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Application No.: 17/01186/B Applicant: Derek & Jane Cain Proposal: Installation of 3 additional tourist accommodation huts on campsite Site Address: Field 411363 Glendown Farm Truggan Road Port St. Mary Isle Of Man Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: 23.11.2017 Site Visit: 23.11.2017 Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 12.12.2017 _________________________________________________________________
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
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.
This approval relates to the location plan and the proposed plan and elevations received on 6th November, 2017 and the site plan received on 15th November, 2017.
_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons
none _____________________________________________________________________________
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE DUE TO THE PLANNING HISTORY OF THE SITE AND THE DEVELOPMENT IS CONTRARY TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
1.1 The site is a field and some land alongside which sits to the east of Glendown Farm at the south eastern edge of Port Erin but within the parish of Rushen. The land to the west, north and south is actively farmed by the applicant and to the north west is the edge of the built up part of Port Erin in the form of Erin Way, Erin Lane and Erin Close. - 1.2 The site slopes away from the road and has recently been the subject of works to create a camp site. The works include the improvement of the access and the planting of trees along the boundaries in accordance with an approved landscaping scheme required as part of the earlier application, 14/00800/B. These elements have been undertaken. The planting was undertaken in accordance with the approved scheme, other than the introduction of griselinia hedging between the pitches. The blackthorn trees have not survived and the applicant will be revisiting the location of these trees in the planting season. - 1.3 Two shepherd's hut style glamping units have been parked on the site not in the areas where the glamping pods were originally approved but further uphill and slightly closer to the western boundary of the site. These were recently approved under 17/00620/B. THE PROPOSAL
2.1 When planning approval was granted for the creation of the camp site, conditions were imposed to require details of the glamping pods which had been included in the application but without any elevations or details. These details were provided by way of further plans following the issue of the approval and showed curved roofed timber units with timber shingle roofs with a small timber patio adjoining the unit. These were not moveable and had no foundations. - 2.2 The applicant decided to develop a different style of glamping hut and sought permission under 17/00620/B for two shepherd's huts towards the north western end of the camping site. These were approved and are in situ. Now the applicant wishes to add a further three huts between those approved and the area reserved for motorhome parking. To the west is a picnic area which is part of the campsite, to the north is an access way within the site and to the east is an area for tented camping. - 2.3 The units are the same as those already approved - 2.2m by 4.2m and 2.8m high finished in corrugated sheeting which will be coloured green and a curved sheeted roof. The previous approval was subject to a condition which required all external metalwork to be coloured green. PLANNING POLICY
3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South as not for any particular purpose and on the Draft Character Appraisal the land falls within a much wider area of Incised Slopes one of whose principal objectives is to preserve the open green space between Port St. Mary. - 3.2 A more significant direction is from an approval which was granted for the site to be developed into a camp site for motorhomes, glamping pods and tents, 14/00800/B. This application was initially refused by the Planning Committee for reasons relating to highway safety and the impact on the character of the countryside as well as concerns at the absence of information. There were also objections to the scheme by Highway Services and a number of local residents, primarily on highway safety and mainly through the introduction of motor home traffic, but also regarding the potential visual and aural impact of the use of the site as proposed. - 3.3 The inspector reporting on the appeal disagreed with the objectors, commenting on the visual impact concerns as follows:
"There is no doubt that the appearance of the field would change, not least because it would have a new access onto Truggan Road and some internal roads. But the majority of it would remain as grass, there would be no new buildings and during the 5 winter months, no motor homes, tents, cars of caravans. This, together with the likelihood of generous landscaping around and within the site, and a controlled scheme of external lighting, leads to the view that the proposed campsite would not have a materially harmful visual impact when viewed from Truggan Road or from the nearest houses in Port Erin and further afield. The Minister agreed with this and the application was approved subject, inter alia, with a condition which required the approval of the number, appearance and location of the glamping pods which were to be installed in accordance with the approved details."
3.4 The applicant provided details of two glamping pods, as described in paragraph 2.1 above, along with details of the lighting and landscaping, all of which were approved on 13th April, 2015 and the two existing shepherds' huts were approved under 17/00620/B. REPRESENTATIONS
4.1 Rushen Parish Commissioners have not commented at the time of writing. - 4.2 Highway Services comment that the proposals would increase the number of tourist accommodation huts on the campsite from 2 to 5. There would be adequate space within the site to accommodate the associated parking demand from the additional units.(04.12.17).
5.1 This has been referred to earlier in the report. ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The proposal is clearly contrary to policy which establishes a presumption against development in the countryside. However, the creation of a camp site here, including glamping pods, motorhome pitches and tented camping has already been accepted. The issue here, therefore, is whether the location and appearance of the shepherd hut type glamping pods have any adverse impact on the character of the countryside or the living conditions of those in nearby properties, taking account of the existence of the approval under 14/00800/B and the findings of the inspector, in particular in respect of those glamping pods and more importantly, the more recent decision to approve two shepherds' huts.
6.2 The Government's policy on tourism is set out within its Destination Management Plan 2016-2020 and more specifically, the Department of Economic Development's Tourism Division has undertaken research into the different elements of tourist accommodation offered on the Island, with a study into the Island's hotels and hotel potential having been undertaken first
6.5 What is proposed will have a different visual impact from what was approved but it is considered, not significantly greater or more adverse. The site is yet young and the planting has not begun to mature or have effect and there are no tents or motorhomes on the site to create the character of a camp site. If and when these are there, the eye will not be drawn to the shepherd's huts in the same way as at present, and it is considered that the proposal will sit as comfortably as the development that was originally approved. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The proposal is considered to be acceptable, despite being contrary to the development plan. 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:
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.
Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 15.01.2018
Signed : C BALMER Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below
Application No. : 17/01186/B Applicant : Derek & Jane Cain Proposal : Installation of 3 additional tourist accommodation huts on
campsite
Site Address : Field 411363 Glendown Farm Truggan Road Port St. Mary Isle Of Man
Addendum to the Officer’s Report PLANNING COMMITTEE 15/01/2018 After discussion the Planning Committee agreed with the recommendation subject to amendments/addition of Conditions 4, 5 & 6:
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.
Reason: The development has been exceptionally approved solely to meet tourist need and its subsequent retention would result in an unwarranted intrusion in the countryside.
This approval relates to the location plan and the proposed plan and elevations received on 6th November, 2017 and the site plan received on 15th November, 2017.
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