DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00255/C Applicant: Ballavartyn Development Ltd Proposal: Additional use as campsite during a period of one week before the TT to one week after the Manx Grand Prix and the Southern 100. Site Address: Ballavartyn Equestrian Centre Ballavartyn Road Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1HT Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: 26.03.2019 Site Visit: 26.03.2019 Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.04.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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.

• C 2. The pitching of the camp site may occur no sooner than one week before the first practice associated with the TT race period and the striking of the camp site must occur no later than one week following the last race in the Manx Grand Prix/Classic TT in any year.

Reason: The camp site is proposed as a seasonal feature and the site is not designated for development.

• C 3.The camp site may not be set up until the stop sign at the entrance to the site has been relocated in accordance with condition 2 of 17/00059/D or the existing sign which was approved under this application, has been relocated further back so as not to obscure the visibility of drivers leaving the site. Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to drawings P10-01, P10-02, P10-03, P10-04 and P10-05 all received on 5th March, 2019. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons none _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS CONTRARY TO THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

THE SITE

1.1 The site is part of the curtilage of Ballavartyn Equestrian Centre located on the eastern side of the A5 as it passes through Newtown. The site incorporates a number of fields which are used for the grazing of horses, stables and a horse walker, tourist accommodation and an outdoor and an indoor equestrian exercise area along with the associated parking and access. - 1.2 The facilities were developed in the early 2010s with a number of changes since the initial inception, including the provision of a cafe within the main indoor arena building. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Proposed is the use of part of the site for camping for a period starting "one week before TT" and extending until "one week after the Manx Grand Prix" and including the Southern 100 race period. - 2.2 The land for the pitches is arranged around the sides of the external manege area and to the south to the rear of the indoor manege building.

3.3 A male and a female toilet and shower block in the form of portacabin type structures are also proposed to the north of the indoor arena building. PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982 as not for a particular purpose but of high landscape value and scenic significance. As such, there is a presumption against development as set out in General Policy

3 and Environment Policies 1 and 2. There are no policies which provide guidance on the provision of camp sites although Business Policy 11 sets out the general support for tourism developments which are in accordance with the other policies in the Plan.

3.2 Permanent camp sites would require the submission of an EIA under Environment Policy 24 and Appendix 5 of the Strategic Plan but as this is for a temporary period only, this is not required in this case.

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The equestrian facilities were approved in the early 2010s with the cafe being proposed later under 13/00474/B and latterly permission has been granted to use of part of the site for boarding kennels and dog grooming (16/00297/C). Signage was approved under 17/00059/D and this was subject to a condition which required that "Before 31st May, 2017 all signs other than that which is the subject of the current application must be removed and the stop sign within the site entrance must be repainted such that it is consistent with the edge of the

carriageway markings on each side of the entrance, such that the sign is 2.4m back from the stop sign, which it currently is not.

Reason: in the interests of the amenity of the area and highway safety." REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Santon Parish Commissioners have no objection subject to assurance that the specified periods will not be exceeded (15.04.19). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 In planning terms tourist development is treated the same as any other form of development in the countryside - that is, there is a presumption against it. However, it is recognised that camping is becoming an important part of the Island's tourist attractions and an increasing popular form of tourist accommodation and understood that Department of Economic Development is supportive of initiatives which attract and accommodate more visitors to and on the Island, which is reflected somewhat in Business Policy 11. A number of camp sites have been approved - some brand new ("Silly Moos" in Lezayre, Ballaugh Glen, Knockaloe Beg, Glendown Farm in Port St. Mary, Ballamoar Farm, Ballaugh, Pennybridge in Kirk Michael, Ballakaighen in Onchan), others which have existed in an unauthorised form for some time and some of which now have approval (Glenlough in Marown, for example). Encouragement is given for such facilities to be grouped near to existing buildings and where possible, to complement existing operations on the same site.

6.2 There are no Strategic Plan policies which guide tourist related developments other than those which encourage the use of existing buildings (EP16). However, it is generally accepted that where there is a need for camping facilities in association with particular events on the Island, temporary camp sites can be acceptable, and this has been particularly successful on sports pitches: Douglas Rugby Club, Ballafletcher rugby, football and cricket grounds, Union Mills FC, Castletown Metropolitan FC, Foxdale AFC, Peel AFC, Rushen FC and Laxey AFC all operate temporary pitches and at times when the pitches are not used. The income from the use as a temporary camp site can provide much needed support for social and sports organisations. Most recently permission was granted for the temporary use of Cronkbourne Cricket Club for this purpose on a temporary basis (18/01163/C) and Ronaldsway Social Club (19/00065/C). - 6.3 In this case, there are existing car park facilities and a cafe facility which could be used by the visitors and the site is already used for tourist accommodation in the converted/rebuilt barns to the south which are also part of the same complex. - 6.4 The camp site will not be visible to anyone outside of the application site.

CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposal is considered to support the Government's tourism strategy, would not have any undue environmental impacts and not conflict with the Strategic or Area Plan policies and is supported. 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 confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.

Decision Made : …Permitted……….... Committee Meeting Date:…29.04.2019

Signed :…………S CORLETT.. Presenting Officer

Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).

Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below

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.

Planning Committee Decision 29.04.2019

Application No. : 19/00255/C Applicant : Ballavartyn Development Ltd Proposal : Additional use as campsite during a period of one week before

the TT to one week after the Manx Grand Prix and the Southern 100. Site Address : Ballavartyn Equestrian Centre Ballavartyn Road Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1HT Principal Planner : Miss S E Corlett Presenting Officer As above Addendum to the Officer’s Report

The Planning Committee approved the application but for the practice and race periods associated with TT, S100 and MGP only and only for 2019, pending the DfE review of the existing camp sites on the Island. Additional conditions were imposed relating to the installation and removal of the toilet and shower blocks and specifically for 34 pitches.

Reason for Refusal/Conditions of Approval Delete as appropriate

• C 1. This approval relates to the use of the area edged red and shown for camping pitches, for the purposes of a maximum of 34 tents. Reason: to reflect the details of the proposal.
• C 2. The pitching of the camp site may occur no sooner than one week before each first practice of TT 2019, Southern 100 2019 and Festival of Motorcycling 2019 and must be removed no later than a week after the last race of TT 2019, Southern 100 2019 and Festival of Motorcycling 2019 with no use of the site for camping in between these three race events.

Reason: The camp site is proposed as a seasonal feature and the site is not designated for development. In addition, the Department is concerned at the number of seasonal camp sites around the Island, both in terms of the need for any additional sites and the impact of them on the various permanent camp sites there already are. The Department understands that the Department for Enterprise is undertaking a review of the campsites on the Island and that is would be inappropriate to approve additional seasonal campsites in advance of this review.

• C 3. The camp site may not be set up until the stop sign at the entrance to the site has been relocated in accordance with condition 2 of 17/00059/D or the existing sign which was

approved under this application, has been relocated further back so as not to obscure the visibility of drivers leaving the site.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

• C 4. The mobile toilet and shower facilities may be erected no sooner than one week before the first practice of TT 2019 and must be removed no later than one week following the last race of the Festival of Motorcycling, 2019.

Reason: to ensure that no structures remain on site once the camp site is no longer operational.

Plans/Drawings/Information

This decision relates to drawings P10-01, P10-02, P10-03, P10-04 and P10-05 all received on 5th March, 2019.