DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Applicant: Mr Richard Kneen Proposal Creation of new agricultural access into field including the creation of a hard standing and part demolition of a stone wall. Site Address Field 514414 Harbour Road Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1HF Case Officer : Vanessa Porter Photo Taken: 11.04.2024 Site Visit: 11.04.2024 Expected Decision Level Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation 26.06.2024

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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. The entrance shall not be used until the means of vehicular access and layout have all been constructed in full accordance with drawing number - Proposed Access Plan, dated received 31st May 2024, and shall thereafter be retained as such for access and parking purposes only. Reason: In the interests of highway safety
• C 3. Within 3 months of the completion of the new access hereby approved, the existing access shall be blocked up (grass bank/landscaping) and retained thereafter.

Reason: Permission has been granted on the grounds that the existing access is unsafe and would be replaced by the new access hereby approved.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal complies with Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Act (1999) and Environment The proposed access is considered acceptable and to comply with General Policy 3f, Environment Policy 1 and Transport Policy 4 by providing a new access which would be a benefit to the agricultural holding without impacting the character of the countryside nor would it create any new or adverse highway safety issues.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 14th March 2024;

• o Covering Letter
• o Location Plan
• o New Access Plan - Existing
• o Site Plan - Proposed
• o Photographs

This decision also relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 31st May 2024;

• o Field to Road Section detail
• o Proposed Access Plan
• o Section A-A and B-B to levels plan
• o Matting specification
• o Levels Plan
• o Response to Highway Comments with Site Photos _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None ________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

THE APPLICATION IS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AS THE APPLICANT IS AN OFFICER WITHIN THE DEFA PLANNING

THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The application site is within the curtilage of field no. 514414, Harbour Road, Santon, which is part of several fields situated to the East of Harbour Road, which ends at Port Grenaugh beach. The field is currently used for hay. - 1.2 There is currently an existing entrance into the site situated to the South of the site, adjacent to Croit-Y-Keeil, Harbour Road. This entrance grades up to the North and has a tight exit adjacent to Harbour Road. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 The current planning application seeks approval for creation of a new entrance to the existing field, which will be situated along Harbour Road. The proposed field access will include the removal of the existing walling and hedging from the boundary. The entrance proposed is to be 8m wide, with a matting area of 10m by 8m and fencing with gates situated around the entrance and matting to a size of 15m by 11m. - 2.2 There is to be a concrete buffer to connect the proposal to the main Harbour Road and the proposed matting is to be TurfMesh. PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 There are no previous Planning Applications situated upon the site. PLANNING POLICY

4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as a "not for development" on the Area Plan for the East. The site is not within a Conservation Area, Flood Zone, nor an area zoned as High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance.

4.2 In terms of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, General Policy 3, part (f) which states, "Building and engineering operations which are essential for the conduct of agriculture or forestry, Environment Policy 1 which seeks that the countryside and its ecology is protected for its own sake and Transport Policy 4 which seeks that any new development must be designed so as to be capable of accommodating the vehicle and pedestrian journeys generated by that development in a safe and appropriate manner, and in accordance with the environmental objectives of this plan.

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 The following representations can be found online in full, below is a short summery;

5.2 Highway Services have considered the application and state in part, "The proposal raises no significant road safety or highway network efficiency issues. Accordingly, Highway Services Development Control raises no objection to the proposal. All vegetation above the 1.4m boundary wall should be removed in order to maintain visibility, and should be kept clear from obstruction for the lifetime of the development. The applicant is advised that a S109(A) Highway Agreement is needed after the grant of planning consent." (17.06.24)

5.3 No comments have been received from Santon Commissioners at the time of writing this report. ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The main issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are:

• - principle
• - visual impact on the countryside
• - highway safety of the access

- 6.2 PRINCIPLE

• 6.2.1 When looking at whether the principle of the proposal would be acceptable, whilst there is already an access into the Southern area of the field in question, the information supplied from the applicant shows that this ingress and egress is not suitable for the existing use of the site. The addition of an access to the main Harbour Road, will clearly aid movements into field no. 514414 and would reduce the reliance of the existing entrance adjacent to Croit-Y-Keeil, and as such the proposal would clearly have a benefit to the future agricultural use of the fields, which is in accordance with General Policy 3f and Environment Policy 1.

- 6.3 CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE

• 6.3.1 The works will inevitably have an effect on the appearance of the area, as there is currently green hedging and walling in place, which will be replaced by an open entrance, fencing and a gate. However, given the agricultural benefit from the works together with their scale in the overall streetscene, it is considered that there would be minimal impact upon the character and appearance of the countryside and the proposal is deemed acceptable from a character and appearance point of view.

6.4 HIGHWAY IMPACT

• 6.4.1 Turning towards whether the proposal will have an impact on highway safety, noting the comments from the Highway department are heavily relied on. Overall Highway Services state

the proposal does not raise any significant road safety or highway network efficiency issues. Whilst this is the case a condition should be attached to state that the works must be done in accordance with with the drawings received.

CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposed access is considered acceptable and to comply with General Policy 3f, Environment Policy 1 and Transport Policy 4 by providing a new access which would be a benefit to the agricultural holding without impacting the character of the countryside nor would it create any new or adverse highway safety issues. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; .
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

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 above who should be given Interested Person Status.

8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to the it by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : …Permitted……….... Committee Meeting Date:…08.07.2024 Signed :……C BALMER………….. 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 his 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 08.07.2024 Application No 24/00313/B Applicant Mr Richard Kneen Proposal Creation of new agricultural access into field including the creation of a hard standing and part demolition of a stone wall. Site Address Field 514414 Harbour Road Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1HF Planning Officer Vanessa Porter Presenting Officer C BALMER Addendum to the Officer Report

At the public sitting, the Case Officer revised the conditions supporting their recommendation, prior to the presentation and specifically including a new conditions 3

The Committee determined the application on the conditions as recommended.