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For
At
Ballavartyn Equestrian Centre, Ballavartyn House, Ballavartyn Road, Newtown, Santon, Isle of Man, IM4 1HT
For
Mr Ken Blaymire
Received
October 2010
Kay Associates Ltd. Chartered Architects
1.0 Introduction 2.0 Relevant Planning History 3.0 Architect's Design Statement - Demolition of Existing Dwelling and Erection of Replacement Dwelling \& Creation of New Vehicular Access \& Road 4.0 Architect's Design Statement - Conversion of Existing Barns into Self-Catering Tourist Accommodation Units \& Creation of New Vehicular Access \& Road 5.0 Architect's Design Statement - Conversion of Existing Outbuilding into Self-Catering Tourist Accommodation Units \& Creation of New Vehicular Access \& Road 6.0 Architect's Design Statement - Erection of New Equestrian Arena, Stabling Blocks, Horse Walker, Storage Sheds, External Menage, Horse Exercise Track \& Creation of New Vehicular Access to Main Road \& New Access Road Serving New Development 7.0 Economic, Sporting, Community \& PR Development Benefits 8.0 Transport Statement 9.0 Appendices
1 This design statement covers the four separate applications being made which together encompass the re-development of the existing Ballavartyn House at Newtown, Santon, loM, to form a high quality equestrian centre. The applications include the demolition of the existing house and its replacement with a new dwelling, the conversion of the existing Manx Stone Barns into self catering tourist accommodation, the conversion of another outbuilding into self catering tourist accommodation, the erection of an equestrian facility including an international standard riding arena, stabling for 97 horses, horse walking and ménage facilities, the creation of a horse exercise track, and the creation of a new vehicular access to the main road together with a new road providing access to the development as a whole.
1 The existing Ballavartyn House property consists of an existing farmhouse property which was the subject of substantial alterations in the late 1960's and early 1970's, and which consequently has lost much/all of its original detail. This building is generally two-storey in nature with a mix of later pitched roof and flat roofed single-storey extensions.
2 To the North of the Existing house is a collection of out-buildings consisting of a traditional two-storey stone barn with attached single-storey brick building, a separate stone built former cart shed currently used as stabling, and a single-storey agricultural shed which is also used for stabling.
3 The existing out-buildings are currently utilised for a mix of agricultural/equestrian purposes, including stabling, tack rooms, feed stores, workshops and cart \& buggy storage. The existing house is a residential property. There are currently areas of hard standing surrounding the property providing parking for a number of vehicles.
1 The total area of land ownership within which the applications are sited covers approximately 173,971.26 square metres ( 17.4 Hectares) ( 43 Acres) and is bounded in Blue on the individual application drawings. Each individual application further identifies the area of the application site by a Red line boundary, the individual areas of which are identified in the Architect's Design Statement for each application.
2 A topographical survey has been carried out on the site, and is included in the package of application drawings. From this survey it can be seen that the existing site ranges in level from approximately 102.90 metres at its NorthWestern boundary, rising to a level of 112 metres at its peak adjacent to Cronk-Froy, before falling to around 93 m at a position 100 m North of the existing House, rising from this point to around 99 m at the existing house location before falling again to a level of 87 m around 100 m South of the existing house. The land continues to fall as it travels further South from this point, but this area was not surveyed as it is unaffected by the applications.
3 The site as a whole is situated in the Newtown area of Santon, sharing a boundary at the North-West portion of the land with the main A5 road between Castletown and Douglas, and running South-East from this point for almost 1 Kilometre.
4 Vehicular access to the existing site is via Ballavartyn Lane, a small lane running from the A5 close to the former Methodist Chapel and past a small number of properties to the entrance of the existing Ballavartyn House and its out-buildings, which are approx. 200 m from this entry point. This access is extremely difficult to negotiate as a general lack of off-road parking at these properties means that cars and small commercial vehicles are regularly parked along this lane, making access even for cars difficult as a result of the restricted width of this lane. However, as the existing property currently stables a number of horses and requires access for larger vehicles with horse box trailers, or agricultural supplies vehicles, at times this lane is impassable, leading to horses having to be un-loaded at the main road and either walked through the fields or down the lane. This is unsatisfactory.
5 In addition to the main existing vehicular access point to the property via Ballavartyn Lane, there are three other points of access from the A5 road. The first is located to the very Northern corner of the property close to the junction of the lane to Knock-Froy, one directly from the A5 adjacent to the property known as Knock-Froy-Beg, and one in the field immediately to the South-West of Knock-Froy-Beg.
1 As the existing vehicular access via Ballavartyn Lane is unsatisfactory, it is proposed that a new vehicular access will be formed from the A5 close to the position of the existing field gates access to the South-West of Knock-FroyBeg. This new access position has been determined following discussions with Ms Hazel Fletcher and Mr Kevin Almond of the Dept. of Infrastructure Highways Division. The new access point from the A5 has been designed in accordance the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges - Volume 6 - Section 2 - Part 7 - TD41/95 - Vehicular Access to All Purpose Trunk Roads, as requested by Mr Almond.
2 As the proposals are split into four separate applications, following discussions with Mr Steven Stanley, the Planning Officer, it has been decided that the new vehicular access and access road has been replicated within each individual application, in order to ensure that should individual applications be successful that a valid form of access was also approved with each application. It should be noted that the design of the new access from the A5 is the same in all four applications. However, the width of the new access road between this new access to the A5 and the constituent application properties varies, the width for the equestrian facilities being sized to reflect the potential size and number of vehicles using that access roadway, whilst the width of access roadway for the replacement dwelling and tourist accommodation is sized to reflect a more domestic scale of vehicle and usage.
2.1 Planning History .1 The application sites have been the subject of few planning applications, and none within the recent past. The only application recorded on any of the application sites is PA92/00946/B which sought permission for a single storey extension to the existing Ballavartyn House dwelling which was approved and executed. No other applications are recorded at the Dept. of Infrastructure Planning Department, though it is thought that the existing dwelling was substantially altered in the 1960's or early 1970's.
.1 The application site currently houses the existing Ballavartyn House property which consists of an existing farmhouse property which was the subject of substantial alterations in the late 1960's and early 1970's, and which consequently has lost much/all of its original detail, and which is judged to be of poor quality/form. This building is generally two-storey in nature with a mix of later pitched roof and flat roofed single-storey extensions. Photographs of the existing property are included in Appendix A of this document. .2 The total floor area of the existing dwelling measured externally is 267 square metres.
.1 The site is not covered by any local plan, therefore the 1982 Development Plan Order is the determining document in terms of land use. The site is identified as being within an area with a general designation of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, although it should be noted that it is situated at the very Western edge of this designation.
.2 The main policy within the Strategic Plan which is relevant to the proposals is General Policy 3, and more specifically section (d) of this policy, which allows development to be permitted outside of land zoned for development under certain conditions. Section (d) of general Policy 3 states; (d) The replacement of existing rural dwellings; (Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14);
Combined Design Statement - Ballavartyn Redevelopment, Santon, loM
October 2010
Therefore replacement dwellings in the countryside should be subject to Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14. Housing Policy 12 states that replacement of an existing dwelling in the countryside will generally be permitted unless it has lost its residential status by abandonment or is of architectural or historic interest. As the existing building remains in residential use it has not lost its residential status, and as the existing building is not of any architectural or historic interest, then the proposals comply with Housing Policy 12.
Housing Policy 13 relates to rural dwellings which have lost their residential status, which is not the case with the application site and therefore housing Policy 13 does not apply in this case.
Housing Policy 14 States;
Where a replacement dwelling is permitted, it must not be substantially different to the existing in terms of siting and size, unless changes of siting or size would result in an overall environmental improvement; the new building should therefore generally be sited on the footprint of the existing, and should have a floor area which is not more than 50% greater than that of the original building (floor areas should be measured externally and should not include attic space or outbuildings). Generally, the design of the new building should be in accordance with Policies 2-7 of the present Planning Circular 3/91, (which will be revised and issued as a Planning Policy Statement).
