Loading document...
. 1 The site is not covered by any local plan, therefore the 1982 Development Plan Order is the determining document in terms of land use. The site is identified as being within an area with a general designation of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, although it should be noted that it is situated at the very Western edge of this designation.
2 The main policies within the Strategic Plan which are relevant to the proposals are General Policy 3 - Section (b) which allows the conversion of redundant rural buildings and Environment Policy 16 which states; 'The use of existing rural buildings for new purposes such as tourist, or small-scale industrial/commercial use may be permitted where: g) It is demonstrated that the building is no longer required for its original purpose and where the building is substantially intact and structurally capable of renovation; h) The reuse of the building will result in the preservation of fabric which is of historic, architectural, or social interest or is otherwise of visual attraction; i) It is demonstrated that the building could accommodate the new use without requiring extension or adverse change to appearance or character; j) There would not be unacceptable implications in terms of traffic generation; k) Conversion does not lead to dispersal of activity on such a scale as to prejudice the vitality and viability of existing town and village services; and I) The use of existing buildings involves significant levels of redevelopment to accommodate the new use, the benefits secured by the proposal in terms of impact on the environment and the rural economy shall outweigh the continued impact of retaining the existing buildings on site.
Proposals to convert rural buildings to residential accommodation will be considered along with the advice given at Section 8.10 of this document'
As the application proposals are to convert the existing barn into self contained residential units for tourist use, then the guidance of Section 8.10 of the loM Strategic Plan 2007 is relevant in this case. Section 8.10 sets out the relevant policy for the conversion of rural buildings into dwellings via Housing Policy 11 which states; 'Housing Policy 11: Conversion of existing rural buildings into dwellings may be permitted, but only where: (g) Redundancy for the original use can be established; (h) The building is substantially intact and structurally capable of renovation; (i) The building is of architectural, historic, or social interest; (j) The building is large enough to form a satisfactory dwelling, either as it stands or with modest, subordinate extension which does not affect adversely the character or interest of the building;
(k) Residential use would not be incompatible with adjoining established uses or, where appropriate, land use zonings on the area plan; and (l) The building is or can be provided with satisfactory services without unreasonable public expenditure.
Taking the requirements of HP11 above, the existing barn was originally constructed for agricultural purposes to support the farmstead. The existing farmhouse property is now a private residence with the 43 acres used for equestrian purposes. The barn is therefore redundant for its original purpose and is used for equestrian purposes.
As the barn is a more modern structure it has not been surveyed by a structural engineer as it is deemed to be sound and in good condition.
From the application proposals it can be seen that the existing barn is sufficiently large to form satisfactory dwellings, particularly for tourist use without the need for any form of extension. Whilst the existing building is non traditional, the proposal seeks to significantly improve the character and appearance of the building in a variety of ways, including the removal of the lightweight cladding and its replacement with a masonry cavity wall which incorporates the existing steel frame which will be retained. The resulting cavity wall will be faced in Manx stone to all elevations, making the building sit comfortably both with the adjacent existing two-storey Manx stone barn, and the Manx stone garage area of the replacement dwelling which is located approx. 10 m away and at right angles to the proposals.
The roof of the building will be finished in natural slate with a concrete capping to the gable walls, following traditional building forms and methods. Windows and doors will be stained timber matching those of the adjacent existing two-storey stone barn. The resulting building sits comfortably with the adjoining buildings, forming a traditional rural grouping which significantly improve on the existing buildings and reduce the visual impact on the surrounding countryside.
The adjoining established use is a residential dwelling, with which the application proposals fully accord. In addition, as the adjacent dwelling is to be replaced, and will be in the same ownership and control, then the potential for any harm is eradicated.
As the existing site is provided with services it is not envisaged that any such issues will be raised as a result of the application proposals. In addition, as there is a new vehicular access being proposed from the main A5 through to the application site, then the ability to provide improved services to the site exists at no cost to the public purse.
As demonstrated above, the proposals accord with items g) to I) of Housing Policy 11, and therefore the applicant believes the application proposals to be acceptable under current policy.
The non-traditional/more modern nature of the existing barn gives an excellent opportunity to provide disabled accessible facilities for tourist use. There is a lack of self catering tourist facilities which are accessible for disabled users, and the two units have been designed to provide ground floor facilities for disabled guests with wet-room facilities, whilst a second bedroom with en-suite facilities is provided at first floor for any carers accompanying the disabled guest.
1 During the design process, the applicants architect has carried out consultations with:
Mr Steven Stanley - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Planning Officer, Mr Anthony Holmes - Dept. of Infrastructure - Planning Officer, Ms Hazel Fletcher - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Kevin Almond - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Ian Wade - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kneen - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kelly - IoM Fire \& Rescue Service,
The advice given within these pre-application consultations has been incorporated into the drawings and information which form the basis of this application.
