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Application No.: 25/90600/B Applicant: Mr Colin Oates Proposal: Extension to existing portal frame agricultural building Site Address: West Kimmeragh Farm West Kimmeragh Road Bride Isle Of Man IM7 4BA Senior Planning Officer: Mrs Louise Phillips Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 07.08.2025 _________________________________________________________________
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
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.
Reason: The countryside is protected from development and an exception is being made on the basis of agricultural need. As such the building must be used for the purposes for which it is approved.
The proposed development is essential for the conduct of agriculture, it would enlarge a building which is already part of a farmyard group and it would not cause harm to the landscape or general character and appearance of the area. It would therefore be justified in the countryside and so comply with the relevant policies of the Development Plan.
This approval relates to the following plans:
No representations were received and so there is no right of appeal.
_________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is the farmyard serving West Kimmeragh Farm, a holding extending to almost 106Ha, mostly on the south side of West Kimmeragh Road to the west of Bride. The farmyard comprises the farmhouse and a range of outbuildings of various ages and styles. The building proposed to be extended is a large metal barn at the rear/south of the farmyard, furthest away from the highway access and well within the site. A steep bank rises behind it.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposed extension would be to the west side of the barn and measure approximately 4.5m wide x 8m deep. It would be set back from the front elevation of the existing building and its roof would be slightly lower than the main ridge. The materials used to construct the extension would match those on the existing building. - 2.2 The existing building is the farm workshop and the proposed extension would be used to store cattle feed.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY Site Specific - 3.1 The site is not within a Conservation Area and there are no Registered Buildings, Registered Trees or Registered Tree Areas which would be affected by the proposal. A small part of the farmyard is shown to be at risk of surface water flooding, but this is well away from the building proposed to be extended. 1982 Development Plan - 3.2 The site is in the countryside. Strategic Plan - 3.3 Strategic Policy 2 - Development will be permitted in the countryside only in exceptional circumstances set out in General Policy 3. - 3.4 Spatial Policy 5 - Development will only be permitted in the countryside in accordance with General Policy 3. - 3.5 General Policy 2 - Provides various development management criteria, including the following which are relevant to this proposal:
3.6 General Policy 3 - Development outside areas zoned for development will not be permitted except for:
3.7 Environment Policy 1 - The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an overriding national need. - 3.8 Environment Policy 13 - Development which would result in an unacceptable risk from flooding, either on or off-site, will not be permitted. - 3.9 Environment Policy 15 - Where the Department is satisfied that there is an agricultural need for a new building, sufficient to outwegh the general policy against development in the countryside, and its impact is acceptable, development must be sited as close as practically possible to existing building groups and be of appropriate scale, materials, colour, siting and form to be sympathetic to the surrounding landscape and built environment. Buildings in exposed or isolated areas or close to public highways will only be permitted in in exceptional circumstances and will be subject to appropriate landscaping. The impact of new agricultural buildings upon nearby residential development must be considered.
5.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 5.1 The following history relates to the same farmyard and are therefore relevant to this application:
5.2 The applicant for the present application has also submitted one for a new agricultural building in a field to the west of this site which is being considered under Ref. 25/90603/B.
6.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 6.1 The following organisations were consulted on 17 June 2025 but, at the time of writing this report, no comments had been received:
7.1 There is no policy in the Development Plan which specifically relates to the extension of agricultural buildings and so, given the general presumption against development in the countryside, it is appropriate to assess the proposal against the policies set out in Section 3 above. Therefore, the main issue is whether the extension would be justified in the countryside, having regard to the need for it in agricultural terms, and to its effect upon the character and appearance of the area. - 7.2 Both the planning history for the site and my observations during my visit demonstrate that the farmyard is part of a current working enterprise. The building proposed to be extended and the large metal shed towards the front of the site (granted permission in 2019) are in full use, including for storing hay and large modern machinery. The older brick barns present would not provide suitable alternative storage on account of their size, condition or layout. - 7.3 The agricultural form submitted with application 25/90603/B for a new building nearby states that the applicant keeps cows and he intends to fatten young stock if planning permission is granted. It therefore seems reasonable that the extension proposed here would be used to store cattle feed; and this establishes an agricultural need for the development as required by General Policy 3 of the Strategic Plan. - 7.4 Turning to visual impact, the host building is part of the farmyard group, sited away from the highway and against rising land. The proposed extension would be subordinate in scale to the existing barn and it would be finished in matching materials. It would therefore be sympathetic to the surrounding built environment, cause no harm to the wider landscape and not be particularly noticeable in public views. The proposal would therefore comply with Environment Policy 1 of the Strategic Plan and with both the locational and design requirements of Envireonment Policy 15. Other Issues - 7.5 The flood risk identified above applies to only a small area of the site and would not affect the proposed extension. There site has no near residential neighbours; and the farmyard provides ample parking and manouevring space for vehicles, clear of the highway. Consequently, the proposed development would not conflict with General Policy 2 or Environment Policy 13 of the Strategic Plan.
8.0 CONCLUSION - 8.1 For the reasons given above, the proposed development is essential for the conduct of agriculture, it would enlarge a building which is already part of a farmyard group and it would not cause harm to the character and appearance of the area. It would therefore be justified in the countryside and so comply with the relevant policies of the Development Plan. It is recommended for approval.
9.0 RIGHT TO APPEAL AND RIGHT TO GIVE EVIDENCE - 9.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted). - 9.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to:
9.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10. - 9.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required):
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 and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded interested person status and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made : Permitted Date: 08.08.2025 Determining Officer
Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner
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