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22/00654/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 22/00654/B Applicant : Mr David Cooil Proposal : Erection of an agricultural building Site Address : Field Number 420855 Ballagawne Farm Ballagawne Road Ballabeg Castletown Isle Of Man
Planning Officer: Mrs Vanessa Porter Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 05.10.2022 __
Conditions and Notes for Approval
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
C 2. The building shall be for agricultural use only.
Reason: The application has been assessed on agricultural use only in the interest of protecting the countryside from unwarranted development.
C 3. In the event that the agricultural building hereby approved is no longer used or required for agricultural use or purpose it shall be removed and the ground restored to its former condition, within 6 months of the date the use ceased.
Reason: The building has been exceptionally approved solely to meet agricultural need and any subsequent retention including of any foundations would result in an unwarranted intrusion in the countryside.
C 4. All external facing and roofing materials to be used shall match those of the existing agricultural buildings on the site and retained as such thereafter.
Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.
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This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal complies with General Policy 3 and Environment Policy 1, 2 and 15 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 24th May 2022: o Location Plan o Site Plan o Drawing No. P7124-01 o Land Ownership maps 1 & 2
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
Officer’s Report
THE APPLICATION SITE
1.1 The application site is Field 420855, which is a parcel of land bounded land associated with Ballagawne Farm, which is to the north of Colby. The farmhouse itself is roughly 150m to the south of the site as the crow flies. To the East is the A27 Colby Glen Road, while to the north is the underground reservoir. To the West and South / Southeast / Southeast are agricultural fields - all in the control of the applicant - while to the Northwest, and directly West of the reservoir, is the associated water treatment works.
1.2 Within the site itself there are four barns of varying sizes, three barns are situated within the middle of the site and used for cow accommodation, with a separate barn situated to the North of the site being used as a milking parlour. To the South of the site is the slurry field.
THE PROPOSAL
2.1 The current planning application seeks approval to erect an agricultural barn which is to sort feed and bedding for the herd.
2.2 The proposed barn is 18.28m by 13.716m with a height of 7.323m, which is to be constructed from concrete panels to half of the lower level and metal sheeting to the rest of the lower level and the whole upper level. To the front elevation there are to be two roller shutter doors and two open bays, with a total of 16 rooflights within the roof.
PLANNING HISTORY
3.1 There are several applications on the overall farm of which the following are for the site itself; PA08/01344/B - Erection of two agricultural buildings - Permitted PA09/01063/B - Temporary storage of infill material - Permitted PA16/00323/B - Erection of two detached agricultural buildings and creation of a slurry lagoon and move overhead power cable - Permitted PA16/01045/B - Alterations and removal of hedges and creation of a track - Permitted PA19/01307/B - Creation of a borehole - Permitted.
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PLANNING POLICY
4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as "not for development" on the Area Plan for the South, Map 6 - Colby/ Ballabeg. The site is not within a Conservation Area, Flood Zone, nor an area zoned as High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance.
4.2 Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider General Policy 3 (f) which sets out exceptions to development in the countryside including operations essential for conduct of agriculture, Environment Policy 1 which seeks to protect the countryside from unwarranted development and Environment Policy 15 which outline the general design criteria for agricultural buildings.
REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 Highway Services have considered the application and state, "After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and /or parking." (1.06.22)
5.2 Arbory and Rushen Parish Commissioners have considered the application and have no objections. (30.06.22)
ASSESSMENT
6.1 The main issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are;
6.2 PRINCIPLE
6.2.1 When looking at the principle the policies in section 4 indicate that there is a general presumption against new development in the countryside, as set out in Environment Policy 1 and General Policy 3 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, however there are exceptions to this with regards to agricultural buildings under General Policy 3 (f).
6.2.2 When looking at agricultural buildings and need there can often be a chicken and egg situation. Without an established operation in place it can often be difficult to demonstrate a need for a building while on the other hand applicants want to ensure they have all the appropriate facilities and buildings in place first before investing in agricultural or horticultural paraphernalia or investing in livestock.
6.2.3 Often established agricultural enterprises are the sole income of farmers and their livelihood is heavily dependent on their continued and efficient operation. The bigger and more established the farming operation the easier it's likely to be to demonstrate an agricultural need for a new building to continue the farming operation. This is not to say that smaller farm holdings or start up hobby farms should be discouraged as these can also help contribute to local economy and sustainability, but rather that their agricultural justification is proportionate to the size of the operation and that they can provide sufficient evidence to support the need for any agricultural building. The risk is that any ad hoc decisions taken on agricultural buildings without sufficient justification of need could lead to an unacceptable proliferation of unwarranted permanent buildings across the countryside which may become obsolete if the intended farming operation does not materialise as anticipated or expected.
6.2.4 Any structure positioned within this site would require planning approval. Sometimes in trying to address the chicken and egg situation approval is first sought for a much smaller or less permanent building which meets the basic farming/horticultural needs and once the
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enterprise becomes more established then consideration can be given to a larger more permanent structure for approval.
6.2.5 The proposal seeks approval for a large building measuring approximately 18.28m by 7.323m with an overall height of 7.323m, with the information provided stating that the need for the proposed building is to store feed and bedding for the cow herd.
6.2.6 The farm itself is a well-established one, as such the proposed agricultural building is therefore associated with a viable, working farm with the planning history showing evidence to an established agricultural nature on the site and the information provided with the application showing a suitable need for such a structure.
6.2.7 The principle of the proposed agricultural building is considered to be acceptable and will help support the continued growth of a farming business which provided local produce contributing to the Islands economy and working towards the aims of the Government.
6.3 CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE
6.3.1 Turning towards the character and appearance of the proposed barn within the overall streetscene. Generally agricultural buildings are not uncommon across the countryside, with their siting being fairly common. The site itself already has a large amount of structures, which can be fleetingly seen from the main Ballagawne Road, with the proposed barn potentially adding a greater impact due to how close to the boundary it's to be situated.
6.3.2 Whilst this is the case the proposed barn is in close proximity to the existing agricultural buildings, with the proposed site currently being used for the storage of plastic coated hay bales. Overall the proposed barn will be seen from the main highway, but it's impact will be limited by the existing storage of hay bales and due to the close proximity to the existing agricultural buildings the proposed barn is, which will ultimately help to contain the spread of development across the countryside and accordingly they are considered to comply with Environment Policy 15 which requires buildings to be as "close as practically possible to existing building groups."
CONCLUSION
7.1 It is considered on balance that the current proposal meets with the aforementioned policies of the Strategic Plan and any such approval should be accompanied with suitably worded conditions for its approved use and requiring the building's removal and the land returned to its former condition should the approved use cease.
INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.
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8.2 The decision maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status __
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.
Decision Made : Permitted
Date: 06.10.2022
Determining officer
Signed : J SINGLETON
Jason Singleton
Principal Planner
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