1 The proposals to convert the existing barn have been designed to make the best use of the existing building with the least amount of structural alterations, other than those required to establish a realistic pattern of openings. As a result, the proposals for the barn take the form of two, two bedroom two-storey tourist accommodation units. These are formed by the insertion of a mezzanine floor to the central portion of the barn to accommodate the second bedroom, with the rest of the accommodation at ground floor level.
Where possible existing openings have been utilised with a small number of new openings formed as required. Conservation type roof lights have been incorporated within the roof slope to provide natural daylight and ventilation to the upper floor.
Whilst it is acknowledged that the existing building is non-traditional, the proposals seek to make them so. The over-cladding of the walls with Manx stone and re-laying of the roof with natural slate brings the finishes in line with the adjacent buildings, whilst the form of the building is made more traditional by the use of cappings to the gables.
The resulting proposal, as part of the grouping of existing agricultural buildings, provides much needed disabled accessible tourist accommodation with associated parking, and will ensure the retention of the buildings for the long term, preserving a group of traditional buildings for future generations. In addition, the existing buildings together with the replacement dwelling will sit together in a natural grouping in a traditional manner, minimising the overall impact of the development as a whole on the surrounding countryside.
The opportunity offered to provide fully disabled accessible self catering tourist accommodation should, in the applicant's opinion, outweigh any planning considerations. The lack of any visual impact of the proposals, coupled to the opportunity the units would provide for both equestrian and non-equestrian tourism for the disabled, which is currently very limited on the island, would be a positive social benefit both locally and nationally.
.1 Rainwater Harvesting - It is proposed that the rainwater run-off from the roofs and from hard-standings will be discharged to a 'Klargester' rainwater harvesting tank which will be situated below ground. This tank, together with its filtration system, will utilise the rainwater and after filtering will pump it back into the tourist units as 'Grey Water' for use in the flushing of W.C.'s, clothes washing etc. The rainwater storage tank will also have an over-flow discharge to a soak-away to deal with excess water in times of storm conditions. As the storage capacity available from this and the other application roofs is large, it is proposed that this water storage will also be connected to a pumped hydrant system, allowing for fire fighting water supplies should they be required.
2 Foul Water Bio-Disc - In order to deal with the foul water drainage from the tourist accommodation units it is proposed to utilise a 'Klargester Bio-Disc' which is essentially an individual packaged sewage treatment plant which takes domestic effluent, and after treating it, produces a cleaned effluent which can safely be discharged to a tail drain soak-away or in some circumstances to a water course. The bio-disc will be sized to suit the maximum effluent output from the tourist accommodation units.
3 The need to provide adequate space for the inclusion of these technologies, including separation distances between the tourist units and the bio-disc, the tourist units and the water storage tank and associated soak-away, and between each of these items from each other has necessitated the location of these devises in the land adjacent to the tourist units which has been clearly denoted on the application drawings.
1 From the new access road approved under PA10/01672/B, a new access lane is proposed which provides a vehicular link from the new entrance to the tourist accommodation. The new access lane included within this application is sized to provide adequate vehicular access to the tourist accommodation, and takes the form of a single carriageway width with passing places along its route.
1 The tourist units have been designed to take full account of the existing structure and form of the buildings, to convert them for re-use as self contained tourist units for disabled use, safeguarding them for the future, and to accord with General Policy 3 (d), Environmental Policy 16 and Housing Policy 11.
2 The re-use of the existing barn for self contained tourist units provides much needed tourist accommodation to support the development of the Ballavartyn Equestrian Centre as a high quality facility, the international competition standard arena providing facilities which will be used both for Isle of Man residents as well as tourist use as is described more fully in Section 6.0 of this statement.
The proposals which are encompassed by the three planning applications identified in Sections 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 of this statement, coupled to the Equestrian Centre approved under PA10/01672/B, and which is currently under development, have multiple economic benefits to the Isle of Man. The equestrian centre with its international standard arena will be available to the entire population of the Island on a booking system. It is true that there are one or two other competition standard arenas on the Island, but these are privately owned for private use, and as such do not have the other support facilities such as parking provision, or access to a main highway with the capability to deal with competition visitors that are included in the application proposals. The arena allows the development of equestrian related competition both nationally within the Island and internationally with the adjacent Islands and beyond, bringing inward tourism and equestrian investment into the Island.
The Stabling for 97 horses included within that approved application will be run as a full livery stable, providing care and training of horses for both island and off-island owners, with a variety of care options provided, but all to the highest standard. The commercial benefit to the local equestrian supplies market for feed, bedding and equipment should not be underestimated, which will benefit from high six figure annual expenditure.
The exercise track for training and exercise of horses in harness will allow the stabling and training of harness racing horses which is a significant and growing equestrian sport which will bring further inward investment into the Island.
Accordingly, the six self catering tourist units included in these applications will be finished to a high standard, and will support and be supported by the equestrian arena and stabling, as trainers, owners, jockeys, competition entrants and equestrian enthusiasts will all support the tourist units in addition to the general tourist use. It is understood that the Leisure and Tourism Department are keen to expand the availability of high quality self catering tourist accommodation throughout the Island, and the application proposals will add a further strand to the variety of accommodation that the Island can offer, including purpose designed disabled accessible facilities.