The proposals are sited partially on the footprint of the existing dwelling and partially to the South-East, the replacement dwelling being situated to form a courtyard area between it and the existing stone barns which are situated to the North-West, and forming a grouping of buildings within the countryside. Whilst the proposals are over 50% larger than the existing building, measuring approx. 97.5%, the proposals which are traditional in nature, form and material, have been specifically designed to break down their mass and to sit comfortably within the landscape, the mix of materials being employed to reduce the mass of elements of the building to replicate the existing Manx stone barns present.
The proposals are designed substantially in accordance with Policies 2-7 of Planning Circular 3/91. However, as these policies relate to a dwelling with typically a floor area of around 110 Sq.m, any replacement dwelling which is significantly larger than this size can become visually at variance to the thrust of Policies 2-7. Planning Circular 3/91 makes reference in Policy 8 to larger dwellings in the countryside stating;
'The more fashionable features of the 19th Century found in the isolated larger house, form a visual image which is established and familiar in the Manx countryside. These features, given sensitive and restrained application, could, with advantage, be used in certain circumstances today. They should however, be limited to the larger house standing in its own grounds'.
The proposed replacement dwelling follows this pattern as a grander farmhouse, which read together with the grouping of agricultural buildings which surround it, and sitting within a landscape of 43 acres, with landscaped garden areas around it, represents a sensitive development of quality within the countryside.
Page 6 of 39
It should be noted that HP14 does not say that replacement dwellings in the countryside should only be designed in accordance with Policies 2-7, it actually says that 'Generally, the design of the new building should be in accordance with Policies 2-7 of the present Planning Circular 3/91, (which will be revised and issued as a Planning Policy Statement). Accordingly, the occasional departure towards Policy 8 of Planning Circular must be considered to be acceptable, otherwise the policy would have read 'should only be designed in acc...' which it doesn't. It should also be noted that Planning Circular 3/91 is also due for revision as is acknowledged in the wording of the Strategic Plan 2007 Housing Policy 14.
1 During the design process, the applicants architect has carried out consultations with;
Mr Steven Stanley - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Planning Officer, Ms Hazel Fletcher - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Kevin Almond - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Ian Wade - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kneen - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kelly - IoM Fire \& Rescue Service,
The advice given within these pre-application consultations has been incorporated into the drawings and information which form the basis of this application.
. 1 The replacement dwelling is designed to provide the type and scope of accommodation required by the applicant. The property is situated partially on and partially off the footprint of the dwelling it replaces, taking advantage of the natural slope in the ground level to the South to accommodate a basement swimming pool which is therefore substantially invisible.
2 The main residential accommodation is contained within a two-storey section of the building which follows a traditional form, having a symmetrical SouthWest facing elevation with two storey height splay fronted bay windows to each side of the central feature entrance door with window over. This is complemented by capped gables with working fireplaces and chimneys to both gable walls. The roof is a pitched roof in a natural slate finish, whilst the walls are a self coloured render finish. Feature render details and corbelling is present to provide a quality of detail to the property. To the end gables and rear of the property, the level of detail is reduced to follow a more traditional pattern as identified in Policies 2-7 of Planning Circular 3/91, and as would be normal within a grander house in the countryside.
3 To the North-East elevation of the dwelling is a two-storey pitched roof offshot which houses part of the residential accommodation. This again follows traditional forms of Policies 2-7 of Planning Circular 3/91 with a capped gable and a chimney. The materials and finishes of this off-shot match those of the main section of the building. Between this and the main body of the house is a single-storey orangery/garden room which is designed to a higher standard of detail, again reflecting a higher quality dwelling in the countryside.
To the North side of the dwelling is an attached garage with guest suite accommodation above within the attic space. This element is attached to the main dwelling but is finished in Manx stone, and is smaller in height, reflecting the scale of a traditional barn structure. The windows to the guest suite are a mix of dormer windows facing into the grouping of buildings, and conservation type 'Velux' sky-lights to the outer facing elevation, giving the impression of this being a converted barn, and reducing the mass of the dwelling as a whole. Manx stone walls have been employed between the side gable of the main dwelling and the garage to enclose a courtyard with gates to provide vehicular access from the new access lane adjacent.
Whilst the replacement dwelling is larger than the existing, the footprint of the proposal has been kept to a minimum for a larger dwelling in the countryside, avoiding the frequent sprawl that occurs with the introduction of swimming pool and leisure facilities, as a result of the use of the topography of the site to accommodate this within the basement. This, coupled to the change in materials for the different elements of the dwelling, has in the applicant's opinion significantly reduced the potential impact on the surrounding area, and has resulted in a building which is in keeping with its surroundings.
The location of the site of the replacement dwelling, which is invisible from any major road within the area, and which is several hundred metres from the nearest residential building, results in a very low impact of development on the surrounding countryside.
Solar Panels - Solar panels are to be mounted on the South facing slope of the off-shot roof of the dwelling to provide hot water heating. This will provide the majority of the hot water heating requirements for the dwelling for the year, minimising the need for fossil fuels. However, these panels have been positioned sensitively to avoid any significant visual impact.
Ground Source Heat Pump - A ground source heat pump is to be used as the boiler system for space heating for the dwelling, a system which utilises ground 'slinkies' buried within trenches to generate heat via an electrical compressor system. This form of heat production is extremely efficient, developing 4.5 Kw of heat output for each 1 Kw of electricity used in powering the system. The ground source heat pump is to be linked to an under-floor heating system which provides space heating at significantly lower input temperatures than traditional boiler and radiator systems, typically using less than half the energy to produce the same internal temperature.
Rainwater Harvesting - It is proposed that the rainwater run-off from the roofs and from hard-standings will be discharged to a 'Klargester' rainwater harvesting tank which will be situated below ground. This tank, together with its filtration system, will utilise the rainwater and after filtering will pump it back into the dwelling as 'Grey Water' for use in the flushing of W.C.'s, clothes washing etc. The rainwater storage tank will also have an over-flow discharge to a soak-away to deal with excess water in times of storm conditions. As the storage capacity available from this and the other application roofs is large, it is proposed that this water storage will also be connected to a pumped hydrant system, allowing for fire fighting water supplies should they be required.
.4 Foul Water Bio-Disc - In order to deal with the foul water drainage from the dwelling it is proposed to utilise a 'Klargester Bio-Disc' which is essentially an individual packaged sewage treatment plant which takes domestic effluent, and after treating it, produces a cleaned effluent which can safely be discharged to a tail drain soak-away or in some circumstances to a water course. The bio-disc will be sized to suit the maximum effluent output from the dwelling, together with that of the adjacent tourist units.
5 The need to provide adequate space for the inclusion of these technologies, including separation distances between the dwelling and the bio-disc, the dwelling and the water storage tank and associated soak-away, and between each of these items from each other has necessitated the location of these devises in the land adjacent to the dwelling which has been clearly denoted on the application drawings.
. 1 As the existing vehicular access via Ballavartyn Lane is unsatisfactory, it is proposed that a new vehicular access will be formed from the A5 close to the position of the existing field gate access to the South-West of Knock-FroyBeg. This new access position has been determined following discussions with Ms Hazel Fletcher and Mr Kevin Almond of the Dept. of Infrastructure Highways Division. The new access point from the A5 has been designed in accordance the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges - Volume 6 - Section 2 - Part 7 - TD41/95 - Vehicular Access to All Purpose Trunk Roads, as requested by Mr Almond.
2 From the new entrance to the A5, a new access lane is proposed which provides a vehicular link from the new entrance to the replacement dwelling. The new access lane included within this application is sized to provide adequate vehicular access to the replacement dwelling and adjacent tourist accommodation, and takes the form of a single carriageway width with passing places along its route. This access lane follows the line of the adjacent Manx sod hedge in order to minimise any visual impact.
1 The replacement dwelling has been designed generally to accord with Policies 2-7 of Planning Circular 3/91, but with a higher quality South-West elevation. The replacement dwelling responds to the site, taking advantage of the natural contours to reduce the footprint of the dwelling, whilst the variation in height and materials of the main building and the garage, coupled to the positioning of the dwelling on the site in relation to the existing barns sets the proposals firmly within the surrounding landscape in a traditional farm grouping.
