Proposed Cattle Barn at Bibaloe Moar Farm, Whitebridge Road, Onchan, IM4 5AE
243/X/VA/01
V I S U A L I M PA C T A S S E S S M E N T
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
1.1.1 The following accompanies the application for a new build Cattle Barn at Bibaloe Moar Farm, Whitebridge Road, Onchan.
1.1.2 All photographs have been taken with and iPhone camera, on December 16th 2025.
1.1.3 The viewpoints are taken from the primary public roads but it is noted that some private properties, particularly those on the Groudle Road, also have a clear viewpoint of the site.
1.1.4 The existing Farmhouse is identified on the photographs as a point of reference.
P R I M A R Y V I E W P O I N T S
2.0 Viewpoint Locations
2.0.1 xxxxx
Bibaloe Moar Farmhouse
Application Site
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2.1 Location
2.1.1 Due to the topography of the land, Bibaloe Moar has an elevated position over a dense tree covered valley.
2.1.2 Primary public view points across the valley to the south as identified.
2.1.3 Viewpoint1 is a primary viewpoint when leaving Onchan from a major route. The other viewpoints are from less travelled roads through housing estates and on to Groudle Road.
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View from Whitebridge Road Junction of Windermere Drive and Ennerdale Drive Top of Windermere Drive
Groudle Road
A E R I A L I M A G E
Viewpoint Locations
3.0 Existing Photographs
A street-level photograph showing a residential road with houses, stone walls, and hedges, looking towards open countryside in the distance.
3.1.1 The following photographs have been taken from the most prominent public viewpoints. These points are generally distant so for completeness, and to demonstrate worst case scenario, these are also provided zoomed in.
3.1.2 The proposed site shows that there are currently black plastic wrapped bales stacked high on the site.
3.1.3 The trees to the south of the application site are deciduous and therefore site is currently at its most visible.
Farmhouse Application Site Farmhouse Application Site
Original Photograph _ as seen with 'naked eye' Zoomed Image
W H I T E B R I D G E R O A D
View Point 1.
Image taken from elevated walkway.
FarmhouseFarmhouse Application SiteApplication Site Farmhouse Application Site
Original Photograph _ as seen with 'naked eye' Zoomed Image
W I N D E R M E R E D R I V E / E N N E R D A L E D R I V E
A street-level photograph showing detached houses with parked cars and a view of rolling hills in the background.A photograph showing a rural landscape with a white house in the foreground and stone farm buildings situated on a hill in the distance.
Farmhouse Application Site Farmhouse Application Site Original Photograph _ as seen with 'naked eye' Zoomed Image W I N D E R M E R E D R I V E
Farmhouse Application Site Farmhouse Application Site Original Photograph _ as seen with 'naked eye' Zoomed Image G R O U D L E R O A D
A landscape photograph showing green fields, hedgerows, and distant buildings under a pink sky.
4.0 Photomontages
Proposed Building Year one & year five 4.1 Artist Impression
4.1.1 The following montages are based on the photographs of the identified Viewpoints with a rendered model of the proposal super imposed to enable the visual impact of the building to be assessed.
4.1.2 The views into the existing site with the 'naked eye' are distant and therefore the following montages are zoomed so that the proposed building and planting are more easily read. Accordingly, this also demonstrates a 'worst-case' scenario.
4.1.3 Viewpoints 2, 3 and 4 shall be impacted by the additional tree line and therefore an illustration as to how they site shall look in 15 years has been provided, once the trees have established and matured. Viewpoint 1 is unaffected by the new trees shown is only shown as implemented.
W H I T E B R I D G E R O A D
Proposed Building Proposed Building New Trees
Year one & year five In fifteen years
W I N D E R M E R E D R I V E / E N N E R D A L E D R I V E
A photograph showing a rural landscape with a residential house in the foreground and agricultural buildings on a hill in the distance.A photograph showing a white residential house in the foreground overlooking a grassy hillside with distant farm buildings in the background.
Year one & year five In fifteen years
W I N D E R M E R E D R I V E
A photograph taken from a rooftop looking out over a rural landscape with green fields and distant buildings under a twilight sky.A photograph taken from a rooftop showing a grey tiled roof in the foreground and a rural landscape with fields and distant buildings in the background.
Year one & year five In fifteen years
G R O U D L E R O A D
A photograph showing a rural landscape with green fields, hedgerows, and distant buildings under a soft pink sky.
5.0 Assessment
5.1 Commentary
5.1.1 The application site is visually contained by the existing trees to the south and east of the site. These trees are predominantly deciduous. As the photographs were taken in December, the trees are bare and therefore the site is shown in a condition where it would be considered to have the most external visual impact.
5.1.2 The site currently has black plastic wrapped bales stacked high which are clearly visible in the winter months when the existing trees are bare.
5.1.3 These are wrapped and stacked externally as there is currently no where for these to be housed. The intent is that these shall be stored within the structure of the Cattle Barn. This is arguable a betterment to the existing condition given the quantum that has been stacked up outside, noting that bales are a common site in the countryside.
5.1.4 As part of the application, new coniferous trees are proposed to the south of the application site serve to continually visually contain the site and which shall soften the appearance of the proposed Cattle Barn.
5.1.5 Using the fall of the land, the proposed Cattle Barn sits at a lower level to the existing buildings, and below the canopies of the existing trees.
5.1.6 The proposed materiality of the Cattle Barn, which is primarily cedar shingles, shall enable to building to weather over time becoming more silver in tone which shall assist in the building sitting more comfortably into the landscape, rather than a corrugated shed.
5.2 Conclusion
5.2.1 The enclosed photo montages demonstrate that, by utilising the topography of the site, the selection of timber cladding that shall weather overtime and the addition of coniferous planting to the south, the proposed Cattle Shed shall have no external visual impact to the existing condition of the site.
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