**Document:** Officer Planning Report Recommendation **Application:** 10/00240/B — Erection of a replacement agricultural building **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2010-03-30 **Parish:** Andreas **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/35820-andreas-ballasteen-farm-replacement/documents/1347185 --- # Officer Planning Report Recommendation **Application No.:** 10/00240/B **Applicant:** Elizabeth Clucas Charitable Trust **Proposal:** Erection of a replacement agricultural building **Site Address:** Ballasteen Farm Andreas Village Isle Of Man ### Considerations Case Officer : Mr Chris Balmer **Expected Decision Level:** Senior Planning Officer ### Written Representations ### Consultations Consultee : Highways Division Notes: Do not oppose Consultee : Andreas Parish Commissioners Notes: No objection ### Officer's Report SITE The application site forms the curtilage of Ballasteen Farm, Andreas Village, which is, located on the southern side of the A17 Road and southwest of Andreas Village. ### Department Policies The application site is within an area recognised as being an area of "Woodland Land and White Land", under the Isle of Man Development Plan Order 1982. The site is not within a Conservation Area; nor within an area zoned as High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance. - Isle of Man Development Plan Order 1982 - Isle of Man Strategic Plan 20th June 2007 Due to the site location, zoning and the type of proposal, the following policies are relevant for consideration:- "General Policy 3: 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, historic, or social value and interest; (Housing Policy 11); - (c) previously developed land(1) which contains a significant amount of building; where the continued use is redundant; where redevelopment would reduce the impact of the current situation on the landscape or the wider environment; 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-dependent 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 15: Where the Department is satisfied that there is agricultural or horticultural need for a new building (including a dwelling), sufficient to outweigh the general policy against development in the countryside, and that the impact of this development including buildings, accesses, servicing etc. is acceptable, such development must be sited as close as is practically possible to existing building groups and be appropriate in terms of scale, materials, colour, siting and form to ensure that all new developments are sympathetic to the landscape and built environment of which they will form a part. Only in exceptional circumstances will buildings be permitted in exposed or isolated areas or close to public highways and in all such cases will be subject to appropriate landscaping. The nature and materials of construction must also be appropriate to the purposes for which it is intended. Where new agricultural buildings are proposed next to or close to existing residential properties, care must be taken to ensure that there is no unacceptable adverse impact through any activity, although it must be borne in mind that many farming activities require buildings which are best sited, in landscape terms, close to existing building groups in the rural landscape." ### Planning History The previous planning application is considered relevant in the assessment and determination of this application:- Demolition of existing barn and erection of a replacement portal framed barn, adjacent to existing cattle sheds - 06/01517/B - APPROVED ### Proposal The application seeks approval for the erection of a replacement agricultural building. The proposal would replace the existing barns which recently burnt down. The proposal would replace the two existing barns which are beyond repair with a single large detached barn, dimensions of which would be 24 metres in width, 27 metres in depth and ridge height of 7.1 metres. ### Representations Andreas Parish Commissioners:- "No objection." Highways Division:- "Do not oppose has no traffic management, parking or road safety implications." The Manx Electricity Authority makes no comment on the merit of the proposed development but requests that an informative note be attached to any approval decision notice. The Authority has received no privately written representations objecting to the application. ## Assessment In terms of assessment it can be seen that there is provision within General Policy 3 and Environment Policy 15 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 to allow buildings within the countryside where it is accepted there is sufficient agricultural need for the proposal. There is also a need to examine the impact of such buildings on the amenity of any adjoining properties, bearing in mind a need to balance that and the general preference to site buildings within or close to existing groups of buildings to minimise wider impact on the countryside. The Planning Authority as with any agricultural application has asked for the comments from the Agricultural Advisor (DAFF) regarding the agricultural justification for the development. The Advisor has gone into detail regarding the land ownership and the current agricultural enterprise of the farm. The conclusion is that the farm has a labour requirement of 4.79 standard labour units and would be viewed as a full time agricultural business. The Advisors final recommendation is:- "On the basis of these comments the proposed erection og an agricultural building at Ballasteen Farm, Andreas, would aid this expansive operation and offers many agricultural attractions to the long term development and viability of this business. I support this application." On this basis given the proposal would be replacing existing barns on a similar footprint, the design, size and finish would be in keeping and appropriate, the siting is adjacent to the existing farm buildings and as there is substantial agricultural justification, it is consider the proposal to be appropriate. ### Recommendation Overall, the proposal would comply with relevant policies as stated within the Isle of Man Strategic Plan for the reasons given and therefore it is recommended that the application be approved. ### Party Status It is considered that the following meet the criteria of Government Circular 1/06 and should be afforded interested party status:- Department of Transport Highways Division Andreas Parish Commissioners It is considered that the following do not meet the criteria of Government Circular 1/06 and should not be afforded interested party status:- The Manx Electricity Authority ### Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 26.03.2010 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 permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice. ### C 2. This approval relates to the erection of a replacement agricultural building as proposed in the submitted documents and drawings REF 01, REF 02, REF 03 and REF 04 all received on 19th February 2010. ### C 3. The building must be used only for agricultural purposes. I confirm that this decision accords with Government Circular No 09/09 Delegation of functions, 10/09 Delegation of Functions (Development Procedure), GC No 11/09 (Advertisements) and GC No 12/09 (Registered Buildings) all to the Senior Planning Officer **Decision Made :** Permitted **Date :** 2013/10 **Signed :** ______________________________ Senior Planning Officer --- *Data sourced from the Isle of Man public planning register under the [Isle of Man Open Government Licence](https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/open-government-licence/).* *Canonical page: https://planningportal.im/a/35820-andreas-ballasteen-farm-replacement/documents/1347185*