1 The application site currently houses an existing two-storey barn constructed from Manx stone walls with a pitched roof finished in natural slate. The barn has been subject to some minor alterations, but retains much of its original form and detail. This barn also has a smaller single-storey brick built barn to its South-Western end, which also has a pitched roof finished in natural slate. The barns are situated to the North-West of the existing Ballavartyn House property and are currently utilised for general storage associated with the existing equestrian facilities. The total floor area of the existing barns measured externally is 265 square metres.
2 A structural survey of the stone barn has been carried out by messrs Curtins Consulting Engineers and their structural report is included in the application package, whilst photographs of the existing barns are included in Appendix B of this document.
3 Located between the existing barns and the existing house is a single storey former cart shed which is currently in use as stables. This building is constructed from Manx stone with a pitched roof finished in natural slate. This building has a floor area of 49 square metres. Photographs of this building are also included in Appendix B of this document.
1 The site is not covered by any local plan, therefore the 1982 Development Plan Order is the determining document in terms of land use. The site is identified as being within an area with a general designation of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, although it should be noted that it is situated at the very Western edge of this designation.
2 The main policies within the Strategic Plan which are relevant to the proposals are General Policy 3 - Section (b) which allows the conversion of redundant rural buildings and Environment Policy 16 which states; 'The use of existing rural buildings for new purposes such as tourist, or small-scale industrial/commercial use may be permitted where: a) It is demonstrated that the building is no longer required for its original purpose and where the building is substantially intact and structurally capable of renovation; b) The reuse of the building will result in the preservation of fabric which is of historic, architectural, or social interest or is otherwise of visual attraction;
c) It is demonstrated that the building could accommodate the new use without requiring extension or adverse change to appearance or character; d) There would not be unacceptable implications in terms of traffic generation; e) Conversion does not lead to dispersal of activity on such a scale as to prejudice the vitality and viability of existing town and village services; and f) The use of existing buildings involves significant levels of redevelopment to accommodate the new use, the benefits secured by the proposal in terms of impact on the environment and the rural economy shall outweigh the continued impact of retaining the existing buildings on site.
Proposals to convert rural buildings to residential accommodation will be considered along with the advice given at Section 8.10 of this document'
As the application proposals are to convert the existing barns into self contained residential units for tourist use, then the guidance of Section 8.10 of the loM Strategic Plan 2007 is relevant in this case. Section 8.10 sets out the relevant policy for the conversion of rural buildings into dwellings via Housing Policy 11 which states; 'Housing Policy 11: Conversion of existing rural buildings into dwellings may be permitted, but only where: (a) Redundancy for the original use can be established; (b) The building is substantially intact and structurally capable of renovation; (c) The building is of architectural, historic, or social interest; (d) The building is large enough to form a satisfactory dwelling, either as it stands or with modest, subordinate extension which does not affect adversely the character or interest of the building; (e) Residential use would not be incompatible with adjoining established uses or, where appropriate, land use zonings on the area plan; and (f) The building is or can be provided with satisfactory services without unreasonable public expenditure.
Taking the requirements of HP11 above, the existing barns were originally constructed for agricultural purposes. The existing property is now a private residence with the 43 acres used for equestrian purposes. The barns are therefore redundant for their original purpose.
The main two-storey barn which is original has been surveyed by Messrs Curtins Consulting Engineers Ltd and their structural survey is included within the application package. This identifies that whilst the existing structure has some repair issues, that the building is suitable for and capable of conversion. The single storey barns have not been surveyed as the brick built section is newer and is visually in good condition, whilst the single storey stone former cart shed is not proposed to be for residential use, but to be used as garaging for the residential tourist units.
From the application proposals it can be seen that the existing barns are sufficiently large to form satisfactory dwellings, particularly for tourist use without the need for any form of extension, and also can be carried out whilst not only maintaining the character or interest of the buildings, but restoring the character which had previously been lost in some less sensitive alterations in the past.
.6 The adjoining established use is a residential dwelling, with which the application proposals fully accord. In addition, as the adjacent dwelling is to be replaced, and will be in the same ownership and control, then the potential for any harm is eradicated.
.7 As the existing site is provided with services it is not envisaged that any such issues will be raised as a result of the application proposals. In addition, as there is a new vehicular access being proposed from the main A5 through to the application site, then the ability to provide improved services to the site exists at no cost to the public purse.
.8 As demonstrated above, the proposals accord with items a) to f) of Housing Policy 11, and therefore the applicant believes the application proposals to be acceptable under current policy.
.1 During the design process, the applicants architect has carried out consultations with;
Mr Steven Stanley - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Planning Officer, Ms Hazel Fletcher - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Kevin Almond - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Ian Wade - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kneen - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kelly - loM Fire \& Rescue Service,
The advice given within these pre-application consultations has been incorporated into the drawings and information which form the basis of this application.
.1 The proposals to convert the two-storey Manx stone barn have been designed to make the best use of the existing building with the least amount of structural alterations, other than those required to re-establish the size and pattern of original openings. As a result, the proposals for the two-storey barn take the form of a two bedroom, two storey unit to one end of the barn, with two one bedroom units in the remaining section of the barn, one being situated at ground level and the other at first floor level, utilising the existing external stone steps to provide access.
Where possible the existing openings have been used to provide window and door access, and larger original feature arched doorways which had been lost by previous unsympathetic conversion, have been reinstated in the proposals to bring back the original character of the building.
To the South-West of the two-storey barn is a single-storey brick built barn. It is proposed that this will be converted to a two bedroom tourist unit, the existing door and window openings being utilised with a small number of new openings being formed to provide natural daylight and ventilation. The brick finish is to be over-rendered to provide a more traditional appearance, whilst the roof will be re-laid in natural slate.
4 To the South-East of the barns is a detached single-storey Manx stone outbuilding which is currently used as stabling and a store. It is proposed this building will be refurbished to provide garaging for the tourist unit accommodation, together with an MEA switch room. The roof is to be re-laid in natural slate and the Manx stone walls will be re-pointed. The existing stable fronts will be removed to provide access for the parking of vehicles.
5 The conversion of the grouping of existing agricultural buildings into tourist accommodation with associated parking will ensure the retention of the buildings for the long term, preserving a group of traditional buildings for future generations. In addition, the existing buildings together with the replacement dwelling will sit together in a natural grouping in a traditional manner, minimising the overall impact of the development as a whole on the surrounding countryside.
. 1 Rainwater Harvesting - It is proposed that the rainwater run-off from the roofs and from hard-standings will be discharged to a 'Klargester' rainwater harvesting tank which will be situated below ground. This tank, together with its filtration system, will utilise the rainwater and after filtering will pump it back into the tourist units as 'Grey Water' for use in the flushing of W.C.'s, clothes washing etc. The rainwater storage tank will also have an over-flow discharge to a soak-away to deal with excess water in times of storm conditions. As the storage capacity available from this and the other application roofs is large, it is proposed that this water storage will also be connected to a pumped hydrant system, allowing for fire fighting water supplies should they be required.
2 Foul Water Bio-Disc - In order to deal with the foul water drainage from the tourist accommodation units it is proposed to utilise a 'Klargester Bio-Disc' which is essentially an individual packaged sewage treatment plant which takes domestic effluent, and after treating it, produces a cleaned effluent which can safely be discharged to a tail drain soak-away or in some circumstances to a water course. The bio-disc will be sized to suit the maximum effluent output from the tourist accommodation units.
3 The need to provide adequate space for the inclusion of these technologies, including separation distances between the tourist units and the bio-disc, the tourist units and the water storage tank and associated soak-away, and between each of these items from each other has necessitated the location of these devises in the land adjacent to the tourist units which has been clearly denoted on the application drawings.
1 As the existing vehicular access via Ballavartyn Lane is unsatisfactory, it is proposed that a new vehicular access will be formed from the A5 close to the position of the existing field gate access to the South-West of Knock-FroyBeg. This new access position has been determined following discussions with Ms Hazel Fletcher and Mr Kevin Almond of the Dept. of Infrastructure Highways Division. The new access point from the A5 has been designed in accordance the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges - Volume 6 - Section 2 - Part 7 - TD41/95 - Vehicular Access to All Purpose Trunk Roads, as requested by Mr Almond.
