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001.nb/YOR.1847 e-mail: [email protected] 13th March 2012
Planning and Building Control Division Department of Infrastructure Murray House Mount Havelock Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2SF
RECEIVED ON 15 MAR 2012 DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE
Dear Sir/Madam,
I write in respect of the application as above and have pleasure in enclosing the following documents:
Please refer to the Supporting Statement prepared on behalf of the applicant for the background to and justification of the application.
I trust that the enclosed information is sufficient to enable validation of the application. Should you need to discuss any of the above matters, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours faithfully,
CHRIS CALVERT Planning Director
Enc.
cc. R. Robinson (Boston Family Office Management Ltd) letter and enc O. Stones (Dee Atkinson Harrison) letter and enc
4215 Park Approach Avenue Thorpe Park Leeds LS15 8GB
0113 260 0731
0113 260 8454
Also at: Birmingham Bracknell Bristol Cambridge Cirencester Nottingham
Pegasus Planning Group is the meeting name of Pegasus Planning Group Limited, registered in England and Wales under number 07277/331
Registered Office: Pegasus House Quarrie Business Centre Whitworth Road, Cirencester Gloucestershire, GL7 1RT
Mr & Mrs Moore
Pegasus Planning Group 4215 Park Approach Avenue Thorpe Park Leeds LS15 8GB
Telephone: 0113 260 0731 Facsimile: 0113 260 8454 PPG Ref: YOR 1847/002. Rev B Date: March 2012
COPYRIGHT
The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of Pegasus Planning Group Ltd.
RECEIVED
15 MAY 2012
RECENT OF
Boston Family Office Management Limited Tramman, Ballamanaugh Road, Sulby Supporting Statement
Pegasus Plening Group
1.1 The property 'Tramman' is situated within Ballamanaugh Home Farm Estate. It is located on the western side of Ballamanaugh Road, south of Sulby in the north of the Island. A description of the operation of the Estate is provided later in this statement.
1.2 Tramman comprises a large modern, two storey four bedroom house with integral double garage and garden. The property is of traditional construction (rendered brick/block walls and slate roof).
1.3 The property was subject to flood damage in 2010. Consequently the property is currently uninhabitable and in need of extensive refurbishment.
YOR.1847/082.B 1
Boston Family Office Management Limited Tramman, Ballamanaugh Road, Sulby Supporting Statement
2.1 The property Tramman was approved in 1984 as an Estate Manager's dwelling (ref. $84 / 00082 / B)$. 2.2 The property is subject to a planning condition (Condition 7) linking it to the Ballamanaugh agricultural holding which requires that, "the proposed dwelling must be retained as part of the agricultural holding known as 'Ballamanaugh' as defined in the submitted plan and must not be sold or let off separately therefrom, to the satisfaction of the Planning Committee." 2.3 This application seeks approval for the removal of Condition 7.
Boston Family Office Management Limited Tranman, Ballamanaugh Road, Sulby Supporting Statement
Pegasus
Planning Group
3.1 The following section provides justification for the proposed removal of Condition 7 to planning permission 84/00082/B.
3.2 Reference should also be made to the accompanying independent agricultural appraisal prepared by Dee Atkinson & Harrison (Appendix 1).
3.3 The Ballamanaugh Home Farm estate, hereafter referred to as "the holding", comprises a mixed arable and livestock unit extending to approximately 911 acres (791 acres farmable) and includes three farmsteads (Ballamanaugh Home Farm, Staward Farm and Ballateare Farm) and three dwellings ('The Farmhouse', 'Shepherd's Bungalow' and 'Tramman') and five separate blocks of land.
3.4 A plan illustrating the extent of the holding is included at appendix 2.
3.5 Tramman is currently owned by Mr and Mrs Moore. The holding is owned by the Company and the Moore Family are the beneficial owners of the Company.
3.6 Between the mid 1980s and 1996 the Ballamanaugh estate was owned by a Dr McDonald and operated primarily to produce pedigree livestock, particularly cattle. Tramman was erected for Dr McDonald's farm manager and its scale and quality were reflective of the relative status placed on the particular agricultural operation at the time and that of its occupant. To our knowledge no information was submitted to the planning authority to justify the need for an additional agricultural dwelling on the holding.
3.7 The holding was purchased in 1996 by Ballamanaugh Properties Limited and farmed in-hand by a manager and employed labour. Despite significant investment into the in-hand farming operation by the Company and the expertise of retained employees, downward pressure on the profitability of agriculture adversely affected the financial performance of the business. The Company records show that annual losses were £105k in 2002, £114k in 2003 and £118k in 2004. With insufficient return to warrant
3
Boston Family Office Management Limited Tramman, Ballamanaugh Road, Sulby Supporting Statement
Pegasus
Planning Group
continuing the in-hand operation, the Company took the decision in 2003 to let the holding to an agricultural tenant. The machinery, equipment and livestock were sold and employees either made redundant or employed elsewhere on the wider estate.
3.8 The holding has been tenanted since 2004. The capital investment required to commence farming in-hand again at the holding is significant and means that the long term strategy for the holding is to continue to let it out to tenants as this represents the most viable way to sustain an agricultural enterprise on the holding.
3.9 The holding is currently farmed by tenants as a mixed arable and livestock unit producing youngstock for their dairying enterprise with arable and fodder crops (cereals, silage and proteins). It is managed as a secondary unit to support the tenant's substantial dairying enterprise at Ballalough providing grazing land for replacement livestock and arable crops to feed the stock at Ballalough and Ballamanaugh.
3.10 Ballamanaugh Home Farm estate is currently managed and operated by one full time agricultural worker who resides in the Farmhouse, which stands in proximity to Tramman.
