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                                                 15/00389/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 15/00389/B Applicant : Manx Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Proposal : Erection of a wooden support pole to facilitate the re-location of an overhead electricity line Site Address : Field 434679 Ard Jerkyll East Foxdale Road Eairy Isle Of Man IM4 3HL

Case Officer : Miss Melissa McKnight Photo Taken : 27.04.2015 Site Visit : 27.04.2015 Expected Decision Level :

Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The application site is the curtilage of Field 434679 which forms part of the Ard Jekyll which is located on the northern site of East Foxdale Road, Eairy. The site is the island's animal rescue centre. The curtilage of Ard Jekyll accommodates a number of fields and buildings such as dog kennels, cattery, small animal shelter, aviary and a cafe. The fields are used for dog walking.

1.2 The land slopes downwards away from the highway, there is a parking area to the front of the main building and also to the east.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL

2.1 This current planning application seeks approval for the erection of a wooden support pole to facilitate the re-location of an overhead electricity line.

2.2 The wooden support pole would be erected on the boundary of Field No. 44679, 22 metres from the eastern elevation of the dog kennels.

2.3 The re-location of the overhead wire is to facilitate the possible erection, subject to planning permission, of four chill rooms alongside the eastern elevation of the kennels. Other areas within the site have been explored but due to the sloping of the ground, this area is most acceptable and feasible for development. The area is currently a tarmacked space. At present, the overhead line is restricting any development in this area.

2.4 The wooden support pole would stand no more than 10.6 to 12 metres above ground, tapering 500-800mm in diameter at the base and 300 - 600mm at its head.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 The application site has been the subject of a number of previous planning applications relating to erection of buildings, extension to the car park and erection of lighting

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poles.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 The application site is in an area zoned as "White land" under the 1982 Development Plan.

4.2 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 contains three policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application:

General Policy 3 states: "Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of: a) essential housing for agricultural workers who have to live close to their place of work (Housing Policies 7, 8, 9 and 10) b) conversion of redundant rural buildings which are of architectural, historical, or social value and interest (Housing Policy 11) c) previously developed land which contains a significant amount of buildings where the continued use is redundant; where redevelopment would reduce the impact of the current situation on the landscape or the wider environmental and where the development proposed would result in improvements to the landscape or wider environment d) the replacement of existing rural dwellings (Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14) e) location-dependant development in connection with the working of minerals or the provision of necessary services; f) building and engineering operations which are essential for the conduct of agriculture or forestry g) development recognised to be of overriding national need in land use planning terms and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative and h) buildings or works required for interpretation of the countryside, its wildlife or heritage."

Environment Policy 1 states: "The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. For the purposes of this policy, the countryside comprises all land which is outside the settlements defined in Appendix 3 at A.3.6 or which is not designated for future development on an Area Plan. 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."

Energy Policy 1 states: "Proposals for the provision of energy supply facilities or development arising as incidental to such facilities will be expected to comply with all other policies of this plan to ensure that any effect on the environment is minimised whilst ensuring that the community's needs for energy are satisfied."

4.3 The draft Planning Policy Statement 2/09 - The Role of Landscape Character in Development states:

"4.5 Type D: Incised Slopes The overall strategy for the protection and enhancement of the Incised Slopes Landscape Character Type is to conserve and enhance: the remote and rural character; the relatively sparse settlement pattern of traditional hamlets and scattered farm buildings; the network of sunken and enclosed rural roads; and the substantial hedgerows and sod banks dividing irregularly-shaped pastoral fields.

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Key landscape planning considerations in relation to the protection and enhancement of this Landscape Character Type are as follows:-

• Care should be taken to ensure that housing and business development does not detract from the distinctive identity and setting of settlements, and avoids coalescence with other settlements within this Landscape Type;
• The design and layout of new housing and business development should include appropriate native structure planting to soften urban edges and enhance the transition to the wider landscape;
• Approach routes, key views, and gateways to settlements within these landscapes should be enhanced;
• Linear development along roads from settlements that extends urbanising influences into the wider countryside should be avoided;
• The use of local vernacular building styles and materials should be encouraged;
• New farm buildings that would compromise the pattern and scale of farmsteads across the undulating Incised Slopes landscapes should be discouraged;
• Care should be taken to minimise loss of hedgerows, sod banks, and other distinctive boundary features along road corridors;
• Tourist-related development, such as camp-sites, should avoid visually prominent locations, particularly those which can be viewed from higher land and those which would extend urbanising influence along the coast;
• Care should be taken to avoid the suburbanisation of river valleys and stream corridors;

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Malew Parish Commissioners have no objection to the current planning application (08/05/2015).

6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The fundamental issue to consider in the assessment of this current planning application is the visual impact of the wooden support pole upon the character and quality of the landscape and appearance of the countryside.

6.2 Overhead lines and wooden support poles run alongside the southern side of Foxdale Road, to the north of Foxdale Road and through the site of Ard Jekyll to the north towards Archallagan Plantation. From the Foxdale Road it is very unlikely that the pole would be viewed in its entirety given the screening along the northern boundary of Foxdale road and the topography of the landscape. The pole would be in full view from the Lhoobs Road which is over 270 metres north of the application site.

6.3 When visiting the site, and viewing the site from Lhoobs Road it was evident that the existing wooden telegraph poles were in full view. It is considered that the proposed wooden support pole would not appear incongruous within the locality given the existing poles and nor would the pole be considered to appear prominent within the landscape given the back drop of vegetation and sloping of the lands which will assist in softening the appearance of the support pole as is the case with the existing.

6.4 Although the land is not designated for development, the visible impact of the pole would be judged to be minimal and would be viewed in conjunction with the existing poles. The re-location of the overhead line would allow Ard Jekyll to extend to facilitate additional facilities for the care and rehabilitation of the animals.

7.0 RECOMMENDATION

7.1 Overall it is concluded that the development is deemed acceptable and would have a

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limited impact upon the character and quality of the landscape or harm the appearance of the Manx Countryside and therefore it is recommended that the planning application be permitted.

8.0 PARTY STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested; (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material; (d) The Highways Division of the Department; and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 12.05.2015

Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal O : Notes attached to refusals

C 1. 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.

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This approval relates to Location Plan, Drawing No R0140577/1 and WO4429, 2 x photographs showing the position of the proposed pole and 4 x photographs showing example of wooden pole all date stamped as received on 13th April 2015.

I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control /Head of Development Management/ Senior Planning Officer.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 12.05.2015

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Determining officer (delete as appropriate)

Signed :... Chris Balmer

Senior Planning Officer

Signed :... Sarah Corlett

Senior Planning Officer

Signed : Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher

Director of Planning and Building Control

Signed :... Jennifer Chance

Head of Development Management