From the new entrance to the A5, a new access lane is proposed which provides a vehicular link from the new entrance to the tourist accommodation. The new access lane included within this application is sized to provide adequate vehicular access to the tourist accommodation, and takes the form of a single carriageway width with passing places along its route.
1 The tourist units have been designed to take full account of the existing structure and form of the buildings, to convert them for re-use as self contained tourist units safeguarding them for the future, and to accord with General Policy 3 (d), Environmental Policy 16 and Housing Policy 11.
The re-use of the existing barns for self contained tourist units provides much needed tourist accommodation to support the development of the Ballavartyn Equestrian Centre as a high quality facility, the international competition standard arena providing facilities which will be used both for Isle of Man residents as well as tourist use as is described more fully in Section 7.0 of this statement.
.1 The application site currently houses an existing non traditional single-storey barn constructed from a steel frame with a masonry wall to the base and lightweight cladding to the walls above. The roof is a pitched roof finished in profiled agricultural sheeting. The barn is currently used for stabling purposes, and is situated to the North-West of the existing Ballavartyn House property and adjacent to the traditional two-storey stone barn. The total floor area of the existing barn measured externally is 130 square metres. Photographs of the existing barn are included in Appendix C of this document.
.1 The site is not covered by any local plan, therefore the 1982 Development Plan Order is the determining document in terms of land use. The site is identified as being within an area with a general designation of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, although it should be noted that it is situated at the very Western edge of this designation.
. 2 The main policies within the Strategic Plan which are relevant to the proposals are General Policy 3 - Section (b) which allows the conversion of redundant rural buildings and Environment Policy 16 which states; 'The use of existing rural buildings for new purposes such as tourist, or small-scale industrial/commercial use may be permitted where: g) It is demonstrated that the building is no longer required for its original purpose and where the building is substantially intact and structurally capable of renovation; h) The reuse of the building will result in the preservation of fabric which is of historic, architectural, or social interest or is otherwise of visual attraction; i) It is demonstrated that the building could accommodate the new use without requiring extension or adverse change to appearance or character; j) There would not be unacceptable implications in terms of traffic generation; k) Conversion does not lead to dispersal of activity on such a scale as to prejudice the vitality and viability of existing town and village services; and
I) The use of existing buildings involves significant levels of redevelopment to accommodate the new use, the benefits secured by the proposal in terms of impact on the environment and the rural economy shall outweigh the continued impact of retaining the existing buildings on site.
Proposals to convert rural buildings to residential accommodation will be considered along with the advice given at Section 8.10 of this document'
As the application proposals are to convert the existing barn into self contained residential units for tourist use, then the guidance of Section 8.10 of the loM Strategic Plan 2007 is relevant in this case. Section 8.10 sets out the relevant policy for the conversion of rural buildings into dwellings via Housing Policy 11 which states; 'Housing Policy 11: Conversion of existing rural buildings into dwellings may be permitted, but only where: (g) Redundancy for the original use can be established; (h) The building is substantially intact and structurally capable of renovation; (i) The building is of architectural, historic, or social interest; (j) The building is large enough to form a satisfactory dwelling, either as it stands or with modest, subordinate extension which does not affect adversely the character or interest of the building; (k) Residential use would not be incompatible with adjoining established uses or, where appropriate, land use zonings on the area plan; and (l) The building is or can be provided with satisfactory services without unreasonable public expenditure.
Taking the requirements of HP11 above, the existing barn was originally constructed for agricultural purposes to support the farmstead. The existing farmhouse property is now a private residence with the 43 acres used for equestrian purposes. The barn is therefore redundant for its original purpose and is used for equestrian purposes.
As the barn is a more modern structure it has not been surveyed by a structural engineer as it is deemed to be sound and in good condition.
From the application proposals it can be seen that the existing barn is sufficiently large to form satisfactory dwellings, particularly for tourist use without the need for any form of extension. Whilst the existing building is non traditional, the proposal seeks to significantly improve the character and appearance of the building in a variety of ways, including the removal of the lightweight cladding and its replacement with a masonry cavity wall which incorporates the existing steel frame which will be retained. The resulting cavity wall will be faced in Manx stone to all elevations, making the building sit comfortably both with the adjacent existing two-storey Manx stone barn, and the Manx stone garage area of the replacement dwelling which is located approx. 10 m away and at right angles to the proposals.
The roof of the building will be finished in natural slate with a concrete capping to the gable walls, following traditional building forms and methods. Windows and doors will be stained timber matching those of the adjacent existing two-storey stone barn. The resulting building sits comfortably with the adjoining buildings, forming a traditional rural grouping which significantly improve on the existing buildings and reduce the visual impact on the surrounding countryside.
.6 The adjoining established use is a residential dwelling, with which the application proposals fully accord. In addition, as the adjacent dwelling is to be replaced, and will be in the same ownership and control, then the potential for any harm is eradicated. .7 As the existing site is provided with services it is not envisaged that any such issues will be raised as a result of the application proposals. In addition, as there is a new vehicular access being proposed from the main A5 through to the application site, then the ability to provide improved services to the site exists at no cost to the public purse. .8 As demonstrated above, the proposals accord with items a) to f) of Housing Policy 11, and therefore the applicant believes the application proposals to be acceptable under current policy.
.1 During the design process, the applicants architect has carried out consultations with;
Mr Steven Stanley - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Planning Officer, Ms Hazel Fletcher - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Kevin Almond - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Ian Wade - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kneen - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kelly - loM Fire \& Rescue Service,
The advice given within these pre-application consultations has been incorporated into the drawings and information which form the basis of this application.
.1 The proposals to convert the existing barn have been designed to make the best use of the existing building with the least amount of structural alterations, other than those required to establish a realistic pattern of openings. As a result, the proposals for the barn take the form of two, two bedroom two-storey tourist accommodation units. These are formed by the insertion of a mezzanine floor to the central portion of the barn to accommodate the second bedroom, with the rest of the accommodation at ground floor level. .2 Where possible existing openings have been utilised with a small number of new openings formed as required. Conservation type roof lights have been incorporated within the roof slope to provide natural daylight and ventilation to the upper floor. .3 Whilst it is acknowledged that the existing building is non-traditional, the proposals seek to make them so. The over-cladding of the walls with Manx stone and re-laying of the roof with natural slate brings the finishes in line with the adjacent buildings, whilst the form of the building is made more traditional by the use of cappings to the gables.
.4 The resulting proposal, as part of the grouping of existing agricultural buildings, provides much needed tourist accommodation with associated parking, and will ensure the retention of the buildings for the long term, preserving a group of traditional buildings for future generations. In addition, the existing buildings together with the replacement dwelling will sit together in a natural grouping in a traditional manner, minimising the overall impact of the development as a whole on the surrounding countryside.
.1 Rainwater Harvesting - It is proposed that the rainwater run-off from the roofs and from hard-standings will be discharged to a 'Klargester' rainwater harvesting tank which will be situated below ground. This tank, together with its filtration system, will utilise the rainwater and after filtering will pump it back into the tourist units as 'Grey Water' for use in the flushing of W.C.'s, clothes washing etc. The rainwater storage tank will also have an over-flow discharge to a soak-away to deal with excess water in times of storm conditions. As the storage capacity available from this and the other application roofs is large, it is proposed that this water storage will also be connected to a pumped hydrant system, allowing for fire fighting water supplies should they be required.
2 Foul Water Bio-Disc - In order to deal with the foul water drainage from the tourist accommodation units it is proposed to utilise a 'Klargester Bio-Disc' which is essentially an individual packaged sewage treatment plant which takes domestic effluent, and after treating it, produces a cleaned effluent which can safely be discharged to a tail drain soak-away or in some circumstances to a water course. The bio-disc will be sized to suit the maximum effluent output from the tourist accommodation units.
