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Application No.: 23/01041/B Applicant: Mr Paul Crocker Proposal: Erection of proposed extensions to existing agricultural barn Site Address: Field 114121 West Kimmeragh Road Bride Isle Of Man Planning Officer: Mr Toby Cowell Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 18.03.2024
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Reason: To ensure the delivery and retention of an appropriate landscaping scheme, in the interests of the visual amenity of the local and to provide ecological site benefits.
Reason: The countryside is protected from development and an exception is being made on the basis of agricultural need. As such the building must be used for the purposes for which it is approved.
Reason: The countryside is protected from development and an exception is being made on the basis of agricultural need.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.
In summary, the proposed development is considered to be acceptable in principle having demonstrated a clear agricultural need, without detriment to the visual amenities of the immediate locality and wider landscape. The proposals are considered to be in accordance with Strategic Policy 5, Spatial Policy 5, General Policies 2 and 3, and Environment Policies 1, 2, 15 and 21 of the Strategic Plan (2016).
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following drawings and documents referenced; 23-1736-03 Land ownership maps Applicants letter 2 Received 08.02.24
Additional Persons
It is recommended that the following should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 6(4):
Thie Ain, Bride
as they have not explained how the development would impact the lawful use of land owned or occupied by them and in relation to the relevant issues identified in paragraph 2C of the Policy, as is required by paragraph 2D of the Policy. _____________________________________________________________________________
THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR DETERMINATION DUE TO THE OBJECTION RECEIVED FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITY
1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of field number 114121 on the opposite side of the A17 from West Kimmeragh farm. It is accessed by a narrow un-surfaced farm lane between agricultural fields that runs approximately 220 metres from the A17. The site lies below an elevated mound amongst fields with grassed rolling hills. - 1.2 The site is occupied by a concrete agricultural building incorporating a mono-pitch roof which was erected following the grant of planning permission in 2012. The interior of the building was noted as being used for the storage of machinery, including a tractor, together with pens for livestock and further minor areas of storage for hay. - 1.3 Additional equipment was noted as being stored at the site outside of the building itself, with the presence of poultry being kept on the site also noted. The site is located circa. 0.8km south of the main portion of the applicant's land, which amounts to an approximate additional 50 acres, and is used for sheep grazing.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Planning permission is sought for the erection of a modern agricultural building, with dimensions of 12.1m in depth and 14.64m in width, comprising a dual pitched roof with an eaves height of 3.568m and ridge height of 5.201m. The building would be open sided on the north, east and west elevations and effectively connect to the existing building. - 2.2 The building would be in rendered concrete blockwork and painted white, with additional cladding and cement sheeting with the final specifications and colour having not been specified. A series of rooflights are also proposed on each roof plane. - 2.3 The building would be used for the purpose of providing an undercover space for the applicant's sheep in the winter, whilst further providing sufficient provision for care for the animals when they are sick, together with further being used for the storage of hay. Likewise, the building would also be used to keep livestock when in their isolation period following importation to the Island, together with keeping them dry prior to slaughter. The building is understood to further allow for some of the livestock activities to be transferred out of the exiting building and allow for more covered space for the storage of machinery; not all of which can presently fit within the building and is therefore susceptible to weather damage. - 2.4 The proposals further include a modest lean-to storage extension to the existing agricultural building. The applicant has stated that the entirety of their land directly owned by them equates to just under 60 acres, whilst presently having a total flock of 49 sheep.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 12/00760/B - Erection of an agricultural building - Permitted - 3.2 07/01871/B - Erection of a windmill - Permitted
4.1 The application site is identified in the 1982 Development Plan as 'white land' within the countryside that is not zoned for development. The site is not within a Conservation Area but falls within an Area of High Landscape Value - 4.2 The following policies from the 2016 Strategic Plan are considered pertinent in the assessment of this application;
Strategic Policy
Spatial Policy 5 Development only in countryside in accordance with General Policy 3
General Policy
Transport Policy
5.1 Bride Parish Commissioners - The Board raised objections to the application. There is a public right of way over the field and sheep have not lambed in 5 years due to them being elderly stock. There appears to be no need for a shed of this size and stature. There is a shed that stores machinery already. If the other shed were to be removed, that may be an option but for the amount of farming in the field the suggested structure is far too big and unnecessary. (28.11.23) - 5.2 Highways Services - Development would have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and /or parking. (22.09.23) - 5.3 DEFA Biodiversity - The Ecosystem Policy Team do not object to this application. However the proposed barn extension will result in the destruction of a small area of seminatural habitat, and no ecological mitigation is currently proposed, therefore there will be a net loss for biodiversity on site which is contrary to Planning Policy.
This net loss is relatively small and can be easily mitigated through replacement native planting on bare ground immediately adjacent to the proposed barn extension. Therefore, should this application be approved, the Ecosystem Policy Team request that a condition is secured for no works to take place unless a native landscaping plan has been provided to Planning for written approval. The planting must then take place in the first planting season following construction.
