Applicant Farm Dwelling Justification

Mr A Holmes, Planning Officer, Planning Department, Department of Local Government and the environment, Murray House, Mount Havelock, Douglas.

19 Jan 2007

RE: PA 06/01784/A - Approval in principle for the erection of a farm dwelling and garage, part field no 612707, Barroose Road, Baldrine.

Dear Mr Holmes,

In response to your letter dated 29th Nov 07 requesting further evidence in support of our application I offer the following points for your consideration:

General

Cooil Roi Farm was purchased by my father 30 years ago, the extent of which is indicated on the submitted plan. The original main farm house, now Cooil Roi Mansion, including the access lane, had already been sold separately.

Planning permission was eventually obtained for a new bungalow, which was built to the east of the mansion, adjoining the existing farm outbuildings & barns.

We were advised at the time that approval for an additional farm dwelling would not be unreasonable, and this was endorsed by Mr Miles Walker who kindly assisted my father with the application.

The farm has therefore been operated since from "The Bungalow", and following the death of my father, has been occupied solely by my mother, now in her eighties.

She is naturally finding it more and more difficult to cope on her own.

We have been living off the island for some time, returning regularly as needs demanded, but our farm and business in England is now up for sale and when sold I, my wife and sons, will return to take over running the holding and will require accommodation at Cooil Roi.

Additional housing is therefore required, as a retirement home, primarily for my mother, and ultimately my wife and I, leaving the existing bungalow to our son/s who will be running the farm.

Cont...

Ownership

The farm holding is presently in joint ownership between myself and my mother. It is held in trust for my two sons, who will inherit the farm in 2010.

Operation and Stock The family have been operating the farm for 30 years rearing sheep and are registered Farm Assured Producers. Present stock levels are: 5 Tups. 191 Lambs and 160 Ewes.

On return I intend to expand stock levels and farm more intensively; and only this year we have purchased 30 Yearling Ewes, expanding the stock.

At present there is one employed farm hand, assisting mother.

Accommodation

The present bungalow will not accommodate mother, ourselves, and sons with their own expanding families. We all need to be close at hand to operate the expanded production to our intention.

The proposed bungalow is therefore required as a retirement home and as such would be of modest size. Initially it would accommodate my mother and this is a major factor in its location. Ultimately we may take occupation or one of our sons, depending on need at that particular time. In any event it is intended for family or farm related use only.

Siting

The chosen site is closer to the main road, other dwellings and with easier access to the main road, bus services etc. which would greatly benefit mother who presently feels somewhat isolated and finds difficulty in travelling. I acknowledge that the Development Plan requires that it should be well set back from a highway and if this becomes an issue the field is large enough to accommodate some repositioning should this be a condition of an approval. Obviously we would prefer any access length to be reasonable so as not to defeat the above objective.

Locating a new bungalow within the farm building area would incur other difficulties in that the access lane to the present farm bungalow is under ownership of Cool Roi Manor, and obtaining further rights of access would be problematic and out of control. Similar problems were encountered when my father built the original bungalow.

The only other access to the farm building area would be from Barroose Road to the east across the fields which would involve a very long driveway and somewhat defeat the object, being even further from the main road.

Design

Any planning design requirements will be accommodated in any subsequent detail application as we are keen to ensure that dwelling will be of good quality and appropriate for the area.

We will also carry out tree planting and landscaping as necessary and as intimated on the plans to enhance the property whilst giving appropriate screening to adjoining houses.

We also intend to improve the quality of the remainder of the field in question by extensive drainage as it has unfortunately reverted to marsh. Cont...

This will hopefully enhance the general appearance of the locality and permit a more appropriate use by the farm.

I hope to have conveyed our intent to improve and expand the farming operation and our need for this dwelling and trust now look favourably on our application.

Yours faithfully David L. Gleave