3 The need to provide adequate space for the inclusion of these technologies, including separation distances between the tourist units and the bio-disc, the tourist units and the water storage tank and associated soak-away, and between each of these items from each other has necessitated the location of these devises in the land adjacent to the tourist units which has been clearly denoted on the application drawings.
.1 As the existing vehicular access via Ballavartyn Lane is unsatisfactory, it is proposed that a new vehicular access will be formed from the A5 close to the position of the existing field gate access to the South-West of Knock-FroyBeg. This new access position has been determined following discussions with Ms Hazel Fletcher and Mr Kevin Almond of the Dept. of Infrastructure Highways Division. The new access point from the A5 has been designed in accordance the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges - Volume 6 - Section 2 - Part 7 - TD41/95 - Vehicular Access to All Purpose Trunk Roads, as requested by Mr Almond.
2 From the new entrance to the A5, a new access lane is proposed which provides a vehicular link from the new entrance to the tourist accommodation. The new access lane included within this application is sized to provide adequate vehicular access to the tourist accommodation, and takes the form of a single carriageway width with passing places along its route.
. 1 The tourist units have been designed to take full account of the existing structure and form of the buildings, to convert them for re-use as self contained tourist units safeguarding them for the future, and to accord with General Policy 3 (d), Environmental Policy 16 and Housing Policy 11. . 2 The re-use of the existing barn for self contained tourist units provides much needed tourist accommodation to support the development of the Ballavartyn Equestrian Centre as a high quality facility, the international competition standard arena providing facilities which will be used both for Isle of Man residents as well as tourist use as is described more fully in Section 7.0 of this statement.
1 The application site is located approx. 100 m North of the existing Ballavartyn House dwelling, in a land hollow formed from the natural undulation of the landscape in the immediate area. To the North of the site adjacent to CronkFroy, the land falls from a high point of 112 m to a level of 93 m at the location of the indoor arena, before rising again to a level of 99 m at the position of the existing Ballavartyn House property. The natural ground levels both to the West and East of this low point are higher, creating a natural bowl within which development can be visually sheltered from the surrounding area. Photographs of the application site are included in Appendix D of this document.
2 The total area of the site within which application proposals are located is approx. 14 acres ( 5.68 Hectares) and is identified by the red boundary line on the application drawings.
1 The site is not covered by any local plan, therefore the 1982 Development Plan Order is the determining document in terms of land use. The site is identified as being within an area with a general designation of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, although it should be noted that it is situated at the very Western edge of this designation.
2 There are a number of policies within the Strategic Plan which are relevant to the application proposals, and Section 7.15 of the loM Strategic Plan 2007 sets out the detailed policy requirements for Equestrian pursuits in the countryside, paragraph 7.15 .1 states; 'Equestrian activities are becoming increasingly popular in rural areas and on the fringes of our towns and villages. These activities can generally only take place on open, rural land, and often represent a useful way of diversifying traditional farming. The use of land as grazing land falls within the definition of agriculture (section 45 of the 1999 Town and Country Planning act), and does not therefore involve development, but the keeping of horses and the operation of equestrian activities generally do involve development and may have an adverse impact on the appearance and character of the countryside. Sensitive siting and high standards of design, construction and maintenance are necessary to ensure that there are no adverse impacts.'
The application proposals are sited within the low point of the land close to the existing farm house and traditional outbuildings, thereby reducing the visual impact as a result of the mass of the arena being reduced. There are existing Manx sod hedges in the area of the proposals which are to be augmented with additional earthwork banks, which will subsequently be planted with a mix of native hedgerow plants and trees, together with larger native broadleaf tree varieties to create a range of bio-diversity within the area. In this way, the visual impact of the proposals will be significantly reduced by visual screening, and the ecological impact of development will be off-set against a positive gain in increased bio-diversity within the area.
Environment Policies 19, 20 and 21 of the IoM Strategic Plan 2007 are the main policies which relate to the development of Equestrian activities.
Environment Policy 19
'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 of 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)'
In terms of the loss of local amenity, the application site covers a number of fields which are currently used by the applicant for the grazing of horses. Accordingly the proposals will not result in any loss of local amenity. The application site is neither class 1 nor class 2 agricultural land therefore there will be no loss of high quality agricultural land as a result of the proposals.
With regards to the issue of traffic, the application proposes the repositioning of an existing field gate which gives access to the A5, and the creation of a fully engineered vehicular access for the development. This new access position has been determined following discussions with Ms Hazel Fletcher and Mr Kevin Almond of the Dept. of Infrastructure - Highways Division. The new access point from the A5 has been designed in accordance the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges - Volume 6 - Section 2 - Part 7 - TD41/95 - Vehicular Access to All Purpose Trunk Roads, as requested by Mr Almond. The A5 is a major arterial road route between Douglas and the South of the island and therefore is more than capable of accommodating the level of traffic generated by the proposals.
As a result of the above it is considered that the application proposals accord with Environmental Policy 19 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007, and therefore should be considered for approval.
Environment Policy 20
'There will be a presumption against large scale equestrian developments, which includes new buildings and external arenas, in areas of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance unless there are exceptional circumstances to override such a policy'
It is acknowledged that the proposals constitute a large scale equestrian development, as the arena is proposed to be to an international standard with 60m x 30m arena sized for competition purposes, whilst the stabling is for 97 horses together with their welfare and exercise facilities.
In considering the compliance of the application proposals with Environment Policy 20, regard should be given to the current validity of the designation of 'High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance'. At the time of the preparation of the loM Strategic Plan 2007, the 1982 Development Plan was the only governing policy for landscape character. Indeed Environment Policy 2 in the loM Strategic Plan 2007 states that;
"The present system of landscape classification of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance (AHLV's) as shown on the 1982 Development Plan and subsequent Local and Area Plans will be used as a basis for development control until such time as it is superseded by a landscape classification which will introduce different categories of landscape and policies and guidance for control therein. Within these areas the protection of the character of the landscape will be the most important consideration unless it can be shown that;
(a) The development would not harm the character and quality of the landscape; or
(b) The location for the development is essential."
However, since the publication of the loM Strategic Plan 2007, a more detailed landscape character assessment has been carried out and a Draft Planning Policy Statement PPS2/09 has been published under the Town and Country Planning Act 1999. Whilst this has not as yet received Tynwald assent, it is clear that the planning officers of the Dept. of Infrastructure are consistently referring to this document in their assessment and recommendation reports on current planning applications. It would appear therefore, that whilst the 1982 Development Plan has not yet been formally superseded, it is being effectively superseded in day to day planning consideration by PPS2/09, which must therefore be considered in this case.
From PPS2/09 the application site is situated within a landscape classification Type D: Incised Slopes, and more specifically within area D13 Santon. PPS2/09 identifies the following policy strategy for development within such areas;
'The overall strategy for the protection and enhancement of the Incised Slopes Landscape Character Type is to conserve and enhance: the remote and rural character; the relatively sparse settlement pattern of traditional hamlets and scattered farm buildings; the network of sunken and enclosed rural roads; and the substantial hedgerows and sod banks dividing irregularly-shaped pastoral fields. Key landscape planning considerations in relation to the protection and enhancement of this Landscape Character Type are as follows:-
(a) Care should be taken to ensure that housing and business development does not detract from the distinctive identity and setting of settlements, and avoids coalescence with other settlements within this Landscape Type;
(b) The design and layout of new housing and business development should include appropriate native structure planting to soften urban edges and enhance the transition to the wider landscape;
(c) Approach routes, key views, and gateways to settlements within these landscapes should be enhanced; (d) Linear development along roads from settlements that extends urbanising influence into the wider should be avoided; (e) The use of local vernacular building styles and materials should be encouraged;
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(f) New farm buildings that would compromise the pattern and scale of farmsteads across the undulating Incised Slopes landscapes should be discouraged; (g) Care should be taken to minimise loss of hedgerows, sod banks, and other distinctive boundary features along road corridors; (h) Tourist-related development, such as camp sites, should avoid visually prominent locations, particularly those which can be viewed from higher land and those which would extend urbanising influence along the coast; (i) Care should be taken to avoid the suburbanisation of river valleys and stream corridors; (j) Tall vertical telecommunications masts or structures which detract from the sloping landform or create visual clutter should be avoided.'
