27 January 2015 · Planning Committee
Church Farm, Cregneash, Isle Of Man, IM9 5pt
The proposal involves removing an unsightly, unsafe steel frame barn (part brick, part asbestos) attached to a two-storey stone barn within the curtilage of Church Farm, a site in open countryside and proposed conservation area.
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The key considerations were the impacts upon the character and appearance of the property and proposed conservation area. The steel frame building is a modern addition to the stone outbuilding, in ver…
General Policy 2
General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan requires development to respect character and amenity. The officer assessed the demolition as enhancing the site's character by removing a detracting modern structure in a proposed conservation area.
Environment Policy 35
Environment Policy 35 relates to conservation areas. The proposal was tested against impacts on the proposed conservation area, with removal of the unattractive steel barn and grass reinstatement significantly improving appearance and character.
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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
No car park use
No approval is hereby granted for the use of the site as a car park. Reason: For the avoidance of doubt.
do not oppose
The original application (14/01377/B) by Manx National Heritage to demolish a poor-condition steel frame barn, remove hardstanding, and reinstate with grass and reinforcement mesh was permitted by the Planning Committee despite objections from Rushen Parish Commissioners. The Commissioners appealed, arguing the barn was essential for agricultural operations at the folk museum farm, its demolition would harm farm viability without a replacement, and it held historical value as a mid-20th century structure. The Department and applicant defended the permission, citing the barn's dangerous condition, negative visual impact in the proposed conservation area, and lack of necessity for MNH's demonstration farm purposes. The inspector found the barn structurally unsafe requiring urgent demolition, visually harmful to the historic character of Cregneash, and unnecessary for current agricultural needs, rejecting calls for a replacement or concerns over car parking. The appeal was recommended to be dismissed, upholding the original approval.
Precedent Value
This appeal shows that in demonstration/heritage farms, operational needs must be evidenced; dilapidated modern agricultural buildings in conservation areas can be demolished if visually harmful and unsafe, even over parish objections, prioritising safety and enhancement. Future applicants should provide structural reports and clarify non-commercial uses to counter viability concerns.
Inspector: Anthony J Wharton BArch RIBA RIAS MRTPI
