Officer Report

Application No.: 18/00904/B Applicant: IOM Beekeepers Federation Proposal: Erection of log cabin on former tarmac playground for storage and making up beekeeping equipment Site Address: Old Marown School Old Church Road Crosby Isle Of Man IM4 2HA Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 01.10.2018 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

• C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. The structure may be used only for purposes associated with the keeping of bees, associated equipment and education about bees: if the structure is no longer needed or used for such purposes, it must be removed from the site and the site returned to its former appearance and use, within four months of the building becoming redundant for its approved purposes. Reason: to comply with the proposed development as described in the application.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This permission relates to the drawings and plans received on 23rd August, 2018.

_______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

none _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the curtilage of Marown Old School which sits on the north western side of Old Church Road (B35) to the south west of Crosby. The site sits on a steep hill where traffic is restricted to 30 mph. The building on site, the former school, is a distinctive white painted building which sits alone in the landscape. To the front (north east) is a hard surfaced area used for car parking. To the rear is a small yard beyond which is a group of trees which screen the rear of the building from view from those approaching the site from the direction of Old St. Runius Church, a Registered Building (RB14) which lies 400m to the south west. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the introduction of a timber shed to the rear of the building. The structure is to have no foundations and will be generally out of sight from the road. It may be visible to those parking in the car park.

2.2 The structure is to be 5.7m long and 3m wide, 2.1m to the eaves and 2.8m to the ridge. The building is to be used by the Isle of Man Beekeepers Federation for the storage and making up of bee keeping equipment and also for the delivery of bee-related talks. - 2.3 The applicant has an apiary on site for educational purposes and leases part of the site from the Department of Education.

PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982 as Primary School within a wider area of high landscape value and scenic significance, although the site has long since been used for primary school purposes and is used by the Department of Education for office purposes.

3.2 The purpose of the building is partly educational although not in the sense for which it was designated. The site is not designated for development so there is a general presumption against new development although General Policy 3 sets out a range of developments which may exceptionally be permitted and includes "(h) buildings or works required for interpretation of the countryside, its wildlife or heritage."

3.3 Development should not detrimentally affect the quality of the countryside which is protected for its own sake under Environment Policies 1 and 2. PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 The site has been subject to a number of applications for alterations and extensions and a temporary portable unit, all of which were approved and none of which is relevant to the consideration of the current application. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Highway Services indicate that they have no highway interest in the application (28.09.18).

5.2 Marown Parish Commissioners have no objection (20.09.18). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The site is not designated for development but may lawfully be used for educational purposes, which is partly the purpose of the application. The building is also to be used for

purposes related to nature and the countryside and is best placed alongside an apiary so could clearly not be meaningfully located in an area designated for development.

6.2 The building is clearly temporary and will facilitate better learning about bees which are an essential part of the countryside's biodiversity. It will not be seen and will have no adverse impact. Its use is not likely to result in significant amounts of vehicular traffic and in any case there is plentiful parking on site. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The proposal is considered to accord with the Strategic Plan policies to protect the countryside from harmful development and is supported. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 03.10.2018 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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