From the above, it is clear that items (c), (d), (e), (i) and (j) are not relevant to the proposals. Item (a) is also of limited relevance as the application site is not situated within a settlement, but is associated with an isolated farm grouping. Item (b) is of relevance in that it can be seen that the proposals accord with this policy as a result of the use of native structure planting employed to soften the impact of the development and aid the transition to the wider landscape. With regards to item (f) whilst the proposals are not specifically for agricultural buildings, their shape and form are consistent with farm buildings. However, the design of the proposals are of higher quality both in detail and form, and their positioning on the site, within a low lying hollow, together with the screen planting, retains the integrity and form of the farmstead. Item (g) requires that existing sod hedges and banks should be retained, and the proposals not only accord with this requirement, but do much to increase the amount of and bio-diversity of such sod banks and hedges within the area. With regards to item (h), the proposals and the adjacent self catering tourist units are situated within an area which is difficult to see from the surrounding countryside. There is limited higher ground within the area, and views from localised higher ground as a result of the undulating landscape are mitigated by the use of native structure planting. As a result, it is considered that the application proposals accord with the requirements of the Type D: Incised Slopes policy requirements of PPS2/09 and therefore Environment Policy 20 of the loM Strategic Plan 2007 and should be considered for approval.
'Buildings for the stabling, shelter or care of horses or other animals will not be permitted in the countryside if they would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the countryside in terms of siting, design, size or finish. Any new buildings must be designed in form and materials to reflect their specific purpose; in particular, cavity wall construction should not be used.'
With regards to the siting, design, size and finish of the application proposals, they are located within a low lying area of the site and this coupled to the significant landscape screening provided around them mitigates any possible detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the countryside. They are designed to provide high quality facilities, both in terms of their facilities and appearance, and utilise natural materials which are sympathetic to the surrounding countryside. Cavity wall construction is not used except for a small section of one store to provide MEA facilities.
The application proposals are designed specifically to reflect their purpose, with the form determined by the function to be performed within, whether that is for stabling, horse walking or for the arena. The mass of the arena has been kept to the minimum height to allow the required clearance for a horse and rider to clear jumps up to its perimeter. However, the roof pitch has been kept to a minimum to keep the ridge height of the arena building to 9.2 m , whilst the use of the perimeter of the arena area for stabling has reduced the effective visual height of the arena building at its sides to 4 m , keeping it visually smaller in appearance and to a more human scale.
The stable blocks are smaller in scale, being formed from a central circulation corridor with stables to each side. These blocks have been arranged along the natural contour lines of the land, with separation between the individual blocks and with landscaping treatment around and between them which breaks down their visual impact.
As a result of the above it is considered that the application proposals accord with Environmental Policy 21 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007, and therefore should be considered for approval.
1 During the design process, the applicants architect has carried out consultations with;
Mr Steven Stanley - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Planning Officer, Ms Hazel Fletcher - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Kevin Almond - Dept. Of Infrastructure - Highways Design Engineer. Mr Ian Wade - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kneen - Dept. of Infrastructure - Drainage Engineer, Mr John Kelly - IoM Fire \& Rescue Service,
The advice given within these pre-application consultations has been incorporated into the drawings and information which form the basis of this application.
1 The equestrian arena is designed to provide an international standard indoor arena capable of holding competitions up to and including international level for diverse equestrian events including anything from dressage and show jumping to carriage driving. The arena includes a viewing gallery area at first floor to one end which provides for multiple functions, from acting as a staff canteen with associated small kitchen in everyday use, to a seating area for spectators in competition use, or for spectators waiting for/watching users of the arena. A judging box is also included at ground floor beneath this viewing gallery for competition use.
2 Stables are arranged along two sides of the arena with associated tack rooms, WC and shower rooms for grooms, and a food store. In addition, facilities are provided for the washing of horses and a horse solarium for therapy sessions. A small office is also included in the arena to provide for management of the unit, and for dealing with visitors and users of the facilities.
The positioning of the stables alongside the arena has reduced the potential impact of the arena by reducing the eaves height to approx. 4 m , which is a more human scale. The materials employed in the arena and the stable blocks and stores are either natural, or with a natural low visual impact colour, the majority being timber boarding to the walls, green colour profiled agricultural sheeting to the roofs, and timber for the doors and windows. Rainwater goods are aluminium finished in a sage green colour to match the roof finishes.
The separate stable blocks are situated along the natural contours of the land at differing floor levels which are specific to their location, and which reduce the potential impact of the stables. This is coupled to a substantial amount of Manx sod hedge and earth profiled banking around them which is to be planted with native hedge and tree species to provide both visual and wind screening to the stables, further reducing their visual impact. One of the stable blocks has an automatic horse walker attached to one end with a lobby system to manage horses being brought into and out of the walker at exercise times. This facility is also screened, and is positioned on the stable at the lowest part of the site in order to reduce any potential impact from the slightly higher mass.
To the North-East of the arena is an external ménage arena which is of a similar size to the indoor arena, and which provides an exercise area for good weather and outdoor training conditions. This ménage also acts as a warm up arena for use during or after competition, so that horses and riders can warm up prior to competition to avoid injury.
To the North of the arena and stable blocks in the fields adjacent to the A5 is an exercise track. This is provided for the training and exercise of horses in harness. The track is 10 m wide and is approx. 420 m in circumference, which is not sufficiently large for harness racing, but is suitable for exercise and training purposes, where horses will be trotted around the circuit. The applicant is a keen harness racing enthusiast and trainer, and has been involved in the sport for over 30 years.
The application proposals include for a new vehicular access to be formed from the A5 to provide vehicular access both to the equestrian complex and the replacement dwelling and tourist units. The width of the access lane leading from this new access is approx. 6 m wide to allow for equestrian vehicles to pass. Between the arena and the stable block with horse walker is an area for parking of a variety of vehicles, including cars, light vans and $4 \times 4$ vehicles in normal parking bays, a portion of which are identified for disabled users. In addition, an area has been identified for the parking of horse box trailers and small horse box vehicles. The location of this parking, within the centre of the development has been determined in order to minimise any visual impact caused as a result, as vehicles parked within this area will be screened by the buildings which are in turn screened from all directions by profiled earth banks and planted hedges and trees. This parking is also broken down by the use of a large turning circle island located within the centre of the area, which will be landscaped and planted, creating a pleasant visual appearance and minimising the imact of development on the surroundings.
1 Ground Source Heat Pump - A ground source heat pump is to be used as the boiler system for space heating for the areas of the equestrian facilities that require it, together with providing the hot water system for showers, kitchen and WC's utilising a system which utilises ground 'slinkies' buried within trenches to generate heat via an electrical compressor system. This form of heat production is extremely efficient, developing 4.5 Kw of heat output for each 1 Kw of electricity used in powering the system. .2 Rainwater Harvesting - It is proposed that the rainwater run-off from the roofs and from hard-standings will be discharged to a 'Klargester' rainwater harvesting tanks which will be situated below ground. These tanks, together with their filtration system, will utilise the rainwater and after filtering will pump it back into the facilities as 'Grey Water' for use in the flushing of W.C.'s, and to provide water for washing of horses, blankets etc. The rainwater storage tank will also have an over-flow discharge to a soak-away to deal with excess water in times of storm conditions. As the storage capacity available from this and the other application roofs is large, it is proposed that this water storage will also be connected to a pumped hydrant system, allowing for fire fighting water supplies should they be required. .3 Foul Water Bio-Disc - In order to deal with the foul water drainage from the equestrian facilities it is proposed to utilise a 'Klargester Bio-Disc' which is essentially an individual packaged sewage treatment plant which takes effluent, and after treating it, produces a cleaned effluent which can safely be discharged to a tail drain soak-away or in some circumstances to a water course. The bio-disc will be sized to suit the maximum effluent output from the equestrian facilities.
