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Field no: 234710, Orrisdale, Kirk Michael Planning Application: Agricultural dwelling
This report has been prepared by Caroline Perry of Island Land - Based Services Limited.
I have an Honours Degree in Agriculture Science from Nottingham University and am a Member of the BASIS Professional Registry.
After leaving University I worked for Laurence Gould Consultants and Carter Jonas Chartered Surveyors in the UK. Much of this work involved provision of a full farm management service on behalf of private and institutional clients.
Since 1993 I have provided technical and financial advice to the agriculture industry on the Isle of Man. Firstly as an agricultural adviser for DEFA and then in 2005 I set up my own company Island Land - Based Services Limited.
Much of this work involves advising farmers on capital investments and the likely implications it will have on the farming business.
I currently work for farmers, agricultural and public-sector organisations and Government Departments in the Isle of Man.
Island Land-Based Services Limited acting on behalf of Mr Ian Stevenson has been instructed to prepare an agricultural appraisal to assess whether the construction of an agricultural dwelling in Field: 234710 would meet the requirements of the relevant Housing Policies and Environment Policies as per the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
Ballamenagh Farm, Orrisdale has belonged to Mr Ian Stevenson’s family for nearly 70 years and for the last 30 years has been let to various farming tenants as the Stevenson family were unable to farm the land themselves due to illness and other work commitments. During the last nine years the land has been let continuously to the Kelly family, currently Angela Kelly and her son Michael. Michael Kelly is going to be taking over Angela Kelly’s farming business soon and running it with his own business.
Mr Ian Stevenson has agreed to build a farm worker’s dwelling on the land if planning is approved for Michael Kelly to provide him a base for his farming business and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the farm.
The farm currently totals 67.63 acres and is the largest parcel of land farmed by Michael Kelly.
The land at Ballamenagh Farm is classified as Grade 3/4 (Agricultural Land Classification), with the soil type being predominantly loamy sand suitable for mixed farming.
The farm is stocked and managed to produce top quality beef and lamb for the Manx people whilst at the same time enhancing and protecting the wildlife on the farm.
Angela and Michael Kelly have small blocks of land scattered throughout the north and west of the Isle of Man (Appendix 1) but because the land at Ballamenagh Farm is relatively dry and is the largest block of land they farm, it is extensively used for grazing livestock throughout the winter and spring months. The total farming business currently consists 60 cows and bulls producing calves to produce beef and replacement heifers and 256 ewes lambing in the spring with lambs finished at around 6 months of age.
Most of the fields are in grass for silage and grazing but cereals and forage crops could be grown to provide livestock feed and straw if the long-term sustainability of the land could be guaranteed.
The standard labour units for the whole of the Kelly’s farming business is 2.09 units (Appendix 2). As the stock are moved around all the scattered blocks of land it is extremely difficult to calculate the standard labour units for Ballamenagh Farm alone but based on its importance to the farming business due to its
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position in relation to the other parcels of land, its size and winter use it has been estimated that the farm could realistically support enough stock for just under one standard labour unit (Appendix 3).
Mr Ian Stevenson’s mother lives in the bungalow called Ballamenagh Farmhouse which was built in 1976. The bungalow has no agricultural condition attached to it and although Mrs Stevenson used to be able to undertake some of the duties required by a farmer who lives on the farm on behalf of the farming tenant – checking livestock, security, helping in emergencies etc, she is now 85 and it is unrealistic to expect her to have this responsibility now.
The general policy background is set out in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan. The relevant policies are:
The size and type of business requires a minimum of two full time agricultural workers with one based at Ballamenagh Farm (see section on Standard Labour Units above).
It is essential for there to be an agricultural dwelling at Ballamenagh Farm to ensure full cover is provided for:
Twenty-four hour, seven day/week supervision during calving and lambing is required to ensure maximum cow/calf and ewe/lamb survival.
During calving and lambing, cows and ewes need to be checked regularly during daylight hours and throughout the night and assistance given to cows or ewes having difficult births. Newly born calves and lambs need to be watched carefully to ensure they receive colostrum and mothered properly.
By living on site, calving and lambing is much safer for both livestock and farmer and the survival of livestock and consequently the farming business is much more guaranteed.
