19/00254/B among a list of applications.
Malew Parish Commissioners
No ObjectionMalew Parish Commissioners have no objection to the following applications.; 19/00254/B | Church Farmhouse, Great Meadow | Creation of 2 windows, erection of detached car port and erection of side annex and conversion of existing detached garage to create 2 tourist accommodation units
The original application for two windows, a detached car port, side annex extension and garage conversion to create tourist units was refused under delegated powers on 18/04/2019 for breaching countryside policies (GP3, EP2, EP11) and failing to respect the host building's character (HP15). The appellant argued compliance with tourism policies (SP8, EP16, BP11/12), no visual harm due to screening, tourism need and no objections. The inspector found the garage not redundant or of historic interest, the extension's contemporary design harmful to the traditional house despite screening, and tourism benefits insufficient to outweigh policy conflicts. The appeal was dismissed on 29/08/2019 following a public inquiry.
Precedent Value
Reinforces strict application of EP16 to non-redundant modern buildings and HP15 to extensions; tourism need carries weight but rarely overrides in countryside without full policy compliance. Future applicants should prioritise traditional designs and evidence of building redundancy.
Inspector: Brian J Sims BSc(Hons) CEng MICE MRTPI