1 As the existing vehicular access via Ballavartyn Lane is unsatisfactory, it is proposed that a new vehicular access will be formed from the A5 close to the position of the existing field gate access to the South-West of Knock-FroyBeg. This new access position has been determined following discussions with Ms Hazel Fletcher and Mr Kevin Almond of the Dept. of Infrastructure Highways Division. The new access point from the A5 has been designed in accordance the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges - Volume 6 - Section 2 - Part 7 - TD41/95 - Vehicular Access to All Purpose Trunk Roads, as requested by Mr Almond. .2 From the new entrance to the A5, a new access lane is proposed which provides a vehicular link from the new entrance to the equestrian complex and onward to the replacement dwelling and adjacent tourist units. The new access lane included within this application is sized to provide adequate vehicular access to the full development, and takes the form of a 6 m wide carriageway with a split carriageway at the main corner in order to provide a safe passing place at this point. This access lane follows the line of the existing Manx sod hedge, and has a new Manx sod hedge positioned to the other side which will be planted with native hedge and tree planting in order to minimise any visual impact. The entrance to the new access to the A5 is formed from new wrought iron gates set within a new Manx stone wall and pillars to each side, the existing Manx sod hedge along the A5 being adjusted to run into this wall and forming the visibility splays to the highway.
.1 The equestrian centre by its very nature is required to be situated in the countryside and it is inconceivable that it should or indeed could be situated elsewhere. The proposals have been designed to provide both a visually high quality appearance and technically high quality equestrian facilities. The proposals provide a range of facilities for the equestrian community on the Isle of Man, and provide an opportunity for the introduction of national and international competition standard events to take place on the Island as a result.
2 The proposals have been sited to minimise any potential visibility from either the immediate vicinity or from the wider area, and a series of planted earth bank structured planting areas have been proposed to further aid this screening, and to aid the transition to the wider landscape. The proposed arena and stables are not visible from any of the surrounding roads, and the screen planting, together with the local topography minimises any visibility from local residents.
3 The equestrian centre is considered to be a key development for the support and development of competitive equestrian sports on the Isle of Man and therefore is of national importance. There is significant support for the proposals from members of the equestrian community on the Isle of Man as is demonstrated by the list of signatures of support which have been collected, and which are included in Appendix E of this statement.
4 As a result of this national importance, the significant economic benefits that would be generated for the island, which are outlined further in Section 7.0 of this statement, and the developments in the use of PPS2/09, it is considered that the proposals whilst technically being situated on the edge of the AHLV area, the benefits to the Island community outweigh any planning objections. Accordingly, giving consideration to the siting, design, mitigation planting, the range of environmental technologies incorporated and the potential economic and public relations benefits to the Island from the development of International competition, it is considered that the proposals should be considered to be acceptable and be granted approval.
1 The proposals which are encompassed by the four planning applications identified in Sections 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 of this statement have multiple economic benefits to the Isle of Man. The equestrian centre with its international standard arena will be available to the entire population of the Island on a booking system. It is true that there are one or two other competition standard arenas on the Island, but these are privately owned for private use, and as such do not have the other support facilities such as parking provision, or access to a main highway with the capability to deal with competition visitors that are included in the application proposals. The arena will allow the development of equestrian related competition both nationally within the Island and internationally with the adjacent Islands and beyond, bringing inward tourism and equestrian investment into the Island.
2 The Stabling for 97 horses included within the application will be run as a full livery stable, providing care and training of horses for both island and offisland owners, with a variety of care options provided, but all to the highest standard. The commercial benefit to the local equestrian supplies market for feed, bedding and equipment should not be underestimated, which is likely to benefit from high six figure annual expenditure.
3 The exercise track for training and exercise of horses in harness will allow the stabling and training of harness racing horses which is a significant and growing equestrian sport which will bring further inward investment into the Island.
4 The six self catering tourist units included in the applications will be finished to a high standard, and will support the development of the equestrian arena and stabling, as trainers, owners, jockeys, competition entrants and equestrian enthusiasts will all support the tourist units in addition to the general tourist use. It is understood that the Leisure and Tourism Department are keen to expand the availability of high quality self catering tourist accommodation throughout the Island, and the application proposals will add a further strand to the variety of accommodation that the Island can offer.
5 In addition to the tourist units on-site, the stables will provide equestrian pursuits for other visitors to the Island, with a variety of riding tuition, trekking and equine care opportunities available, creating further tourist attractions which would also be available to Island residents all year round.
6 The construction of the application proposals represents a multi-million pound investment which will run through the Islands economy, from consultants, to contractors, to suppliers, retailers and ultimately through VAT, ITIP and direct fees to the Isle of Man Government.
7 The application proposals will create an amount and variety of permanent full-time and part-time employment, both directly at the facility, and indirectly as a result of the other services that will be required to keep it running, ranging from equestrian and agricultural supplies organisations, cleaning companies and maintenance contractors. Coupled to this will be the inward investment from additional tourist numbers and their general spend whilst on island, and the benefit to the transport infrastructure to and from the island, both for individual passengers and increased freight for the transportation of horses, vehicles and support staff.
1 The application proposals for the equestrian arena will provide the highest quality International standard arena capable of holding national and international competitions. This is a facility which is not available currently on Island, but which would be a significant addition to an island famous for its production of world class sporting participants across many disciplines. It should be noted that there are more horses on the Isle of Man than there are cattle. This ranges from retired working horses, through pets to recreational riding horses to international standard show jumping, dressage and carriage horses.
However, in order to train and compete to a high standard, both riders and horses have to travel off-island to attend competitions in the UK, Ireland or Europe, and the Isle of Man cannot reciprocate with an international competition on home soil. The application proposals would rectify this situation, giving encouragement to the development of higher quality local competition as a result.
The equestrian centre with its international arena and stabling options for local and international owners, together with the adjacent tourist units, will provide a catalyst for the further development of equestrian sports on the Island, and will lead to the development of higher standard riders allowing equestrian sports men, women and children on the Island to raise their game to the level at which they can compete and possibly one day represent their country.
The level of support/desire for the proposals received from the equestrian community on the island can be seen from the signatures received and which are contained in Appendix E of this statement.
.1 Along with the economic and sporting development benefits of the application proposals, the services provided by the equestrian arena and livery stables will include riding for the disabled and other equestrian therapy services. The high quality of the arena and its facilities, with disabled parking and WCs, level access and trained assistants will allow the use of the facilities by local disabled children and adults for equine therapy, the benefits of which have long been acknowledged, but which are not fully available currently on the Isle of Man.
The proposals for the equestrian centre allow for and encourage public and community use, whether that is private individuals stabling their own horses, or local equine groups utilising the arena for training or competition purposes. The loM Pony Club have regular meetings, however, these invariably take place out of doors and are cancelled if the weather is inclement. The arena would provide an all-weather alternative for their meetings, providing a community benefit and leading to greater improvement in rider and horse skills.
Whilst at first it may seem that the application proposals may have no public relations benefits for the Isle of Man, this is not the case as the positive PR benefits received by the Island from the nurturing of sporting talent is well recognised. The PR benefits the island has received from the success of Mark Cavendish and Johnny Bellis, representing Great Britain on the Olympic stage, and subsequently the development of Mark Cavendish's successes in the Tour de France to see the positive PR received by the Island as a result.
The Island has a number of sports men and women who have represented the Island and Great Britain at European, Commonwealth and Olympic level over the past few decades, and equestrian sport is an area where further development of this is possible, given the level of talent and participants on island, but who are being held back by a lack of available facilities.
.1 The application proposals are described in detail in the individual design statements of each application, whilst the site specific and site wide conditions are described in Section 1.0 of this document. The application drawings identify the details of the new vehicular access from the A5, the new access lane to the application proposals, and the existing vehicular access positions to the existing site and buildings.
.1 The application site is currently accessed via Ballavartyn Lane which enters onto the A5 at a junction close to the former Methodist Chapel, where a Public Transport Bus Stop is also located. To the opposite side of the A5 from the application site and the proposed new vehicular access is a vehicle lay-by which is used for off-road parking of public vehicles, and which is approx. 200 m in length, providing significant off-road parking for the public in the area.