Additionally, the area of semi-natural habitat to be removed has potential for nesting birds and therefore a condition is also requested for no removal of semi-natural habitat to take place within the nesting bird season (March - August inclusive). (11.10.23)
5.4 One letter of representation has been received objecting to the proposals on the following grounds:
6.1 The starting point for any development within the countryside (i.e. not zoned for development) is General Policy 3, which allows an exemption for essential agricultural buildings and those required for interpretation of the countryside. Likewise Environment Policy 15, which states that where the Department is satisfied that there is agricultural or horticultural need for a new building/s, such development must be sited as close as is practically possible to existing building groups and be appropriate in terms of scale, materials, colour, siting and form to ensure that all new developments are sympathetic to the landscape and built environment of which they will form a part. - 6.2 Of additional relevance in this instance is Environment Policy 21, which states that 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. - 6.3 The applicant notes in both their original letter and subsequent letter produced in response to comments made by Bride Commissioners that, since the grant of planning permission for the existing barn in 2012, the farm holding has expanded from 6 acres in size to just under 60 acres, with the headcount of sheep having increased from 7 to 49. The applicant has stated that the building is necessary to provide covered shelter for livestock in the colder months of the year and for the lambing period, whilst further being used for the storage of hay. Moreover, the new barn would allow for the removal of livestock pens and associated paraphernalia to be removed from the existing barn and thus allow additional space for the storage of equipment currently kept outdoors. - 6.4 Upon inspection of the site and in particular the existing building itself, it was evident that the barn was at maximum capacity in terms of equipment storage, animal pens and hay storage, with additional equipment noted as being stored outside. There was also no clear provision for allow for lambing to be undertaken within the building, and it is understood that lambing is therefore timed to take place in the Spring when the weather starts to improve following the winter. - 6.5 Furthermore, it is evident that allowing the creation of a purpose built structure for animal shelter and lambing would improve the applicant's flexibility over the lambing period, whilst further allowing for the safe and secure storage of equipment. Moreover, it is understood that the applicant is not presently able to purchase any further equipment which would require undercover storage provision, to the detriment of the farm's future expansion. - 6.6 On the basis of the applicant's submission and following the site inspection conducted of both the application site itself and the applicant's wider portfolio of land to the north; it is considered that sufficient justification is evident for construction of the new barn building. Therefore, a clear agricultural needs is considered to have been demonstrated, in compliance with General Policy 3.
6.7 The building itself would effectively conjoin the existing agricultural building and would therefore not be isolated. Furthermore, the structure is considered typical of a modern agricultural building which would be read in the context of the existing structure within the site, and therefore not appear wholly incongruous in the context of the wider landscape. The proposed location of the new building is well screened from mature vegetation present to the immediate east and west, whilst being shielded from views from the north due to the siting of the existing building. - 6.8 Likewise, the structure would be sited a substantial distance from the main road to the south, and would only be evident upon final approach to the building's location when traversing northward along the access track. On this basis therefore, the proposals are considered to be appropriate from a design and visual impact perspective, and would not readily result in a material visual impact upon the wider landscape. It is however considered necessary for further clarification to be provided with respect to the final specification of matters to ensure that the finish of the building would be appropriate in this rural setting. - 6.9 Turning to issues raised by the Commissioners and the single objector, such matters have been addressed by the applicant in their rebuttal letter. In particular, the applicant notes that they expect to be lambing in the coming Spring due to not having undercover facilities to lamb earlier in the year, and therefore refutes the Commissioners point that the applicant's sheep are too old to lamb. - 6.10 Moreover, further questions over the need and justification for the new building have been addressed by the applicant. On the basis of the information providing and following the conducting of a site visit, it is considered that the proposals have been sufficiently justified for the reasons already outlined in this report. - 6.11 A final point raised was to the presence of a public right of way passing through the site from the main road to the south and northward. This was raised by both the Commissioners and the single objector. It can be confirmed that no such public right of way exists on the Government's mapping records. - 6.12 No objections have been raised by Highway Services with respect to the proposals, which would not involve any changes to the existing site access or corresponding access track. Likewise, the Ecosystems Policy Officer has also noted raised an objection to the proposals, subject to a native landscaping plan being submitted to the Department for approval prior to the commencement of development.
7.1 In summary, the proposed development is considered to be acceptable in principle having demonstrated a clear agricultural need, without detriment to the visual amenities of the immediate locality and wider landscape. The proposals are considered to be in accordance with Strategic Policy 5, Spatial Policy 5, General Policies 2 and 3, and Environment Policies 1, 2, 15 and 21 of the Strategic Plan (2016), and therefore recommended for approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to that body by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.
Decision Made : …Permitted……….... Committee Meeting Date:…25.03.2024
Signed :………T COWELL…………………………….. Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
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