**Document:** DAFF Agricultural Justification Letter **Application:** 10/00240/B — Erection of a replacement agricultural building **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2010-03-30 **Parish:** Andreas **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/35820-andreas-ballasteen-farm-replacement/documents/1347186 --- # DAFF Agricultural Justification Letter ## Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Rheynn Eirinys, Eeastaght as Keylljyn Chris Kneale Agricultural Advisor Agricultural Services Division Knockaloe Farm, Patrick, Peel, Isle of Man, IM5 3AJ Tel no (01624) 842335 Fax no (01624) 844374 Email: chris.kneale@gov.im www.gov.im\daff Date: 17 March 2010 Dear Mr Stanley, ### Re: erection of a replacement agricultural building. Ballasteen Farm, Andreas. Having been in contact with the applicants and having visited the holding previously I have the following comments to make: - The current agricultural business involves 420 acres (90 owned acres at Ballakelly, 285 acres rented at Ballasteen on a secure long term heritable tenancy and the remainder on various length tenancies). - The agricultural enterprise currently involves 110 breeding suckler cows, 12 replacement heifers, 98 finishing cattle (36 bulls to be intensively finished over the next 3 months and 7 heifers to finish within the next 4 months and 55 heifers to finish in the next 7 months), 450 breeding ewes, 20 rams, 80 replacement ewes, 500 lambs to be sold, finished (by on average 3 months post weaning), 75 breeding sows (included replacements), 5 boars and approximately 500 pig finishing places. Cropping includes 115 acres of cereals, 50 acres of grass re-seeds with the remaining 255 acres in rotational grazing. - As a result, the current farming enterprise has a labor requirement of 4.79 standard labor units, see appendix 1. This is an agricultural enterprise that the department would view as a large full time agricultural business. - The land is primarily split into 2 main holdings with some outlying parcels of land. Ballakelly the home farm and Ballasteen the location of the proposed application. - Travel time between the two units is approximately 10 minutes by tractor. Or 5 in a car (or similar). - Existing modern buildings at Ballasteen extend to cover 23m x 30.5m providing 697m². - Currently these buildings are primarily utilized for cattle housing. - A range of traditional stone built buildings exist which are impractical for modern agricultural purposes. - Until January 2010 three further buildings existed providing 600m². These buildings were used to house straw bedding, provide accommodation for lambing ewes and general storage. - These buildings and their contents were completely destroyed during a fire in January 2010. - The current existing buildings at Ballasteen although modern in construction are not ideally suited to livestock housing or handling due to the ventilation systems and building layout. - The proposed replacement building 27.4m x 24.4m will provide 669m² specifically to house and handle livestock. - Existing cattle housing buildings will be utilised for the storage of straw bedding and feed storage. This will reduce the area available for bedding storage which will result in an increase in the amount bedding requiring to be stored outside. - Straw bedding requirements are approximately 740 bales (appendix 2) the destroyed barn that was utilised for straw bedding and hay storage had capacity for approximately 226 five foot bales. The existing buildings will have reduced storage volume than this due to the lower pitch of some of the buildings and also the internal layout. - The housing requirements of all the cattle are 1298m² plus a further 810m² required at lambing for the housing of the ewes. Total livestock housing area required is 2108m². - The available housing area from modern purpose built buildings suitable for sheep and cattle on both units is approximately 1533m². A shortfall of 575m². - The provision of the new replacement building will reduce this to 506m². The remainder of the required space is made available as bedding is utilised. This usually allows for the lambing of the ewes later in the year. - The proposed building will improve management and labour utilisation improving business efficiency. - The proposed building is eligible for support from the department's farm and horticultural improvement scheme. On the basis of these comments the proposed erection of an agricultural building at BallasteenFarm, Andreas would the aid this expansive operation and offers many agricultural attractions to the long term development and viability of this business. I support this application. Yours Sincerely Chris Kneale Agricultural Advisor Encl: Appendix 1 SLR's current Appendix 2 Space provided and required. ## Worksheet for calculation of Standard Labour unit requirements [Table omitted in markdown export] **Isle of Man** **Government** *Reiltys Ellan Vannin* Name: WC Teare Address: Ballakelly Farm Andreas Date: 19/02/2010 Total livestock 7,375.0 Total crops 1,749.0 Overhead assumption 456.2 assuming 5% overheads allowance Total standard man hours per year 9,500.2 Total labour units required 4.79 assuming 2000 standard labour units per labour unit Produced by the Agricultural Services Division of Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry These standards figures are sourced from the SAC Farm Management Handbook 25th edition, published September 2004, page 281 Appendix 2. [Table omitted in markdown export] - Straw storage destroyed $24.4 \times 22.9 \times 3.65=2034.6 \mathrm{~m}^{3}$ 5 ft bales require $9 \mathrm{~m}^{3}$ $2034.6 / 9=226$ bales --- *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/1347186*