Decision Notice

Mr Peter Anthony Pearce Aust Veg Aust Lane Lezayre IM7 4EG

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019

In pursuance of powers granted under the above Act, and subordinate Orders and Regulations, the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture determined to REFUSE an application by Mr Peter Anthony Pearce, Ref 25/90565/A, for the Approval in Principle for the erection of a detached dwelling with all matters reserved at Aust Veg Aust Lane Ramsey Isle Of Man IM7 4EG for the following reason(s):

• 1. The principle of development for the erection of a dwelling is not accepted because the site lies within a rural and protected part of the countryside where any development is strictly controlled with the site not being allocated specifically for any development. The personal circumstances put forward by the applicant are not considered to be of such significance to warrant a departure from DEFA Planning's policies for the area. The proposal would be contrary to the provisions of Strategic Policies STR2 and STR3; General Policy 3a); Housing Policy 4a); and, Environment Policy 1, which seeks to protect the countryside for its own sake and from "Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an over-riding national need in land use planning terms which outweighs the requirement to protect these areas and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative."
• 2. The siting, design, scale and visual impact of any dwelling on the character of the site, and overall surroundings is unacceptable. Any dwelling would appear very much as an isolated feature on the site. This would be unacceptable in this countryside context, given that the site relates more to the rural, verdant softness of its countryside surroundings, than to any of the nearby dwellings. The proposal would, therefore, fail to accord with the provisions of General Policy 2 (b, c and g) in the Adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016), which seek to protect sites and their surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; and, to ensure that new development does not adversely affect the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; or the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality.
• 3. Notwithstanding the above reason for refusal, the applicant has failed to demonstrate that access to the site can be provided from Aust Lane in conjunction with the impact this

would have on the public highway at Andreas Road, in accordance with the requirements of the Manual for Manx Roads 2021. No details regarding access arrangements or the submission of a road safety audit, as outlined in paragraph 8.2.6 in the Manual for Manx Roads has been submitted with the application indicating how a safe access could be achieved. It is considered that the proposal to erect a dwelling on the site would fail to satisfactorily accord with this advice as contained in the Manual for Manx Roads (2021). Given the lack of such details to demonstrate that safe access and egress can be achieved from the proposed access location onto the public highway, the proposal fails to meet the requirements of Transport Policy 4 in the Adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016).

Date of Issue: 12th September 2025

J CHANCE Director of Planning and Building Control

Guidance Note

This decision was made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority delegated to them.

This decision refers only to that applied for under the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 and its subordinate legislation.

A copy of the Officer’s report and any correspondence which informed the assessment and decision is available to view on the Government’s website (via https://pbc.gov.im/online-applications/)

A determination to refuse planning approval does not have effect —

• • if an appeal is submitted until the appeal is determined or withdrawn; or
• • if no appeal is submitted, until the time within which an appeal may be submitted has expired (21 days from the date of this notice).

Appeal Any appeal must be in writing, include the appropriate fee and be submitted to the Department within 21 days of the date of this Notice.

Guidance on how to appeal is available at gov.im/howtoappeal