9 August 2023 · Planning Committee
Field 321757, Braaid Road, Braaid, Isle Of Man, IM4 2aw
The proposal involves agricultural fields (5.09 acres) on the northwest side of Braaid Road (A26) in an open countryside location bounded by sod banks. It widens an existing vehicle entrance from 3.2m to 6m by removing part of the western earth bank, lowers the sod bank height along 57.8m of road frontage to achieve 2m…
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 assessed the principle of development under General Policy 3 (GP3) and Environment Policy 1 (EP1), finding sufficient agricultural justification as the fields are in active use and the alt…
General Policy 3
Presumes against development in unzoned countryside but allows exceptions for engineering operations essential for agriculture. Officer found agricultural fields in active use require safe access post-extinguishment of Braaid Hall route, justifying widening as essential for machinery despite countryside location.
Environment Policy 1
Protects countryside unless overriding national need outweighs protection and no alternative. Agricultural need for visibility improvements and sole access outweighed visual harm to sod banks, as works limited and precedents of low/varying sodbanks along road.
Environment Policy 4
Protects biodiversity including protected species. Potential impacts on birds/lizards from sod bank lowering mitigated by conditions for Precautionary Method Statement and landscaping, per DEFA advice, ensuring no net loss.
Transport Policy 4
Requires highways to safely accommodate development traffic. Widening to 6m, 1.05m bank height for 2x70m splays, and bound 6m surface improve safety on fast road with poor visibility; supported by DOI Highways.
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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Access resurfacing and visibility splay
Prior to the use of the access hereby approved, the resurfacing of the first 6m of the existing access, and the cutting back of the height of the sod hedge to 1.05m to achieve the required 2m x 70m visibility indicated on the 'Proposed Block Site Plan' received 13 June 2023 must be undertaken in accordance with the approved plans, and shall thereafter be permanently retained as such. The re-surfacing must result in a bound surface such that no material is tracked onto the public highway. Reason: in the interests of highway safety.
Precautionary method for protected species
Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved, a Precautionary Working Method Statement for breeding birds and common lizards, written by a suitably qualified ecologist, shall be submitted to Planning and approved in writing by the Department. The development shall only be carried out in accordance with the details as approved, and shall thereafter retained as such. Reason: To safeguard statutorily protected species.
Landscaping plan
No development shall commence on site until a landscaping plan has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The landscaping plan shall contain details of any planting to be undertaken on top of the lowered bank. Reason: In the interests of protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of the environment.
no significant road safety or highway network efficiency issues; no objection subject to visibility splay max height 1.05m and access per approved plan; S109(A) Highway Agreement needed post-consent
DOI Highways raised no objection subject to conditions on visibility and access arrangements; DEFA Ecosystem Policy Officer requested ecological conditions; Marown Parish Commissioners objected to the access as unnecessary and intrusive; multiple nearby residents objected citing highway safety, visual impact, and concerns over future residential development.
Key concern: highway safety risks from substandard visibility splay on busy A26
DOI Highways
Conditional No ObjectionHighway Services Development Control raises no objection to the proposal subject to any obstruction within the visibility splay area being a maximum height of 1.05m; The alteration to the highway... will require a Section 109(A) Highway Agreement to be made post planning consent
Conditions requested: no obstructions above 1.05m within the visibility splay area; all other access arrangements to accord to drawing titled ‘Proposed Block Site Plan’
DEFA Ecosystem Policy Officer
Conditional No Objectionlowering of around 57m of sod bank
Conditions requested: no works to take place unless a Precautionary Working Method Statement for breeding birds and common lizards, written by a suitably qualified ecologist, has been submitted to Planning and approved in writing; no works take place unless a landscaping plan has been submitted to Planning and approved in writing, which contains details of any planting to be undertaken on top of the lowered bank
Marown Parish Commissioners
Conditional No ObjectionThe Commissioners have no objection to an access being created subject to there being no concerns expressed by Dol.
Marown Parish Commissioners
ObjectionThe Commissioners have expressed their concerns about the proposal in their letter of October 20th 2023. Having reviewed the new information and comments made by neighbours, this concern has strengthened to an opinion that the Application should be REFUSED
White House
ObjectionThe applicant has referred to the access in the Proposed Site Plan as “a driveway.” The dictionary definition of a driveway is: “a short road leading to a house or other building” which clearly this does not.; The planning statement refers to this as “an existing farm lane.” It is neither
White House
ObjectionTo achieve a visibility height of 1050mm to the right (as you leave the field gateway) requires the removal of approx.. 750mm in height from the Manx bank
Conditions requested: this access and driveway may only be used for agricultural purposes and any other use will require a further planning application; the Manx bank to the right of the gateway (upon leaving) be relocated behind the visibility splay and reinstated to its full 1800mm height with wildflower planting and mitigating tree planting; Sufficient Trees of local varieties are planted in mitigation for trees lost in creating the visibility splay, to create a viable habitat.; Before the access can be used the owner must erect a convex mirror on the roadside opposite; Before the access can be used a warning sign to both sides of the access should be erected to say ‘warning farm vehicles entering or leaving road’
Bluebell House
ObjectionThe applicant has referred to the access in the Proposed Site Plan as “a driveway? A Driveway is a road leading to house/building? Which in this case there is neither.
Deerae
ObjectionStatement keeps mentioning access and exiting of a Farm Lane there has never been a Farm Lane on that land or an existing lane
