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Application No.: 25/91147/B Applicant: Mr & Mrs Mark Oates Proposal: Erection of a detached car port Site Address: Kerrowmoar Croft Kerrowmoar Sulby Isle Of Man IM7 2AX Senior Planning Officer: Mrs Louise Phillips Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.03.2026 Conditions and Notes for Approval C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Reason: To ensure proper control of the development and to avoid any future undesirable fragmentation of the curtilage.
The proposed car port would be an acceptable form of development in the countryside in principle. It would cause no significant harm to the character and appearance of the countryside; and it would not result in any practical loss of important and versatile agricultural land. The proposal would cause no other harm and it would therefore comply with the relevant policies of the Development Plan.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following plans:
Right to Appeal It is recommended that the following organisation should NOT be given the Right to Appeal:
1.1 The site is a rectangular strip of land to the immediate east of Kerrowmoar Croft, a traditional farmhouse set back from the north side of Lezayre Road. Having regard to the planning history for the site, application 12/00422/B in particular, the site is within the curtilage of the dwelling. The site for the proposed garage is fenced and laid to mown grass and there is an existing driveway leading up to it.
1.2 The farmhouse and its curtilage is part of a wider land holding, extending to approximately 140 acres of farmland. The farmyard, comprising two large agricultural sheds with another proposed, lies to the east. One of the existing sheds is adjacent to the site of the proposed garage.
2.1 The proposed development is an open fronted car port, measuring approximately 9.2m long x 6.5m wide x a maximum of 3.1m high. The walls would be clad in either metal or timber; and the gently sloping roof would be covered in metal, timber or grey fibre cement corrugated sheets.
2.2 The plans show that the car port is intended to accommodate three vehicles.
3.1 The site is not within a Conservation Area and there are no Registered Buildings which would be affected by the proposal. Registered Tree RT1236, an Acer, is situated on the site frontage. The site is not at risk of flooding. It is possible that the land is classified as Grade 2 quality soil.
3.2 The site is in the countryside, in an Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance. Strategic Plan
3.3 Strategic Policy 2 and Spatial Policy 5 direct development away from the countryside except in specific defined circumstances; and General Policy 3 sets out the circumstances in which development will be permitted in the countryside. None specifically applies to the proposed development.
3.4 Strategic Policy 5 requires new development to make a positive contribution to the environment.
3.5 General Policy 2 - Provides various development management criteria, including the following which are relevant to this proposal. Development should:
3.6 Environment Policy 1 - The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an overriding national need.
3.7 Environment Policy 2 - Within areas of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, the protection of the character of the landscape will be the most important consideration.
3.8 Environment Policy 14 - 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, and land of a lower quality is not available and other policies in this plan are complied with.
3.9 Transport Policy 7/Appendix 7 require residential development to be provided with two parking spaces.
5.1 25/91149/B: Erection of a detached steel portal frame building. Pending decision.
5.2 16/01111/B: Erection of an agricultural building. Permitted.
5.3 14/00720/B: Erection of an agricultural building. Permitted.
5.4 12/00422/B: Roofing works to dwelling. Permitted.
6.1 Lezayre Parish Commissioners (6/2/26): "No objection unanimous".
6.2 The following organisations were consulted on 12/13 January 2026 but, at the time of writing this report, no comments had been received:
7.1 The main issues are the principle of the proposed development in the countryside; its effect upon the character and appearance of the area; and its effect upon important and versatile agricultural land. Principle
7.2 There are no specific policies in the Development Plan which deal with garages or other outbuildings within residential curtilages, either in the countryside or built up areas. However, the Standing Orders for Planning Committee allow applications for "outbuildings within the existing curtilage of an existing building" to be determined under delegated powers, and these do not distinguish between outbuildings/curtilages in the countryside or in built up areas. Therefore, while the proposed development does not fall into the categories which General Policy 3 specifically identifies as being acceptable in the countryside, it is a type considered acceptable in principle subject to its impact overall.
7.3 While the agricultural land holding as a whole includes large metal sheds, there is no existing garage or car port on the site and several domestic-type vehicles are parked on the hardstanding in the vicinity of the farmhouse. This indicates that there is a need for the development proposed. Character and Appearance
7.4 The proposed car port would be fairly large for a garage-type building, but it would be of a low height and set well back from the site frontage, to the rear of the farmhouse. Therefore, while it would be possible to see it from the road, it would not be prominent in public views. Moreover, it would be seen in the context of the existing agricultural buildings on the farmyard to the east, which are of a much larger scale.
7.5 Thus the car port would not appear out of place in this agricultural setting and it would not matter whether it was clad in metal or wood. The former would reflect the design of the agricultural buildings to the east, while the latter would fit with the more domestic appearance of the farmhouse.
7.6 Overall, the proposed development would not be harmful to the character and appearance of the area or have any significant adverse effect upon the character of the surrounding countryside. It would therefore comply with Strategic Policy 5; General Policy 2(b), (c) & (g); Environment Policy 1; and Environment Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan. Important and Versatile Agricultural Land
7.7 The Agricultural Land Use Capability Map indicates that the land is likely to be classified as Grade 2 agricultural land upon which Environment Policy 14 Strategic Plan sets out a general presumption against permanent development. However, the site forms part of the residential curtilage of the farmhouse and it is unrealistic to assume that it will be farmed directly. The 140 acres of farmland within the agricultural holding lie mainly to the north of the curtilage.
7.8 In this context, the proposal would have no detrimental effect upon the use of Grade 2 agricultural land in practice, notwithstanding the notional conflict with Environment Policy 14 of the Strategic Plan. Other Issues
7.9 The Registered Acer referenced above lies adjacent to the site access, at the roadside. No changes are proposed to the access or driveway and there is plenty of hardstanding away from the tree upon which building materials could be stored. It is therefore very unlikely that harm would be caused to the tree, either during or after construction.
7.10 The only residential property in the vicinity of the site for the car port is Kerrowmoar Croft itself and so there would be no impact upon neighbouring living conditions. No changes are proposed which could affect highway safety and the proposal would formalise the existing parking provision near the farmhouse. The number of spaces available is already well in excess of the two required by Transport Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan.
7.11 Given its open-fronted design, there is no suggestion that the building is intended to be used for purposes other than the car parking proposed; and no other concerns have been raised. Consequently, none of these other issues weigh against the proposal.
8.1 For the reasons given above, the proposed car port would be an acceptable form of development in the countryside in principle. It would cause no significant harm to the character and appearance of the countryside; and it would not result in any practical loss of important and versatile agricultural land. The proposal would cause no other harm and it would therefore comply with the relevant policies of the Development Plan. It is recommended for approval accordingly.
9.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted).
9.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to:
9.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10.
9.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required):
I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded interested person status and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made : Permitted Date: 04.03.2026 Determining Officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner
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