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PLANNING STATEMENT PROPOSED FARM WORKERS DWELLING, LAND AT BALLACORKISH FARM, SCHOLABY ROAD, THE LEVEL, COLBY EXISTING SITE Ballacorkish Farm has been registered with the Agricultural Development Scheme since its inception (Registration Number AB1174) and comprises of a dairy herd, cattle and arable. The farm is a working family farm with approximately 80 dairy cows, 80 beef cattle and 60 beef calves. The application site is situated in field number 410982 within the complex of agricultural buildings on Ballacorkish Farm. The extent of the site is outlined in red, the access drive into the site will be via an existing field gateway situated approximately 30 metres north of the start of Scholaby Farm Lane over which Ballacorkish Farm has a right of way all indicated on drawing no. BLGA_02. The application site has been used predominantly by some of the older cows who have issues walking on concrete, and it’s only a short walk to and from the milking parlour. The proposed site and size of dwelling would still leave enough grazing land for this to continue. There is a farm track within the southern boundary of the field, that the rest of the milking herd use to access fields to the east of the proposed site, and this track would be unaffected by the positioning of the site. Within the vicinity of the proposed site there are agricultural buildings; a recently erected shed (indicated on drawing no. BLGA_02) and the ‘cattle yard’, which was built 80 years ago, both are used to house cattle and/or calves, depending on the time of year. These have been indicated on drawing no. BLGA_05. PLANNING HISTORY Details of the planning applications submitted by for the site Ballacorkish Farm are shown below; Ref Status Details
We sought advice on the suitability of various sites on Ballacorkish Farm, planning policies and design and had a more formal pre planning consultation with Miss Lucy Kinrade, Planning Officer and Miss Sarah Corlett, Senior Planning Officer. This consultation was in the form of email correspondence. Following consultation we feel that we have addressed the points that were highlighted during the preplanning consultation and have included these in our proposed application.
OUR STATEMENT
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was brought up on Ballacorkish Farm and has continued to help on the farm around her shifts at work and the school day. The recent COVID19 pandemic has focussed attention on a genuine need to ensure there is a realistic succession plan for the farm. Having been a family farm since 1966, my father is keen for the farm to remain with the family, and whilst his children do not currently work full time on the farm, long term there will be a need for increased family involvement taking on more and more of the management and responsibilities of running a family farm.
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The reason for making this application is to enable and her family to provide additional support to her parents on the farm. We have all accepted that even though my father approaches what would be retiring age for any normal person, there is no mention of down-sizing the dairy herd or
reducing the cropped areas. This is his choice and what he deems to be the only option available to ensure a viable business.
Guidance has been sought from Chris Kneale of Rural Business Consultancy. Applying the formula found in the SAC Farm Management Handbook to calculate labour units, Ballacorkish Farm is found to require 3.05 labour units. is the only person working on the farm full time. A selfemployed farm worker helps him for a few hours each day (if he’s available).
(mother) and another family member (aunt) help with milking as and when they can, along with myself. As a result my father, works long hours seven days a week to ensure that the farm remails viable and the livestock cared for.
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The COVID 19 pandemic highlighted that the availability of labour to assist with the milking has been is a significant risk facing the farm and needs to be addressed. Equally with cows calving all year round there is an increased requirement for expectant cows to be observed regularly through the night and for calving cows and calf to be assisted at birth to ensure that the health and welfare of both is not an issue. Presently my mother, , starts milking at 0730, by the time our children have been dropped off at school the majority of the milking has been completed. If we lived on site I would be able to do the majority of the morning milking whilst my mother did the school run thus providing her some much needed relief with minimal impact on our family life.
We have explored the option of housing close by, such as the Colby Level or Ballakillowey, but it would still mean we would struggle to be available at short notice. Likewise it is not viable when help is needed for a 15-30 minute task, for example, it would not be viable to provide help for a 15-30 minute task when factoring in journey time coupled with getting children ready. It is only by being on site that I can help make a big difference to the running of the farm
Attached to the application is a document showing all the existing buildings on Ballacorkish Farm, there are two outbuildings used as winter housing for cattle and calves, a grain mill and a barn. All of these outbuildings are utilised, and integral to the business, for the housing of livestock and storage of agricultural goods (grain, machinery and equipment). We have looked into the option of building a single storey bungalow for my parents and us utilising the existing farmhouse. Firstly, my father would be unwilling to move out of the home he has lived in for the last 55 years. Secondly, the location of the unfenced farmhouse within the farmyard poses significant health and safety risks to a young family as it is in close proximity to the busy working farmyard, slurry pit and grain augers. The only realistic way to alleviate these risks would be to place a compound around the farmhouse and there isn’t sufficient space around the existing farm house.
My father’s farm has always been run as a family enterprise and as such relies on labour from family members that is not remunerated. Whilst farming is not currently a source of monetary income to my partner and I, the time I spend at the farm is paid back in kind by providing the childcare. As our youngest child approaches school age, I will have more free time which I feel needs to be spent assisting my father to ensure that the farm remains a viable enterprise. As outlined earlier, the essential help that my father requires can only realistically be achieved by residing on the farm.
This application is being made to allow a family farm to continue in this way and to provide a bridge between generations to give us the best chance of keeping the business within the family. Hopefully those making the decision on this application will see that this is a genuine attempt to secure the future running of a family farm.
HOUSE FORM AND SIZE The house design is two storey and square in shape. The entrance to the house is accessed from the new parking area to the west and will be graded up to a level step free access to the front door. The existing area will also be graded as sympathetically as possible to the existing contours of the site.
The Living Room and Dining Room are situated to the South East side giving access from the ground floor to a garden space. It is a designed as a four bedroomed dwelling as we have two children and wish to have a room available for guests along with a room for each of our children.
Whilst the design may not represent an entirely typical Manx vernacular it is a contemporary response to global climate concerns, local micro-climate, site and functional user requirements and therefore we believe entirely appropriate in both its time and place.
MATERIALS AND SPECIFICATION The house will consist of traditional block and mortar structure but will have a number of elevations clad in timber. The proposed timber cladding is larch grown in the Scottish Highlands. The larch is naturally durable which will weather over time to a silver grey colour helping the house blend into the back drop. External windows and doors will be energy efficient ‘A’ rating windows and finished in dark grey. The proposed roof will be slate or a tile similar giving a slate look. All render work will be white in colour ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT The house has been carefully located on site in order to maximise solar gain. The roof to the south has been designed to maximise solar gain for up to 10 solar panels. The electricity generated from this will feed into a house battery which in turn will meet the demands of the low energy usage house. SERVICES Mains electricity and water are currently available to the site. Surface water drainage will be dealt with by means of a water storage tank within the curtilage of the site for use within the garden with an overflow into a field drain. Foul water will be dealt with by a Klargester Bio-disc treatment plant discharging to land via a soakaway.
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