Farmers need to be able to check on their livestock daily, provide feed, ensure water is available and carry out all the other livestock management duties – scanning, feet inspections, vet and med, ensure they are in suitable condition for selling etc.
The vast arrange of duties can only be carried out efficiently and safely if the farmer is living close to where most of their stock are.
Cattle are vulnerable to many endemic and exotic diseases and some of these must be notified to DEFA if suspected:
It is widely accepted by government, vets and farmers that the best way to prevent diseases spreading is regularly monitoring livestock and consulting a veterinary surgeon as soon as disease is suspected and DEFA if the disease is notifiable. Monitoring needs to take place several times a day/night. If a farmer is not living on site, monitoring to the level required by government is incredibly difficult and so often is not done at busier times of year.
Sheep are vulnerable to several notifiable diseases including anthrax, bluetongue, brucellosis (Brucella melitensis), Foot and Mouth and scrapie. Additionally, there are many other diseases which are not notifiable but are preventable by looking after stock properly and monitoring regularly for signs of illness.
Again, to ensure adequate monitoring, farmers need to live on site.
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Good farm biosecurity is essential to stop the introduction and spread of animal diseases in the Isle of Man. Farm animal diseases are mainly spread by the following:
Good biosecurity can only efficiently be maintained if a farmer has a base to work from and is living on site to the majority of their land.
Ballamenagh Farm is situated in the country and if a farmer lives several miles from the farm there is a very real risk that a minor emergency could develop into something much more serious due to the time it takes to travel to the farm. Weather can also prevent someone being able to get to the farm as we saw in March 2013 with snow closing roads for many days and during the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 winters when extreme rainfall made travelling impossible on some of the Island’s roads.
Farms on the island are often targeted by those wanting to take equipment and materials from farms without permission. It has also been known that livestock have been removed from fields during the night and livestock been put into farmers’ fields for free grass where there good grazing. Dogs worrying sheep is also of major concern to sheep farmers with cases where many ewes and lambs have been killed or had to be destroyed because of their injuries.
A farmer living on the farm is a deterrent on its own for some of the people who act illegally but certainly if an incident does happen it is likely that it will be spotted much earlier if a farmer lives on site and so police will be alerted much quicker.
In the Isle of Man Strategic Plan, Section 8.9.3 lists 5 points which need to be considered when judging whether the need is sufficient to over-ride other policies:
(a) The previous or proposed severance of land and buildings. The original farmhouse for Ballamenagh Farm was sold in the 1970’s and since then has not been connected to the farm in any way. The area around Orrisdale has seen planning applications approved for the construction of several dwellings and conversions of agricultural buildings to dwellings and the area has changed from being totally agriculture to an area of scattered rural dwellings which now are not affordable by a farmer.
(b) The agricultural justification for sub-division of a farm. The farm has not been sub-divided.
(c) The long-term viability of new or unproven agricultural enterprises. The Kelly family has been farming for many years and will continue to do so as long as the Island supports agriculture and young farmers.
(d) The extent to which the applicant’s employment in agriculture is only part-time. The standard labour unit calculations (see above) prove that there is justification for over two full time people on the farm. Michael Kelly is working part time elsewhere, but this is to support his farming business.
(e) In the case of a retiring farmer, whether the proposal would result in vacation of an existing farm dwelling for agricultural use. The proposal is not related to a farmer retiring.
Housing Policy 8: Where permission is granted for an agricultural dwelling, a condition will be attached restricting the occupation to a person engaged or last engaged solely in agriculture; or a widow or widower of such a person, or any resident dependants. The application is for an agricultural dwelling for a well-established young farmer.
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8.8.1 There are in the countryside many small groups of dwellings which, whilst not having the character of, or the full range of services usually provided in a village, nevertheless have a sense of place and community. These groups are found variously at crossroads, in places sheltered by trees or topography or around chapels, abandoned mills or smithys.
8.8.2 Adding further dwellings to these groups may not accord with our strategic objectives relating to settlements and sustainability but may assist in meeting the need of rural areas; may maintain social and family associations and assist in sustaining the rural economy; and may reduce the pressure for purely sporadic and isolated development which the Department would not support. Such additions would also need to be sensitively related to the existing settlement pattern and the landscape.
