5 August 2025 · Delegated - Principal Planner (Chris Balmer)
Ballig Farm, West Baldwin, Isle Of Man, IM4 5eu
The application sought permission to erect a portal frame agricultural shed for overwintering cattle, measuring 20m by 40m with an 8m ridge height and 5m eaves, finished in stone plinth, timber cladding, and green sheeting, plus associated concrete hardstanding and subterranean slurry tanks on a constrained field at Ba…
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The officer concluded that the applicant failed to demonstrate a justified agricultural operation requiring the development, as DEFA records showed no direct farming by Mr Hughes for six years, curren…
Spatial Policy 5
Permits countryside development only if in accordance with GP3 exceptions like essential agriculture. Officer assessed that no justified agricultural need was demonstrated, failing the test for permission in open countryside.
General Policy 3
Exception (f) allows operations essential for agriculture. Proposal failed as applicant could not prove active farming or need, with third-party management and recent registration casting doubt.
Environment Policy 1
Protects countryside for its own sake from harmful development. Large standalone shed would harm secluded rural character without overriding need.
Environment Policy 2
Prevents unwarranted countryside development. No evidence of no alternatives on applicant's other holdings, and visual harm not outweighed.
Environment Policy 15
Requires agricultural buildings close to existing groups, appropriate scale, sympathetic to landscape, with functional design. Building too large for constrained site, lacking space for operations/storage, unrelated to existing structures.
General Policy 2
Sets standards for acceptable development including design, character (b,c,g). Visually intrusive scale/siting harmed landscape character.
Strategic Policy 4
Protects/enhances rural landscape quality. Proposal harmed Upland Valley Glen character.
Do not oppose - no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking
accepted proposal
No objection subject to conditions on tree planting and bat boxes
The Agricultural Policy Manager reviewed the application for an agricultural building at Ballig Farm and raised significant concerns about the applicant's farming credentials, current third-party farming arrangements, and practical challenges with site access, feed storage, and waste management, concluding without confidence in the proposal's suitability.
Key concern: Current farming by third party under informal contract; applicant has no direct farming activity and site visit information contradicts application
Agricultural Policy Manager
The current farming activity is suggested to be undertaken by a third party under an informal contract agreement. The information provided to me during the visit differs in material respects from the justification set out in the application and statement.; The proposed shed appears physically suitable for overwintering cattle, but the site lacks supporting infrastructure, and there are some obvious practical challenges around feed, manure/waste handling, and access.; There are certainly benefits to the housing of livestock through the winter period over outwintering. However, given the information presented I am not confident that the location is the best site and the cost saving of housing the animals would outweigh the extra costs associated with this location.