2 The peak hours for traffic on the A5 are between 7:30am to 9:00am, and between 4:30pm to 6:00pm, primarily relating to traffic entering and leaving Douglas for working hours. From information from the Highways Division there are no known accidents on the stretch of road from which the new vehicular access is proposed to be taken, and the straight nature of this section of road with few junctions in the immediate locality means that this is not a high risk area.
.1 The application site is currently a residential dwelling with adjacent barns and outbuildings which are used for equestrian stabling purposes. The dwelling and equestrian stables has parking for approx. 15 vehicles, which are located within the area immediately surrounding the existing dwelling and outbuildings.
2 The application proposals encompass a significant amount of parking provision which is situated in close proximity to the individual accommodation type. These can be summarised as follows;
Replacement Dwelling - 3 Garage Spaces +2 parking bays within private courtyard area; 6 Tourist Units - Each tourist unit has 1 parking space or covered parking bay for use by visitors to the self catering accommodation. These are located immediately adjacent to the tourist units; Arena \& Stables - The arena is provided with 48 car parking spaces with 4 allocated for disabled parking. In addition, there is parking for 14 horse box trailers, and for 7 larger horse transporters.
The above provision for the replacement dwelling is significantly greater than that required by the loM Strategic Plan 2007, whilst the tourist unit provision is in accordance with that required by the loM Strategic Plan 2007.
The parking provision for the equestrian arena and stables has been determined by reference to the parking provision of other equestrian facilities on the island, (which typically have parking for around 20 cars, 7-8 horse box trailers and 2-3 horse transporters) with a significant uplift for the arena to host a competition. The permanent parking provision of 48 spaces, plus parking for 14 horse box trailers and 7 horse transporters provides significant formal parking facilities, whilst there is also sufficient area to double-up on the trailer and horse transporter parking on proper hard-standing areas for competition purposes, without the need to resort to temporary non-surfaced areas.
It is anticipated that should further overspill parking be required for spectators attending a competition, then this would be achieved by parking on an area of the field adjacent to the uppermost stable block, which would be capable of accommodating a further 40 - 50 cars, utilising the new access lane.
.1 The application site is currently a residential dwelling with adjacent barns and outbuildings which are used for equestrian stabling purposes. The dwelling generates approx. 8 vehicle movements per day which are associated with domestic life and which are split throughout the day but are mainly centred about departures for school and work in the morning and afternoon movements for the same purposes. The current driveway leads to Ballavartyn Lane, which is the method of access from the existing property to the main A5 and wider road network.
2 The existing equestrian stables generate approx. 12 vehicular movements per day, which are spaced throughout the day and which relate to the arrival and departure of employees for work, the delivery of feed and bedding supplies, or visits from owners of horses in livery stabling. These are split approx. 80/20 between car type vehicles and larger service vehicles in that order. The method of access to the property is via the current driveway which leads to/is accessed from Ballavartyn Lane, and which in turn is the method of access to/from the main A5 and wider road network.
1 The scope and size of development has been identified in the individual design statements for each application, which identifies the site and floor areas per application.
2 The replacement dwelling will be the occupied permanent residence of the applicant, who will be on-site 24-7. The tourist units will operate all year round and as they are residential will be 24-7. The stables will operate on a 24-7 basis, as the keeping and care of horses is a full-time business. However, public access to the facility will be restricted to a 14 -hour day from 8:00am to 10:00pm on a 7 -day a week basis. These hours of business are also anticipated for the arena, which would be available for booking by the public and a variety of organisations.
Access to the application proposals are via a new vehicular access designed in accordance with the requirements laid down by Mr Kevin Almond. This new access is sized to meet the requirements of the development, allowing access for both domestic cars, $4 \times 4$ 's with horse box trailers, horse transporters and large service vehicles, including the emergency services.
It is proposed that in order to allow safe access for construction of the application proposals, the new access onto the A5 would be formed at the start of the works, together with the access road through to the development site, the access road being formed up to road-base level with kerbs installed. This will provide full and proper access for construction vehicles, and a vehicle \& wheel wash-down facility would be provided inside the site to prevent mud and construction dirt from being transported onto the highway, although it should be noted that it is anticipated that no bulk excavation or demolition materials will be transported off-site, as all such arisings will be retained on-site and used in landscape bank profiling.
. 1 The application proposals encompass a variety of uses, including replacement of the existing residential dwelling, 6 self catering tourist accommodation units, and the equestrian centre. The anticipated average daily vehicular movements would equate to the following;
Residential Dwelling Tourist Units Equestrian Centre Equestrian Centre Equestrian Centre Equestrian Centre Equestrian Centre
12 Vehicular Movements - Car 12 Vehicular Movements - Car 60 Vehicular Movements - Car 6 Vehicular Movements - Car + Trailer 10 Vehicular Movements - Light Commercial 10 Vehicular Movements - Heavier Commercial
The above is based on an average daily usage with visits by owners of DIY livery stabled horses attending daily to feed \& groom horses (based on 30\% usage on this basis), 2 vehicular movements per day for each of the tourist units at full capacity, normal domestic usage for the residential dwelling with an allowance for daily domestic help and informal visitors, $3 \%$ turnover of horse \& trailer usage, 5 light commercial visits per day for either horse transportation or delivery of supplies and 5 heavy commercial visits per day for either horse transportation or delivery of supplies.
. 1 The construction of the application proposals is likely to generate an amount of construction traffic. However, the construction of the new vehicular access to the A5, complete with its vehicle turn-off lanes and visibility splays to the A5 will allow safe access and egress to the site for construction vehicles. Any construction operations on site will be limited to normal construction operation hours of 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday and 8:00am to 1:00pm on Saturdays. The type and number of construction vehicles will vary considerably with the progress of the works, however, the significant available site area will ensure that all such vehicles will be retained on-site and therefore there will be no backing-up of waiting vehicles onto the surrounding road network.
2 As there are no pedestrian footpaths within the immediate vicinity of the new entrance position, then the potential for any detrimental impact on pedestrian users of the area is minimal. Anyone using public transport for access to the site during the construction process will alight from the bus stop at the end of Ballavartyn Lane, and will access the site via Ballavartyn Lane and the existing driveway, which is effectively segregated from construction traffic.
.1 The application proposals will not generate more than 20 HGV movements per day, and none within the midnight to 6:00am timescale.
2 As the application proposals create a new access direct to the main A5 highway, there are no other highway junctions that would be affected by the proposals.
1 Whilst the application proposals will generate an amount of traffic, the timing of the traffic movements are spread throughout the day, with relatively low levels of traffic being generated at peak periods of vehicle movement on the A5 from which the application site takes its access. As a result of this, and the junction design and visibility splays, the application proposals are considered to have a negligible impact on the road safety of the adjacent highway network.
2 The new access lane within the application site is designed with an appropriate carriageway width to accommodate the type and level of traffic which is to use it. The lane is a single carriageway allowing traffic to pass in both directions, with a split into two separate carriageways at the main corner to ensure divergence of vehicles which are negotiating the bend which has limited visibility, and thereby ensuring safety of users.
3 The new junction for the access onto the A5 has been designed in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges - Volume 6 Section 2 - Part 7 - TD41/95 - Vehicular Access to All Purpose Trunk Roads, as specified by Mr Almond. This provides a turn off lane for traffic travelling South from Douglas into the new entrance, where access gates are located a little over 11 m from the edge of the carriageway. The existing painted hatched central island of the A5 is proposed to be amended to allow a right turn lane within the central reservation for traffic travelling North on the A5 towards Douglas. As a result, the proposals avoid impeding the traffic flow of the existing highway. Whilst the above require some changes to the existing highway, they are not considered to be either major or overly complicated to execute.
1 The application proposals will not generate excessive amounts of traffic, and such traffic movements that are generated are spread throughout the day. The new junction to the A5 will provide safe and controlled access and egress, both during construction of the application proposals, and for the future operation of the development, whilst limiting any potential impact on the existing highway network.
APPENDIX A - Photographs of Existing Dwelling APPENDIX B - Photographs of Manx Stone Barns APPENDIX C - Photographs of Existing Stable Block APPENDIX D - Photographs of Arena \& Stables Site APPENDIX E - Signatures in Support of Application Proposals
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