**Document:** Officer Report **Application:** 18/00883/B — Erection of storage shed for agricultural equipment **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2018-11-19 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/11975-braddan-adj-to-leece-lodge-strang-shed/documents/986320 --- # Officer Report **Application No.:** 18/00883/B **Applicant:** Mr Steven David Rawnsley **Proposal:** Erection of storage shed for agricultural equipment **Site Address:** Field 521615 Land adjacent to Leece Lodge Strang Douglas Isle of Man **Planning Officer:** Miss Lucy Kinrade **Photo Taken:** 24.08.2018 **Expected Decision Level:** Officer Delegation **Recommended Decision:** Permitted **Date of Recommendation:** 16.11.2018 _________________________________________________________________ ## Conditions and Notes for Approval C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions - C 1. 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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. - C 2. The use hereby approved shall only be for the benefit of Mr Steven David Rawnsley and in accordance with the details set out in the information and supporting statement from the applicant dated 21/08/2018. Reason: The development hereby approved is only acceptable in this location because of the special circumstances of the applicant. - C 3. The building must be used only for agricultural purposes. Reason: The countryside is protected from development and an exception is being made on the basis of agricultural need. As such the building must be used for the purposes for which it is approved. - C 4. The agricultural building hereby approved shall be removed and the ground restored to its former condition in the event that it is no longer used or required for agricultural purposes. Reason: The building has been exceptionally approved solely to meet agricultural need and its subsequent retention would result in an unwarranted intrusion in the countryside. ### Plans/Drawings/Information: This approval relates to a supporting statement, photographs and drawings ref: SDR/2018/04, SDR/2018/05, SDR/2018/06 and SDR/2018/07 all date stamped and received 21/08/2018. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons ## NONE _____________________________________________________________________________ ### Officer’s Report 1.0 APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site is the extents of three large fields located to the west of Braddan Road part way between the Ballafletcher and Nobles Hospital roundabouts. These fields run west towards the old dismantled railway line and cover a total area just over 18 acres. - 1.2 The fields are bound from the main road by a Manx Stone wall and gated access is provided into each field. Nearest the Noble Hospital roundabout and running the width of the fields is a large mature natural field boundary made up of dense hedging and number of small trees. Adjacent to this area of dense hedging is the primary access used by the applicants to get into the site, this connects with an existing dead end road used as an area of overspill car parking by the neighbouring educational and Government facilities. - 1.3 The existing fields are currently occupied by 4 working horses and 25 ewes. 2.0 PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current application proposes the erection of a 3m wide x 5.2m long x 2.2m high flat roofed agricultural shed. The proposed shed is to be finished with plywood cladding stained dark green and finished with a corrugated steel roof painted black and installed with 2 clear panel roof lights. The timber shed is to sit on four concrete blocks and is to be located adjacent to the primary access and along the northern side of the mature dense hedging. - 2.2 The proposed timber shed is to allow for the onsite storage of the working horses harnesses and various working equipment as well as feed and welfare for the horses and sheep and storage capacity for lambing season. 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There are no previous applications for the site considered relevant in the assessment of this application. 4.0 PLANNING POLICY The application site is located within an area not designated for development on the Braddan Local Plan 1991. Given the nature of the proposal it is most relevant to consider the following policies of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016: - 4.1 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. 4.3 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." 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only. 5.1 Braddan Commissioners - No Objection (dated 14/09/2018) 5.2 DOI Highway Services - DNO (dated 25/09/2018) - 6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 There is a general presumption against development in the countryside as set out in General Policy 3, although exceptions can be made for agricultural buildings so long as it can be evidenced that there is a justified agricultural need sufficient enough to outweigh the test of the policy (part (f) in this case). Should agricultural need be accepted consideration then must be given to the location of the building and its visual impact as per Environment Policy 15. 6.2 In the specific case of this application the site occupies 18 acres of agricultural land on which there are currently 4 working horses and 25 breeding ewes. The proposal seeks approval for the erection of a 15 sq m timber shed which is reasonably proportionate to the current agricultural workings of the land and sizable enough to meet the needs of its agricultural operation. The small size of the shed and its temporary nature of construction not requiring a concrete apron means that should the use of the shed cease that the structure can be easily removed. 6.3 The location of the proposed shed is to the northern side of an existing mature boundary within the fields, this boundary comprises a mix of hedging and small trees. The small size of the shed and its location here will seek to limit views from the main road especially given the additional vegetation situated along the side of the road adjacent to the roundabout. While views may be achievable from the neighbouring property and from the public footpath running alongside the site the level of agricultural activity is likely to be minor and not expected to cause any disruption or adverse impacts on amenity. Equally the small size and dark colouring of the shed is expected to limit any adverse visual impacts and its not considered to be so objectionable as to warrant a refusal. - 7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 For the above reasons it is considered that the evidenced supplied by the applicant is in this specific case is considered sufficient enough to warrant an agricultural need for a small shed in this location in accordance with General Policy 3(f). The reasonably sized shed is also situated and designed as to limit any adverse visual impacts and its temporary nature of construction not requiring a concrete base ensures that should the use cease that the shed can be easily removed. It is considered that suitably worded conditions be added to address the personal and specific reasons for approval and if the use ceases that the shed be removed. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons: - (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; - (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested; - (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material - (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and - (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 8.2 The decision-maker must determine: - o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and - o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status. I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation. Decision Made : Permitted Date : 19.11.2018 Determining officer Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management ## Customer note ## This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records. --- *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/11975-braddan-adj-to-leece-lodge-strang-shed/documents/986320*