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Application No.: 19/00217/B Applicant: Mr Michael Haxby Proposal: Creation of an outdoor equine arena Site Address: Field 534212 Scollag Road Abbeylands Isle Of Man Senior Planning Officer: Mr Thomas O'Connor Photo Taken: 21.03.2019 Site Visit: 21.03.2019 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 12.04.2019 _________________________________________________________________
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: In view of the location of the site in the open countryside and the nature of the access to the site the Department does not consider the site suitable for anything other than private use in light of General Policy 3 and Environment Policy 19 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
Reason: The manège/equine area has been approved to meet the equestrian need of the applicant and its subsequent retention could result in an unwarranted intrusion in the countryside in light of General Policy 3 and Environment Policy 19 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area in light of General Policy 3 and Environment Policy 19 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This planning permission relates to the following plans and documents: -
Drawing no.(03)003/Rev A - Site & Location Plan Drawing no.(03)004 - Existing Site Plan Drawing no.(03)102/Rev A - Proposed Plan, Section and Details Date-stamped as having been received 26th February 2019 _______________________________________________________________
None _____________________________________________________________________________
Officer’s Report SITE
1.1 The application site comprises a small section of a wider parcel of land north east of Clear View, a bungalow set at the entrance to Scollag Road, on the Abbeylands Estate. Opposite the site to the west are the stables permitted under reference 16/01022/B and to the south west is the site of the stables permitted under reference 17/01217/B. - 1.2 The area is characterised by open fields, save for the small estate at the end of the private road, Clear View and the aforementioned stables. The access road has a Manx sod bank on the side of the proposed site. The access is existing and is an opening in the sod bank with a gate. - 1.3 Planning permission was recently granted ((18/00629/B) for the formation of an equine area of 42 x 22m width orientated vertically and located immediately to the north of and accessed from the stables. This application has not yet been implemented PROPOSAL
2.1 Proposed seeks to re-orientate by 90 degrees the horse riding manège/equine area, including fencing and drainage. The size of the area has been reduced slightly on the current submitted plan to 40 x 20m width. Soil removed during the re-profiling of the site will be used to create banks around the manege that will be dressed with topsoil and re-seeded. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The application site is located within a wider area of land that is designated as open space and not designated for any site specific purpose under the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Onchan Local Plan) Order 2000 Map No. 2 and acknowledged in policy O/RES/P/22 as of high landscape value and scenic significance. In terms of strategic plan policy, the Strategic Plan contains several policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application.
3.2 General Policy 3 sets out a number of exceptions for development outside of zoned areas of which equestrian is not included. Further information and guidance is given in respect of equestrian-related development in Environment Policies 19, 20 and 21. - 3.3 Environment Policy 1 states that '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 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'. - 3.4 Environment Policy 19 states: Development of equestrian activities and buildings will only be accepted in the countryside where there will be as a result of such development no loss in local amenity, no loss of high quality agricultural land (Classes 1 and 2) and where the local highway network can satisfactorily accommodate any increase in traffic (see Environment Policy 14 for interpretation of Class 1 and 2).
4.1 The following planning permissions are considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application: -
4.2 This site
4.3 The adjacent Site
REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.
5.2 'Highway Services No observations received
5.3 Onchan District Commissioners in their letter dated 04.04.2019 have commented on this application and stated that they do not object subject to conditions imposed on previous application 18/00629/B - 5.4 No observations received from neighbours
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The key issues to be considered in the assessment of this application are the principal of the development when appraised against the provisions of Environmental Policy 19 and 20, and the visual impact of the proposed manege which have already been addressed in the recent grant of planning permission 18/00629/B for the creation of an outdoor equine area. This application merely seeks to re-orientate the site by 90 degrees with all other issues such as surfacing, access to the stables and onward to the highway, banking and fencing remaining the same as before.
Principle of development
6.2 As before, the site is situated in countryside where development is strictly controlled. However, the Strategic Plan makes provision for equestrian development in the countryside subject to certain criteria, including assessment of the visual impact of the development, the effect on local amenity and loss of quality agricultural land.
6.3 The proposal is for a horse riding manège/equine area, now measuring 40m by 20m, including fencing and drainage; it does not raise any significant strategic issues. The application site is restricted to the redline boundary shown on the submitted site location plan, linked with the site of the permitted stables; therefore there is no change of use for the remaining field. A condition was proposed to ensure that the stables remain for personal use and do not become a commercial enterprise and this will be replicated on the current proposal. - 6.4 The acceptability of the proposal should therefore depend on the consideration of the issues below. Character and appearance - 6.5 Environment Policy 19 indicates that no equestrian use or development will be allowed where such a development would result in the loss in local amenity. - 6.6 The proposed location of the horse riding manège/equine area is adjacent to the approved stables, which in turn is to be close to the access road and would only be partially visible as it would be screened by an existing sod bank. From the east and south there would be much wider views of the proposal; however it is screened by the proposed earth banks to the south west and south east and it would be viewed in the back drop of the sod bank. - 6.7 The impact on principal public views is likely to be limited, the impact on the character and appearance of the area when seen from the access road and other private residential properties,
will not be significantly affected due to the existing sod bank and topography of the land it would not look out of place nor harm the wider landscape. Accordingly, it is considered the proposal would be acceptable in this regard.
Access
6.8 The stables are for the private use of the owners of the land and the access is already in use this is not considered to be a significant issue. Highways did not object previously on the basis that the proposed manège/equine area, like the approved stables, will be restricted to private use.
7.1 The proposed redesign of the manege is considered acceptable and complies with Environment Policies 19 and 21 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:
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.
Decision Made : Permitted Date: 12.04.2019 Determining officer
Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner
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