In addition to the tourist units on-site, the stables will provide equestrian pursuits for other visitors to the Island, with a variety of riding tuition, trekking and equine care opportunities available, creating further tourist attractions which would also be available to Island residents all year round.
The construction of the application proposals represents a multi-million pound investment which will run through the Islands economy, from consultants, to contractors, to suppliers, retailers and ultimately through VAT, ITIP and direct fees to the Isle of Man Government.
.1 Along with the economic and sporting development benefits of the application proposals, the services provided by the equestrian arena and livery stables will include riding for the disabled and other equestrian therapy services. The high quality of the arena and its facilities, with disabled parking and WCs, level access and trained assistants will allow the use of the facilities by local disabled children and adults for equine therapy, the benefits of which have long been acknowledged, but which are not fully available currently on the Isle of Man. This will be further supported by the disabled accessible tourist accommodation, giving the possibility of on-site riding for the disabled courses/holidays.
.1 The application proposals are described in detail in the individual design statements of each application, whilst the site specific and site wide conditions are described in Section 1.0 of this document. The application drawings identify the details of the new access lane to the application proposals, and the existing vehicular access positions to the existing site and buildings.
.1 The application site is currently accessed via Ballavartyn Lane which enters onto the A5 at a junction close to the former Methodist Chapel, where a Public Transport Bus Stop is also located. To the opposite side of the A5 from the application site and the proposed new vehicular access is a vehicle lay-by which is used for off-road parking of public vehicles, and which is approx. 200 m in length, providing significant off-road parking for the public in the area.
2 The peak hours for traffic on the A5 are between 7:30am to 9:00am, and between 4:30pm to 6:00pm, primarily relating to traffic entering and leaving Douglas for working hours. From information from the Highways Division there are no known accidents on the stretch of road from which the new vehicular access is proposed to be taken, and the straight nature of this section of road with few junctions in the immediate locality means that this is not a high risk area.
1 The application site is currently a residential dwelling with adjacent barns and outbuildings which are used for equestrian stabling purposes. The dwelling and equestrian stables has parking for approx. 15 vehicles, which are located within the area immediately surrounding the existing dwelling and outbuildings.
2 The application proposals encompass a significant amount of parking provision which is situated in close proximity to the individual accommodation type. These can be summarised as follows;
6 Tourist Units - Each tourist unit has 1 parking space or covered parking bay for use by visitors to the self catering accommodation. These are located immediately adjacent to the tourist units; Arena \& Stables (Approved under PA10/01672/B) - The arena is provided with 48 car parking spaces with 4 allocated for disabled parking. In addition, there is parking for 14 horse box trailers, and for 7 larger horse transporters. This
The above provision for the replacement dwelling is significantly greater than that required by the loM Strategic Plan 2007, whilst the tourist unit provision is in accordance with that required by the loM Strategic Plan 2007.
. 1 The application site is currently a residential dwelling with adjacent barns and outbuildings which are used for equestrian stabling purposes. The dwelling generates approx. 8 vehicle movements per day which are associated with domestic life and which are split throughout the day but are mainly centred about departures for school and work in the morning and afternoon movements for the same purposes. The current driveway leads to Ballavartyn Lane, which is the method of access from the existing property to the main A5 and wider road network.
2 The existing equestrian stables generate approx. 12 vehicular movements per day, which are spaced throughout the day and which relate to the arrival and departure of employees for work, the delivery of feed and bedding supplies, or visits from owners of horses in livery stabling. These are split approx. 80/20 between car type vehicles and larger service vehicles in that order. The method of access to the property is via the current driveway which leads to/is accessed from Ballavartyn Lane, and which in turn is the method of access to/from the main A5 and wider road network.
1 The scope and size of development has been identified in the individual design statements for each application, which identifies the site and floor areas per application.
2 The replacement dwelling will be the occupied permanent residence of the applicant, who will be on-site 24-7. The tourist units will operate all year round and as they are residential will be 24-7. The stables will operate on a 24-7 basis, as the keeping and care of horses is a full-time business. However, public access to the facility will be restricted to a 14 -hour day from 8:00am to 10:00pm on a 7 -day a week basis. These hours of business are also anticipated for the arena, which would be available for booking by the public and a variety of organisations.
3 Access to the application proposals are via a new vehicular access designed in accordance with the requirements laid down by Mr Kevin Almond. This new access is sized to meet the requirements of the development, allowing access for both domestic cars, $4 \times 4$ 's with horse box trailers, horse transporters and large service vehicles, including the emergency services.
| Residential Dwelling | 12 Vehicular Movements - Car |
| Tourist Units | 24 Vehicular Movements - Car |
The above is based on an average normal domestic usage for the residential dwelling with an allowance for daily domestic help and informal visitors by the applicant, plus 4 vehicular movements per day for each of the tourist units at full capacity.
Page 21 of 25
Copyright in submitted documents remains with their authors. Request removal
