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The application site forms the curtilage of Field 124129, St Judes Road, West Craig, Ramsey and is located on the northeast side of St Judes Road, northwest of St Judes crossroads and east of Sandygate crossroads.
The site is fairly well screened when viewed from the adjacent highway, due to a number of mature trees and hedging in parts along the southwest boundary. There are also a number of mature hedgerows which run along the north, east and west boundaries of the site.
The application site is within an area recognised as being an area of ‘white land and an area of woodland’, under the Isle of Man Development Plan Order 1982. The site is not within a Conservation Area, nor within an area zoned as High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance.
The following planning application is considered relevant in the assessment and determination of this application:-
Siting of two containers, portable toilet and use of vans as mobile field shelter in association with horticultural use of field - 08/01867/R - REFUSED (possible appeal) on the following ground:- "1. It is considered that the containers, van-derived shelter and WC, by reason of their siting and design, seriously detract from the visual amenities of the area contrary to Environment Policies 15 and 17 of The Isle of Man Strategic Plan (20th June 2007)."
PROPOSAL The application seeks approval for the erection of a polytunnel. The polytunnel would be sited 100 metres (approximately) northeast of St Judes Road. The proposal would have a width of 4.2 metres, a length of 12.8 metres and a maximum height of 2.28 metres.
Andreas Parish Commissioners have opposed the application on the following grounds:- "No objections." The Manx Electricity Authority (20.02.2009):- "The MEA may need to object to the above planning application unless the following condition is met: There is an HV overhead line in the area highlighted for the proposed polytunnel in your planning application, which may need to be under grounded or re-routed. Please contact Ian Gilbertson, Operations and Maintenance Engineer (Tel: 687664) to discuss your application.
All work is to be carried out in accordance with Health \& Safety Guidance Note GS6. MEA will not accept liability for any costs incurred for any works."
The Authority has received no privately written representations objecting to the application.
Due to the zoning of the site the following policies are relevant for consideration:-
Policy 15: Where the Department is satisfied that there is agricultural or horticultural need for a new building (including a dwelling), sufficient to outweigh the general policy against development in the countryside, and that the impact of this development including buildings, accesses, servicing etc. is acceptable, 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.
Only in exceptional circumstances will buildings be permitted in exposed or isolated areas or close to public highways and in all such cases will be subject to appropriate landscaping. The nature and materials of construction must also be appropriate to the purposes for which it is intended. Where new agricultural buildings are proposed next to or close to existing residential properties, care must be taken to ensure that there is no unacceptable adverse impact through any activity, although it must be borne in mind that many farming activities require buildings which are best sited, in landscape terms, close to existing building groups in the rural landscape.
The Policy which needs special consideration would be Environmental Policy 15 which deals with buildings in connection with horticultural.
Environmental Policy 15 states that if there is a need for the a new building that the proposal should 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. The policy also states that only in exceptional circumstances will buildings be permitted in exposed or isolated areas or close to public highways and in all such cases will be subject to appropriate landscaping.
The proposal would be sited 100 metres from St Judes Road and would partly be screened by an existing hedgerow within the site (approx 1.5 metres in height). The proposed polytunnel would be visible from the adjacent public highway (St Judes Road). However, these views would only be viewed fleetingly when travelling along the highway, due to the boundary treatment which runs along the southwest boundary of the site, varying from mature to semi mature trees and hedgerows, the landscaping within the site and the distance from the highway the polytunnel would be sited.
The poly-tunnel would be used for the purposes of growing crops, which would be additional to the crops already within the field (western corner of site). The applicants do not propose to sell any produce directly from the site which has an existing access.
Overall, it is considered the proposal would be in keeping with the surrounding landscape, especially as poly-tunnels are fairly common structure within the countryside and are associated with horticultural. Additionally, given the existing landscaping directly along the boundary with St Judes Road and with the partial landscaping within the site, the structure would be well screen from public view. It is considered appropriate however, to require further landscaping southeast of the polytunnel, to further ensure the screening of the proposal from St Judes Road. This can be undertaken via a condition requiring a landscaping scheme being submitted prior to the commencement of any works.
Regarding the comments made by the MEA, the applicant has amended the scheme, so that the proposed siting is now away from the overhead lines. This therefore overcomes the concerns made by the MEA.
It is considered that the proposal would comply with the relevant planning policies of The Isle of Man Strategic Plan (20th June 2007), for the reasons set out in this report, accordingly, it is recommended that the application be approved.
It is considered that the following meet the criteria of Government Circular 1/06 and should be afforded interested party status:
It is considered that the following do not meet the criteria of Government Circular 1/06 and should not be afforded interested party status:
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation: 29.04.2009
The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
This approval relates to the erection of a polytunnel as proposed in the submitted documents and drawings Kelly 1, Kelly 2b and Kelly 5 received on 22nd January 2009 and 5th March 2009.
No No development shall take place until full details of a landscaping scheme shall have been submitted to and be approved in writing by the Planning Authority and these works shall be carried out as approved. This scheme should include further planting to the southeast of the polytunnel. All planting shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details in the next available planting and seeding seasons. Any tree or shrub which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the landscaping works, is removed, or becomes seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with another similar size and species, unless the planning authority gives written consent to any variation.
C 4. In the event of the polytunnel permitted under this approval becoming redundant it must all be removed from the site within 3 months of the cessation of use and the land restored back to agricultural use.
N 1 . For the avoidance of doubt no planning permission has been granted for the two containers, mobile van or the portable toilet.
I confirm that this decision accords with Government Circular No 10/09, Delegation of Functions (Development Procedure), GC No 11/09 (Advertisements) and GC No 12/09 (Registered Buildings) all to the Senior Planning Officer
Decision Made : Permitted Date :
Signed : Senior Planning Officer
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