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Statement to accompany planning application – June 2024.
Content.
The application is for detailed planning approval for barn conversions to ancillary / tourist accommodation with attached garage.
The existing access onto Jurby Road not to be altered; vegetation and foliage along boundary line running parallel with Jurby Road to be maintained so as not to hinder visibility.
They have lost their capacity to be useful as agricultural buildings due to their construction and size.
They have no current use.
Structural Engineers report commissioned and carried out by “Structura” to support the application.
Flood Risk Management has been considered. Bat survey commissioned and carried out by the “Manx Bat Group”.
Though they have no current use, it is our opinion the buildings have an important architectural and historical value.
Initial site meeting reference lifting of the roof but keeping the original stonework as is and introduction of new structure took place with Mr. C. Balmer 26th July 2023.
Mr. Balmer kindly forwarded photographic examples of such ideas via email.
To save such value the buildings need to be utilized; to justify any such investment, Farrant’s Fort will need to diversify and introduce another source of income, which we see in the form of tourist accommodation.
Barn conversions to ancillary / tourist accommodation with attached double garage. To attract the discerning tourist to the accommodation the conversion of the barns will be to a high-quality build as near to Passivhaus standards as possible and will be at a considerable cost.
Generally keeping the original structure intact with minimal disruption. Larger barn, roof replaced, no alterations to existing apertures and glazed extension with attached double garage. The addition of the attached garage to replace the agricultural shed is to create / maintain the courtyard effect. The proximity of the existing agricultural shed (refer to photographs A, B, C & D) would simply be an eyesore to what could be a truly high-quality example of what Isle of Man tourist accommodation facilities have to offer. Smaller barn, lifting the roof to create additional headroom and in turn creating a glass hat with a new roof, in line with the design examples forwarded by Mr. Balmer. Glazed extension to the outbuilding area.
The existing dwelling at Farrant’s Fort has its own ground source heat pump and ground-coil system that heats the underfloor heating system, buffer-tank and DHW to the home by transferring heat from the ground-coil. The HVAR system (Blauberg) is designed to obtain supplemental heating of the air via the buffer tank
The barn conversions will have their own ground source heat pump located in the plant room, which will be linked to the existing ground-coil subject to the Heat Pump Manufacturers design “Kensa Heat Pumps” which will heat and supply hot water to the conversions. The barns will have another stand-alone HVAR system again using the buffer tanks for supplemental heating of the return air if needed.
The existing dwelling at Farrant’s Fort has its own photo-voltaic (PV) panel system which harnesses the sun’s energy to generate usable electricity.
The barn conversions will connect to the existing distribution “box” (walk-in small shed) where the PV inverter, grid connection and management systems reside. This box supplies electrical power to the existing house and can supply power to the converted stone barns, new garage and
the agricultural barn/machine shed. This allows the whole site to take advantage of the renewables and the grid. Cabling is in place for this and is approved by the MU under number RE210405/2. Under this number we have existing MU transformer output space reserved for the changes we are applying to make. Home charging points for electric cars will be installed in the garages and have been figured into the approval with the MU.
Engineer concludes, structurally the barn is suitable for conversion to ancillary / tourist accommodation.
Engineer recommends that input at the appropriate time is required by a Chartered Structural Engineer to design reference the new oak frame and restraint to the external stone walls. The likely supplier of these oak-frames is the same company that did the oak frame for Curlew House. They have years of experience providing oak frames for barn conversions where the oak frame becomes an integral part of the outer wall support design and will provide this engineering expertise. (Green Oak Carpentry Company, Liss, Hampshire)
Flood Risk Management has been considered – no mitigation required as the site is not in a flood risk area.
Recommendations to be followed.
Advice reference A, B & D will be sort from the “Manx Bat Group” at the appropriate time.
External lighting. Scheme to be developed considering the following recommended measures and submitted to the planning department for approval.
A property was sought in the Isle of Man for our Son and our Granddaughters. They have expressed their wish, in the case of our Son to return to the island permanently and in the case of our Granddaughters an option to move if life takes them this way. Our Son (James) lives in Northumberland and in 2019 was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma culminating in selling the family business which James had been running. He is now immune-compromised person, so we were looking for just the type of property Farrant’s Fort is with plenty of space and potential to develop businesses and nearby to his family.
Covid intervened, which for an immune-compromised person effectively cut him off completely, it fell then to me to buy and develop what we needed. We found Farrant’s Fort, which is geographically near to our current property which made the job of conversion much easier and an area we knew intimately.
After much thought and speaking with the Planning Department it was decided to refurbish the existing house into as near a Passivhaus as possible which we have now done to quite a high standard. We have concluded there is a need for high quality tourist accommodation on the island and again after discussions with the planners (Chris Balmer) we have decided to apply to move the agricultural barn and do up the existing architectural and historically significant stone barns into ancillary/tourist accommodation. This will provide an income stream and an interest in a safe way for James.
Using the knowledge gained building the first Eco-house (Curlew House) on the island in 20069, we want all the buildings on the Farrant’s Fort site to be as carbon neutral as possible and of a high standard. We are prepared to put in the time investment to achieve this. The eco credentials will only increase the demand for the discerning tourist as well as being the right thing to do. James is with us to try and achieve this and our eldest Granddaughter is taking a Business and Environmental Degree at Leeds University and is equally interested in the project.
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