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Application No.: 16/01294/B Applicant: Sound Farm Ltd Proposal: Erection of an agricultural building for grain, feed, fertilizer and farming equipment storage Site Address: Sound Farm Sound Road Cregneash Isle of Man IM9 5PZ Case Officer : Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken: 12.01.2017 Site Visit: 12.01.2017 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site forms part of the holding of Sound Farm, Sound Road, Port St Mary. The existing farm sits on the north-western side of the Sound Road which links Cregneash with the Sound Café. The extent of the farm land edged blue on the location plan covers a large proportion of the land surrounding the nib of the Sound on the western coast. - 1.2 The main farm house and farm buildings congregate on the northern section of the land holding and are set back from the main highway and accessed via a farm lane 190m long. The existing farm is a full working farm and has been within the applicant’s family for a considerable number of years, with the applicant being the 6th generation in current ownership. - 1.3 There are a number of large modern steel agricultural buildings on site along with a number of traditional stone farm buildings, all of which are utilised for the purpose of the day to day running of the farm.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the erection of a new steel agricultural outbuilding which will sit directly on the north-west side elevation of an existing steel agricultural building located within the congregation of existing farm buildings. The proposed new structure is to provide an area for the storage of grain, feed and fertilizer, and occasionally a machinery store. The building is to replace the use of an existing building which due to is age and poor form has become difficult to use. The new build will allow for the use of machinery internally which the existing granary building doesn't cater for. - 2.2 The proposed unit will be approx. 12.2m wide by 27.6m long and is to have a 15 degree pitch roof with 12 roof lights to each roof slope. The building is to be finished with merlin grey metal sheets to the upper parts and concrete panels below. - 2.3 The overall ridge height of the building is to be approx. 7m, the building is to be fully enclosed with exception to the front north east facing elevation which will include a set of double sliding doors approx. 3.7m wide x 4.3m high.
2.4 There are no proposals for the existing granary and no proposals for it to be removed or demolished.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There have been a number of previous agricultural developments applied for in relation to the site at the Sound Farm, the following applications have been considered in respect of this application;
13/00221/B - Erection of an agricultural building - Permitted 08/02272/B - Erection of a replacement lean to barn 96/01144/B - Permitted 05/00363/B - Erection of a lean to extension to existing barn - Permitted 00/01581/B - Erection of agricultural building - Permitted on review 93/00506/B - Lean-to extension to barn - Permitted on review 88/04599/B - Erection of 2 agricultural sheds - Permitted on review
4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The application site is within an area recognised as being not zoned for development under the Area Plan for the South 2013. The landscape character is designated as being Cregneash and Meayll Peninsula (H4). - 4.2 Cregneash and Meayll Peninsula (H4): "The overall strategy is to conserve the strong sense of openness of this rugged area, its expansive and dramatic views and to conserve the setting of the numerous archaeological features and Cregneash village and the surrounding traditional field pattern as well as the wartime structures on Meayll Hill.
Key Views: Dramatic views of rising uplands to the north and across Port St. Mary Bay to the northeast.
Dramatic views across the Sound to the Calf of Man. Panoramic, open views across the Peninsula. Extensive, panoramic, open views across ever-changing sea and sky engulfing the character area on three sides."
4.3 Due to the site location, zoning and the type of proposal, the following policies from the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 are relevant for consideration:- - 4.4 Environment Policy 1: "The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. For the purposes of this policy, the countryside comprises all land which is outside the settlements defined in Appendix 3 at A.3.6 or which is not designated for future development on an Area Plan. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an over-riding national need in land use planning terms which outweighs the requirement to protect these areas and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative." - 4.5 General Policy 3: "Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of:
4.6 Environment Policy 15:
"Where the Department is satisfied that there is agricultural or horticultural need for a new building (including a dwelling), sufficient to outweigh the general policy against development in the countryside, and that the impact of this development including buildings, accesses, servicing etc. is acceptable, such development must be sited as close as is 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 a part.
Only in exceptional circumstances will buildings be permitted in exposed or isolated areas or close to public highways and in all such cases will be subject to appropriate landscaping. The nature and materials of construction must also be appropriate to the purposes for which it is intended.
Where new agricultural buildings are proposed next to or close to existing residential properties, care must be taken to ensure that there is no unacceptable adverse impact through any activity, although it must be borne in mind that many farming activities require buildings which are best sited, in landscape terms, close to existing building groups in the rural landscape."
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Rushen Commissioners have no objections to the current application (22/12/2016). - 5.2 The Department of Infrastructure have stated that there is no highways interest in the application (13/12/2016) and made the following comments:
"The proposal is to erect a farm building close within an existing farm. There will be no impact on the existing parking or access arrangements."
6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The current application proposes the erection of a new steel framed agricultural building on the north-western side of the Sound Farm, the key elements to consider in the assessment of the application are; whether or not there is an essential need for the agricultural development, and if there is what are the impacts of the development on the rural characteristics of the local area and the impact of the proposal on the landscape and streetscene. - 6.2 The description of the works as stated within the application form is that the building shall be utilised as a new area for the storage of feed, grain and fertiliser and as explained by the applicant the current granary used for the storage of feed and grain is of a significant age and traditional build that the building does not allow for mechanical handling of the feed and that the internal environment can become dusty and inefficient for the manual handling of the produce stored within. The new building would provide a more suitable area for the purpose of grain storage and will allow for the product to be handled by mechanical means thus reducing manual labour intensity of the farmer’s duties. - 6.3 The proposed new outbuilding will sit directly joining with an existing shed, the new unit will be smaller in size and height and will appear to look like an extension to the current building. It is not expected that there will be any adverse impacts generated from its erection. Given the location of the proposal on the most western part of the existing buildings it is also expected that there shall be no visual impacts from the main highway and not readily visible to the general public who may be in the area. Similarly the nearest neighbour sits over 400m away and would have little visual outlook of the proposal. - 6.4 The site is clearly part of a working farm that requires suitable storage of farm produce such as straw along with the storage of the associated farming machinery. It was noted from the site visit that there was also need for the provision of additional storage of various farming machinery
7.0 RECOMMENDATION - 7.1 Overall the current application is considered to comply with EP1, GP3 and EP15 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and is not expected to impact the H4 Character Assessment from the Area Plan for the South 2013 and is therefore recommended for approval.
8.0 PARTY STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word 'Department' to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order.
Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 13.01.2017 Conditions and Notes for Approval: 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.
REASON: the countryside is protected from development and an exception is being made on the basis of agricultural need. As such the building must be used for the purposes for which it is approved.
This approval relates to the site and site location plan and drawing number P5941-01 all date stamped and received 18th November 2016.
I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.
Decision Made : Permitted Date: 19.01.2017 Determining officer
Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer
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