**Document:** Approval in Principle Statement **Application:** 04/02578/A — Erection of a single dwelling and garage, **Decision:** Refused **Decision Date:** 2005-03-08 **Parish:** Castletown **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/77457-malew-garden-of-no-garage-dwelling/documents/1433034 --- # Approval in Principle Statement ## Approval In Principle ### To Convert The Garden Of 4 The Crofts Into A Building Plot The garden of 4 The Crofts forms part of ‘Area J’ in the draft of the Castletown Plan of January 2001 and was included as part of a recent planning application. The application (Ref. 04/00289/A) was for approval in principle for the erection of three detached dwellings on Pony Fields (Area J) and was turned down in June 2004 on the grounds that the land was not currently zoned for residential development and would lead to a loss of woodland amenity. It is intended to demonstrate with the present application that the garden is not part of Pony Fields in terms of its nature and usage and that the reason for turning down the earlier application should therefore not apply in this instance. ### Area J The garden in question was purchased in September 1977 as an integral part of No 4 The Crofts, by the present owner, Mrs D E Thompson. The extent and nature of the property has not materially changed since at least 1851 in terms of a plan pertaining to a sales agreement of that year. (See page 2). In fact, a plan dated April 1928 (See page 3) was used to describe the property purchased by Mrs Thompson. The garden and the adjacent Pony Fields form part of ‘Area J’ of the Castletown Draft Plan of 2001, which is designated for proposed development in parkland. However, the garden and Pony Fields are very different in their nature and in fact used to be separated by a lane, which has fallen into disuse in recent years. The garden is entirely enclosed by a stone wall and is extensively cultivated and thus clearly forms part of the residential infrastructure of the area and not the woodland of the rest of ‘Area J’. Also, there are no mature trees on the site and those overhanging the site will be unaffected by any new dwelling, further evidence that the garden should not be defined as woodland and that building a dwelling there will not impact on the woodland nature of the adjacent area. ### Precedent The house marked A on page 4 (adjacent to the garden) was also part of the Private Woodland and Playing Fields in the Castletown Local Plan of 1991, so there is a recent precedent in terms of changing the usage of the land to a building plot. ### Access to the Garden (See page 4) Mrs Thompson has access to the garden along the lane outlined in blue, in terms of an agreement with the owner, the Buchan School Trust Ltd. She also owns the land outlined in red and has an agreement to pass over the land hatched in red. There are 5 existing garages in the area to the South East of the garden marked 1 to 5, all with access via the lane outlined in blue. The building of the proposed dwelling will probably increase the number of vehicles passing along this lane by two, as garaging for two of the envisaged. ### Traffic/Parking in the Crofts Two additional cars will not materially affect traffic density and parking will not be an issue to garaging on the site is envisaged. There will obviously be increased traffic during the building period but this will be a once-in-occurrence and would presumably not be sufficient reason for turning down the application. D van Rhyn 10/12/04 [Table omitted in markdown export] ER 185/184 "PLAN A" M'S CATH CRELLIN AVENUE TO WEST HILL HOUSE PASSAGE PLANTATION MRS C. M. CUBBON FIELD THE PRES THE PRES JANE FILED SAMSONS BOWLING GREENS SARAGE LONG THE PROPERTY OF THE BILMAN SCHOOL TO BOWLING GREEN NEW GATE NEW GATE W.T.Q. SATES SHE COLONEL HOUSE STABLE NEW PRE-CAST CONCRETE GARAGE ![This image displays a site plan showing the proposed plot boundary in red, surrounded by neighboring properties like 'Garey Voallit' and 'Donore'. It includes labels for features such as a 'Lane', 'Garden', and 'Pond'...](https://images.planningportal.im/2004/12/376352.jpg) ## Site Plan [Table omitted in markdown export] (Ref: DVR 2) ### Approval In Principle For One Dwelling (Portion Of 'Area J' Outlined In Red) CROFTS CASTLETOWN FOR D VAN RHYN ### Access To The Site Outlined In Blue [Table omitted in markdown export] SITE PLAN (Ref: DVR 2) [Table omitted in markdown export] PONY FIELDS [Table omitted in markdown export] --- *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/77457-malew-garden-of-no-garage-dwelling/documents/1433034*