18 August 2009 · Delegated - Director of Planning and Building Control
Field 624255, Glen Mona Loop Road, Glen Mona, Ramsey, Isle Of Man, IM7 1hg
The proposal sought approval in principle to erect a detached dwelling on fields 624255 and 624256, Glen Mona Loop Road, an undeveloped parcel between existing houses in the village of Glen Mona.
Click a button above to find applications similar to this one.
See how this application compares to similar ones — policies, conditions, and outcomes side by side.
The officer determined the site is unzoned 'open space/agricultural land' ('white land') under the 1982 Isle of Man Development Plan Order and within an Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Sce…
General Policy 3
Prohibits development outside zoned areas except in eight specific cases (e.g., agricultural housing, redundant conversions, replacements); officer found none apply to this new dwelling, confirming countryside presumption against development.
Environment Policy 2
Uses 1982 AHLV classification for control until superseded; protects landscape character unless no harm shown or location essential. Site's AHLV zoning and potential intrusion into open field outweighed claims of low visual impact/topography screening.
Housing Policy 4
Locates new housing in towns/villages or identified extensions; countryside exceptions mirror GP3 and do not apply. No Area Plan zones site, rejecting village/infill status.
No strong objection; proposed site fits into existing settlement pattern as potential infill along Loop Road, but defer to Planning Officer/Committee re: policy compliance. Would object strongly to backland/sporadic development.
Multiple responses include objections from Highways (insufficient access details), individual objectors citing non-zoning and landscape protection, and Maughold Parish Commissioners with no strong objections but deference to planning committee.
Key concern: site not zoned for residential development and within high landscape value area
Maughold Parish Commissioners
Conditional No Objectiondue to the proximity of other dwellings in a close 'series', Members have no strong objections to the proposals in the application which they feel could be termed as 'in-fill' development; In the absence of an Area Plan, they are content to leave the judgement of the appropriateness of these proposals to the discretion of the planning Committee
Department of Transport
ObjectionThere are insufficient details of access requirements to evaluate the application; The submitted plan (numbered - 2) shows no details regarding visibility splays
Highways Division
No CommentDrawing provided does not demonstrate: The off street parking spaces to be provided in accordance with the IOM Strategic Plan; Visibility splays of 2 x 36M are not shown
The original application for approval in principle to erect a detached dwelling on fields 624255 and 624256, Glen Mona Loop Road, was refused by the Director of Planning and Building Control for being on unzoned open space/agricultural land in a High Landscape Value area and constituting unwarranted residential development in the countryside. The appellant argued the site was within Glen Mona village (listed in Strategic Plan Appendix 3), not countryside, suitable as infill in a group of houses, with high design standards, energy efficiency, and compliance with various Strategic Plan objectives. The planning authority and objector emphasized the 1982 Development Plan Order designating the site as white land in countryside, contrary to General Policy 3, Environment Policy 2, Housing Policy 4, and lack of zoning or Area Plan support. The inspector concluded the site was in countryside based on the 1982 plan and its physical context as part of a broken ribbon development surrounded by open land, found no special circumstances to outweigh policy objections, noted access concerns, and recommended dismissal. The appeal was dismissed.
Precedent Value
This appeal confirms the enduring weight of the 1982 Development Plan Order's 'white land' designation for countryside status, even in settlements listed in the Strategic Plan, until superseded by an Area Plan. Future applicants must demonstrate compliance with countryside exceptions or await Area Plan allocations rather than seeking ad hoc infill approvals.
Inspector: David Bushby