Baltamcnagh Farm is within the area of Orrisdale which contains many rural dwellings. Thus, the proposed dwelling will be in a locality where there are already several other buildings and dwellings in the vicinity. A further dwelling will assist in meeting the needs of the rural community, will maintain social and family associations and assist in sustaining the rural economy by ensuring the farming family will be able to retain their agricultural business.
(a) It is within or immediately adjoining the main group of farm buildings or a group of farm buildings associated with that farm, (b) It is well set back from any public highway, and (c) It is approached via the existing access.
The proposed dwelling is adjoining the main group of farm buildings.
It will be set back from the public highway and will be approached from an existing farm access.
“It is important to sustain agricultural industry by safeguarding its prime resources, by allowing appropriately designed and sited new buildings (where need is established) and by encouraging conservation-based land management regimes”.
The proposed building is to be built on landscape classified as D4 “Incised slopes” – this is landscape is characterised as “Settlement pattern is dominated by a series of hamlets (including Orrisdale and Bishopscourt) and traditional stone isolated farmsteads, which are scattered throughout the area”
“The overall strategy for the area should be to conserve and enhance the character, quality and distinctiveness of the area with its patchwork of relatively regular, medium-scale fields, its mature network of low hedges, its tranquil and remote character and its traditional hamlets and scattered farm buildings”.
By providing the opportunity for young farmers to continue their careers by being able to live by their place of work meets the landscape strategy for the area.
“The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake” and “development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an over-riding national need...”
The proposed dwelling is on the site where there used to be a dwelling and buildings as shown on the 1868 map. It will have very little impact on wildlife. The proposed siting of the dwelling does not involve the loss of wildlife and biodiversity. Additional hedgerow and tree planting could take place around it thus increasing the value of the site for wildlife.
The proposal has been sited such that it makes use of some trees as backdrop but is several metres away from it so that it does not result in any loss or damage to it.
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Development which would result in the permanent loss of important and versatile agricultural land (Classes 1 – 2) will not be permitted except where there is an overriding need for the development. The proposed agricultural dwelling is on Grade 3/4 (See above).
Agricultural dwellings must be sited as close as 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 part.
The proposal is for full planning approval for an agricultural dwelling; this is to be as close as practically possible to existing farm buildings and designed to ensure that it will be sympathetic to the landscape.
The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture is currently working towards implementing The Isle of Man’s First Biodiversity Strategy “Managing our Natural Wealth”.
The success of meeting the targets is dependent on many individuals and organisations on the Island and the farming community has a vital role. Implementation of parts of the strategy is reliant on traditional Manx farms like Ballamenagh Farm. Those farming these traditional farms and looking after the countryside need the support to enable them to live on the farms they manage.
The Agricultural Industry in the Isle of Man is struggling to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry because of the lack of enthusiastic young people wanting to make a career in agriculture who are willing to work long hours for relatively low pay. Those that do are incredibly dedicated, hardworking and need to become both skilled in managing land and livestock and be able to run a business.
It is essential for individuals who can assist young people in the industry to get the support they deserve and for the Island to provide the encouragement that is needed to make sure there is an agriculture industry on the Island in the future.
The UK Secretary of State, Michael Gove gave a speech at the Oxford Farming Conference on 4th January 2018
These are a couple of quotes from his speech: -
> “If we want to preserve that which we cherish - a thriving agriculture sector, a healthy rural economy, beautiful landscapes, rich habitats for wildlife, a just society and a fair economy - then we need to be able to shape change rather than seeking to resist it”
> “Finally, there is rural resilience. There are any number of smaller farm and rural businesses which help keep communities coherent and ensure the culture in agriculture is kept healthy. Whether it’s upland farmers in Wales or Cumbria, crofters in Scotland or small livestock farmers in Northern Ireland, we need to ensure support is there for those who keep rural life vital. The work of the Prince’s Countryside Fund has been invaluable here and the kind of enterprises that it supports are, I believe, worthy of public support”
Ballamenagh Farm is a traditional Manx farm and Michael Kelly’s current farming business is well established and will continue to expand into the future with support. To ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry as well as helping the rural economy thrive young farmers need to be able to live close to their place of work and the livestock they manage.
No other dwellings are available and all planning requirements and policies relating to agricultural dwellings can be satisfied.
The proposal therefore warrants support and approval.
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