3.11 Shepherd's Bungalow is occupied by an agricultural worker who was formerly employed full time on the tenant's main holding at Ballalough, but who is now employed elsewhere on the island.
3.12 Tramman is unoccupied and has been unoccupied since July 2004. Functional Requirements of the Holding Standard Adopted Farming System Requirements
3.13 The agricultural assessment has considered the maximum labour requirements were the holding to revert to a stand-alone agricultural unit operated in in-hand (standard adopted farming system).
3.14 In these circumstances there would be a maximum labour requirement of 3.05 full time agricultural workers.
Almost half of this labour requirement would be associated with the cropping requirements (cereals, and grass). The nature and demands of managing the cereals and grassland on the holding would not make it essential to live on site. Grassland management and the arable enterprise do not require a permanent presence on site as these operations can be carried out from another unit, as demonstrated by the current operation of the holding. It is therefore held that there is no functional requirement for this labour to live on site.
The remaining labour requirement (1.61 full time labour units) would be associated with livestock (cattle and sheep), for which there could be an essential need to live on the holding.
Given the above, it is considered necessary to examine how the limited functional need identified (i.e. up to 2 dwellings) could be fulfilled by the existing dwellings on the holding which are suitable and available for occupation.
The Farmhouse is located immediately adjacent to the main range of farm buildings at Home Farm. It is therefore within sight and sound of the cattle buildings at Home Farm to address any animal welfare and husbandry requirements. Furthermore, it is of a size and nature commensurate with the typical requirements of an agricultural occupier on a holding of this size. This is evidenced by the fact that the sole full time agricultural worker who manages and operates the holding resides in the Farmhouse, without the need for another occupied dwelling.
Shepherd's Bungalow is a modest dwelling located immediately adjacent to the livestock building at Staward Farm and it is therefore within sight and sound to address any animal welfare and husbandry requirements for any livestock located at Staward. Shepherd's Bungalow is subject to an agricultural occupancy condition and is therefore restricted to occupation by agricultural workers.
Of the three dwellings on the holding, Tramman is the least well-related to the holding's livestock buildings and is the least suitable in terms of financial sustainability from income which could reasonably be generated from the standard enterprises adopted on the holding or an agricultural wage. It is therefore considered that Tramman is the least suitable premises of the dwellings available to provide.
YOR 1847/002B
6
Boston Family Office Management Limited Tranman, Ballamanaugh Road, Sulby Supporting Statement
Pegasus
Pleasing Group
accommodation for agricultural workers required for the operation of Ballamanaugh Home Farm as a standard enterprise. 3.20 This is strongly evidenced by the fact that the holding has successfully operated without the need for Tramman to be occupied. Existing Requirements
3.21 Notwithstanding the above, the submitted agricultural appraisal concludes that the labour requirements for the current management of the holding taking into account size and nature (i.e. a tenanted holding functioning in a fragmented way as a secondary unit to another holding elsewhere on the Island) are lower than would normally be expected in comparison to the holding being operated in isolation as a stand-alone unit.
3.22 The current farming system operated by the tenants demonstrates that it is possible to manage their current arable and livestock enterprises at the holding effectively and efficiently with only one labour unit residing on-site and additional labour support only as and when it is required.
3.23 In these circumstances there is no functional requirement to retain Tramman in its intended purpose as a dwelling to serve the estate. It therefore follows that there exists a justifiable case to remove the planning condition tying the dwelling to the estate.
3.24 Planning Circular 3/88 sets out the policy for applying conditions to agricultural workers' dwellings, and stated "such a condition will not usually be removed on subsequent application unless it is shown that the long-term need for dwellings for agricultural workers, both on the particular farm and in the locality, no longer warrants reserving the dwelling for that purpose." This is echoed in paragraph 8.9.4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan. The policy test is clear that the long-term need for dwellings for agricultural workers is not solely based on a particular farm holding.
3.25 Notwithstanding the Applicant's case in regard to the functional requirement for Tramman associated with the holding, the removal of condition 7 would not prevent
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Boston Family Office Management Limited Tremman, Ballamanaugh Road, Sulby Supporting Statement
Pegasus
Planning
Group
the application of Condition 8 i.e. reserving the dwelling for occupation by agricultural worker(s).
3.26 This application does not seek to remove the agricultural occupancy restriction at this time (Condition 8), however, should the applicant subsequently wish to do so, any marketing exercise would be irrelevant if prospective tenants or purchasers, who are acceptable are not associated with the Ballamanaugh Home Farm estate. Only through the process of removing Condition 7 can the Applicant examine the long term need for the property as an agricultural dwelling through a proper and full marketing exercise. This argument was recognised by the Planning Officer in their report to Planning Committee for application 10/135/C.
Other Matters
Physical Condition
3.27 As highlighted in the site description, the property has been unoccupied for some years and in 2010 was subject to significant flood damage which has left the property uninhabitable (an initial inspection of the property can be provided on request). Repairs and refurbishment to include new kitchen, tiling, repairs to ceilings and doors, electrical work, replacement carpets and flooring etc would be necessary to enable the property to be habitable once more however with no prospect of the property being occupied under the present incumbent the essential works cannot be commenced as it would not serve any reasonable purpose and would be uneconomic to do so, when the property would remain unoccupied.
YOR.1847/002.B
7
4.1 Significant changes have occurred in the operation and management of the Ballamanaugh estate since the construction of the dwelling 'Tramman'. The consequence of this is that there no longer exists the requirement for Tramman for agricultural workers associated with the holding as warranted the dwelling when consented in the early 1980s, however Condition 7 is such that the dwelling cannot be utilised other than in conjunction with the holding. 4.2 On this basis it is respectfully requested that the Planning Authority support the application for the removal of planning condition 7.
Copyright in submitted documents remains with their authors. Request removal
