DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00682/B Applicant: Brandywine Limited Proposal: Erection of a building to provide two garages and alteration to garden curtilage boundary lines Site Address: 2, 3 & 5 Balnahow Farm Cottages Balnahow Farm Balnahowe Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1HN Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 19.08.2019 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

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.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to drawings 2 and 3 received on 17th June, 2019 and 1A received on 26th July, 2019. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is Balnahow Farm - a complex of a dwelling and agricultural outbuildings which were up until relatively recently, a working farm. The farm has been sold and the land around it sold separately and is now being farmed in association with Southampton Farm whose farm buildings are based in Port Soderick. Planning approval has recently been granted for a series of alterations

• and extensions to the main farmhouse which sits outside of this application site but is understood to be owned by the applicant.
• 1.2 The site sits on both sides of a private road which joins the public road some way to the west. This public road provides access to the Meary Veg sewage treatment plant, as well as a number of dwellings. The houses are a combination of traditional (Ballacregga and Balnahow Farmhouse) with the majority being modern properties of one and two storeys.
• 1.3 One group of the farm buildings are arranged in an L shape with additions to the east. The building to the south is linear with no projections front or rear. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 The group has planning approval for the conversion of the outbuildings from agricultural to residential. The applicant explained at that time that the farmland has been sold to others who now farm it in association with an existing operation which has its own range of outbuildings. The application buildings were now, therefore, redundant. - 2.2 As approved, car parking is spread around the site, unit 2 having an integral garage and units 1 and 5 having detached garaging and each unit having a small garden area each curtilage defined by stone walls 1.5m high, Units 1 and 5 will have the largest gardens, their own entrance, driveways and turning areas. An existing shed to the north east of unit 5 will be demolished and paddock areas adjoining the gardens of this and unit 1. - 2.3 The current application proposes to add a second garage, the same as that approved for unit 5 and attached to it but serving unit 3 which sits across the paved courtyard between. The garage, like that serving unit 5: 7m long by 6.5m and 5.5m t the ridge finished in render and with the garage doors in the opposite side than that serving unit 5. PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within an area designated as not for a particular purpose and of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance on The Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order

1. On the draft Landscape Character Assessment, the area is recognised as Incised Slopes the most common of the land use character types. The accompanying text talks about the rural character of the area with open fields and wooded areas and the need to approach development sensitively, recognising traditional materials, densities and styles.

3.2 As the area is not designated for development, there is a presumption against new works as set out in General Policy 3 and Environment Policies 1 and 2 particularly where it would adversely affect the character and appearance of the countryside which is protected for its own sake. PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 Other than the above, the site has not been the subject of any previous applications for development. The new owner has applied for permission to erect gates and walling to the west of the building group and two applications for works to the farmhouse, none of which is relevant to the current proposal. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Santon Parish Commissioners have no objection (09.08.19).

5.2 Highway Services comment that they have no objection (02.08.19). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issue in this case is whether the development would have any adverse environmental impact on the area of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance, given that the planning policies here protect the countryside for its own sake and that protection of the landscape is a primary consideration.

6.2 There are no policies which specifically provide for the erection of domestic buildings such as garages and sheds although the Permitted Development Order generally allows the construction of such things within a residential curtilage, subject to constraints on size and location. In this case, however these provisions were suspended in the approval for the conversion of the buildings to residential (condition 2).

6.3 In this case, the garage is the same size as one already approved and whilst the elongation of the approved garage to provide another serving a different plot, the result is still a modest building which is smaller than the buildings alongside and where it is considered that the building will not have any adverse impact on the surrounding area, the garages being tucked behind the existing buildings and away from the public gaze. The public highway stops short of the farm group. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The proposal, whilst a new building and larger than as approved, is considered acceptable as there is no adverse impact on the landscape and the building is considered to be an acceptable addition to the approved residential group, in compliance with EPs 1 and 2. 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:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department
• of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

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: 23.08.2019 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.