Landscaping Proposals Statement

Landoaping proposals for the rear garden at

Miner Mount, Bradda West Road, Port Erin

Existing Rear Garden

The plot to the rear of the property is steeply sloping from the top of the site down towards the house. There is a straight flight of concrete steps to the eastern end of the plot that leads from a perimeter concrete path to the upper level.

Directly behind the house there is a high embankment with rocky outcrops. The rock is sedimentary shale/slate and is broken up and loose in areas. The embankment is too steep to be of any practical use and requires work to stabilise the rock.

At the upper level there is a steep grassed area with a post and wire fence as a guard along the top of the embankment. Again the slope of the land makes it impractical to use as a garden and far too steep for the use of a lawnmower and as a result it has become very overgrown in the past.

Behind the grassed area there is another steep embankment up to the boundary and rear lane (Tower Road).

The plot has recently been cleared of overgrown vegetation by a landscaping contractor. Screen planting in the form of hedging has been retained along the boundaries to maintain privacy to and from adjoining properties and the rear lane.

Proposed Landscaping

The proposal is to make the garden more useable and try to create seating and planting areas closer to the house. The pathway from the top to the bottom is to be broken up so that the route is a journey through different planting areas with places to sit and enjoy the garden. The upper grassed area is to be levelled so that it is a useable lawn with a decked area to admire the coastal views.

Immediately behind the dwelling, and accessed from the kitchen, will be a terraced area set 600 mm above the perimeter path level. The terrace will be cut into the embankment and the rock face stabilised using stone filled gabions. This will create an area for potted plants and a space set back from the house so that the 'garden' can be brought down to a lower level.

Stone steps will then lead to an intermediate level set 1700 mm above the perimeter path. This will break up the gabions and provide an area that will catch evening sunlight. The gabions will be staggered to create a ledge for drought resistant plants and coastal plants to soften the appearance of the stone. The planting will be encouraged to cascade down to break up the lines of the gabions.

A stone staircase and steps will lead from the intermediate level up the steep embankment and connect to the upper garden. Exposed stone will be retained where suitable and drought resistant/coastal plants will be planted around the rock outcrops to provide a very natural landscaped appearance.

A further line of gabions will be used at the edge of the grassed area to enable the land to be remodeled to an acceptable gradient. This area will have a planting bed for growing vegetables and the remainder will form a lawn. A timber deck will be provided in the far north eastern corner, on an existing raised area, to provide a seating area to enjoy the coastal views. The deck will be partly protected from rain by a timber pergola, and screened storage will be created below the decking for a lawnmower etc.

Planting

As stated, new planting will be suitable drought resistant and coastal plants set between rocky outcrops to create a natural looking garden. The existing boundary hedging provides a very good level of privacy between neighbours as well as the rear lane. This planting is to be retained and additional hedging added where necessary to reinforce the privacy between the properties.

The front face of the gabions will be good quality stone and planted with additional planting to soften their appearance and merge with the other planted areas.