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Application No.: 25/91149/B Applicant: Mr & Mrs Mark Oates Proposal: Erection of a detached steel portal frame agricultural building Site Address: Field No- 135424 Kerrowmoar Croft Lezayre Road, Sulby Lezayre IM7 2AX Senior Planning Officer: Mrs Louise Phillips Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 02.03.2026 Conditions and Notes for Approval 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: 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 building has been exceptionally approved solely to meet agricultural need and its subsequent retention would result in an unwarranted intrusion in the countryside.
The proposed development is essential for the conduct of agriculture and its siting and design would cause no harm to the landscape or general character and appearance of the area. Whilst it would be sited on high quality agricultural land, it would not cause any practical loss of such
land and would instead facilitate productive farming of a much larger area of land. Consequently the proposal is justified in the countryside and it would comply with the Development Plan as a whole.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following plans:
It is recommended that the following organisation should NOT be given the Right to Appeal:
1.1 The site is a yard with existing access on the north side of Lezayre Road, described as "Field 135424", but largely hard-surfaced with compacted gravel etc. It is already occupied by two large, metal farm buildings constructed in accordance with the planning history set out below. The site lies slightly below the level of the road and there are trees and hedges along the boundary which provide some screening.
1.2 The site forms part of a wider agricultural holding, extending to 140 acres in total. The majority of the land is to the immediate north of the site and the farmhouse, Kerrowmoar Croft, lies to the immediate west.
2.1 The proposed development is a new steel frame agricultural building at the eastern side of the yard. It would measure 22.8m long x 12m wide x 6.7m high at the ridge. It would be finished in green metal sheeting and would be fully enclosed with a roller shutter door facing into the yard.
2.2 The applicant intends to use the building as a dedicated dry grain store. The height of the building is designed to enable trailers to be tipped in the shed.
3.1 The site is not within a Conservation Area and there are no Registered Buildings, Registered Trees or Registered Tree Areas which would be affected by the proposal. The site is not at risk of flooding, whereas the fields to the north on lower ground are at high risk of fluvial flooding. It is possible that the land is classified as Grade 2 quality soil. 1982 Development Plan
3.2 The site is in the countryside, in an Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance. Strategic Plan
3.3 Strategic Policy 2 - Development will be permitted in the countryside only in exceptional circumstances set out in General Policy 3.
3.4 Spatial Policy 5 - Development will only be permitted in the countryside in accordance with General Policy 3.
3.5 General Policy 2 - Provides various development management criteria, including the following which are relevant to this proposal. Development should:
3.6 General Policy 3 - Development outside areas zoned for development will not be permitted except for:
3.7 Environment Policy 1 - The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an overriding national need.
3.8 Environment Policy 2 - Within areas of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, the protection of the character of the landscape will be the most important consideration.
3.9 Environment Policy 14 - Development which would result in the permanent loss of important and versatile agricultural land (Classes 1-2) will not be permitted except where there is an overriding need for the development, and land of a lower quality is not available and other policies in this plan are complied with.
3.10 Environment Policy 15 - Where the Department is satisfied that there is an agricultural need for a new building, sufficient to outweigh the general policy against development in the countryside, and its impact is acceptable, development must be sited as close as practically possible to existing building groups and be of appropriate scale, materials, colour, siting and form to be sympathetic to the surrounding landscape and built environment. Buildings in exposed or isolated areas or close to public highways will only be permitted in in exceptional circumstances and will be subject to appropriate landscaping. The impact of new agricultural buildings upon nearby residential development must be considered.
5.1 25/91147/B: Erection of a detached car port. Pending decision.
5.2 16/01111/B: Erection of an agricultural building. Permitted.
5.3 14/00720/B: Erection of an agricultural building. Permitted.
6.1 Highways Services (16/1/26): The proposal would have "no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as the existing site access and proposed layout is acceptable for the proposals".
6.2 Lezayre Parish Commissioners (6/2/26): "No objection unanimous. The Commissioners would like to see a condition of approval that, if in the future the agricultural building is no longer used for agricultural purposes, it must be removed from the site".
6.3 The following organisations were consulted on 13 January 2026 but, at the time of writing this report, no comments had been received:
7.1 The main issues are whether the proposed new building would be justified, having regard to the need for it in agricultural terms, and to its effect upon the character and appearance of the area; and its effect upon important and versatile agricultural land. Agricultural Need
7.2 The planning history for the site indicates that it is part of an ongoing working enterprise and this was confirmed by what I saw on my site visit. The existing open-fronted metal sheds on the yard are being fully utilised for the storage of hay and large, modern machinery. Additional hay bales and machinery are present on the yard outside the existing buildings, in the area where the new one is proposed.
7.3 The farm has recently increased in size from 100 acres to 140 acres and the applicants intend to rent a further 60 acres if this planning application succeeds. They have run out of storage for grain and hay. The land is presently not in full production, and only one variety of grain is able to be grown. Some is having to be sold directly from the land at a reduced price. The new building is therefore proposed to serve as a dedicated dry grain store, which would free up space within the existing buildings for the storage of hay and straw and for the storage and repair of machinery. The new building would also be tall enough for trailers to be tipped inside it and, being secure, power and a chemical store could be provided. The agricultural need for the building required by General Policy 3 (f) of the Strategic Plan therefore seems clear. Character and Appearance
7.4 Turning to siting and visual impact, the proposed building would be close to the existing similar buildings on the yard, and further from the highway than the one approved under 16/01111/B. It would be largely screened from the road and, taken together with those already present, including one on neighbouring land to the immediate east, it would not stand out as unusual even if it were to be seen. The area has an agricultural character and, by virtue of its scale, materials, colour and form, the proposed building would reflect this.
7.5 Consequently, the proposed building would not be harmful to the character and appearance of the site or wider countryside. It would therefore comply with General Policy 2 (b), (c) & (f) of the Strategic Plan; and with Environment Policies 1, 2 and 15.
7.6 The Agricultural Land Use Capability Map indicates that the land is likely to be classified as Grade 2 agricultural land upon which Environment Policy 14 Strategic Plan sets out a general presumption against permanent development. However, the building is proposed on the existing yard for the holding, which is already occupied by large buildings and laid to compacted gravel. Thus it is not going to be farmed directly, and its purpose is to facilitate farming on a much larger area of land to the north.
7.7 Given that the yard is already well established, and that the land to the north is at risk of flooding, there is no better site for the proposed building. This outweighs any notional conflict with Environment Policy 14. Other Issues
7.8 The nearest residential properties are some distance away and, given the existing nature of the site, the presence of the proposed storage building would have no significant additional effect in respect of noise and distrurbance. Highways Services notes that parking and access are adequate for the proposal and so it would not be detrimental to highway safety. No other concerns have been raised. Conditions requiring the building to be used only for agricultural purposes and for it to be removed should this use cease, should be added to any grant of planning permission to reflect that approval would be given as a justified exception to the general policy of restraint in the countryside.
8.1 For the reasons given above, the proposed development is essential for the conduct of agriculture and its siting and design would cause no harm to the landscape or general character and appearance of the area. Whilst it would be sited on high quality agricultural land, it would not cause any practical loss of such land and would instead facilitate productive farming of a much larger area of land. Consequently the proposal is justified in the countryside and it would comply with the Development Plan as a whole. It is therefore recommended for approval.
9.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted).
9.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to:
9.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10.
9.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required):
I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded interested person status and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made : Permitted Date: 04.03.2026 Determining Officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner
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