Increase in height of existing gate pillars and installation of new vehicle gate; erection of timber fence with installation of new personnel gate

Refusal Reasons

• ✗The proposal involves the expansion of residential curtilage into agricultural land located outside the defined settlement boundary, which is strictly controlled under General Policy 3. The development does not meet any of the policy exceptions, such as essential agricultural or forestry need, location dependency for minerals or services, or overriding national interest. It also fails to demonstrate compliance with Strategic Policy 2, which prioritises development within existing towns and villages, and Spatial Policy 5, which confirms that development in the countryside is only acceptable where it aligns with General Policy 3. The scheme introduces domestic use into land that remains in agricultural use, without any locational justification, and is therefore contrary to the strategic spatial framework and countryside protection objectives of the Strategic Plan.
• ✗The site lies within an Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, where the protection of landscape character is paramount. The proposed fencing and curtilage expansion introduce domestic features that result in visual harm and the domestication of the rural setting, contrary to Environment Policies 1 and 2, and Strategic Policies 4 and 5.
• ✗The development would result in the functional and visual loss of Class 2 agricultural soils, which are among the most versatile and protected on the Island. The proposal does not demonstrate overriding need or explore reasonable alternatives, and therefore conflicts with Environment Policy 14 and the strategic objectives of Paragraph 7.13 of the Strategic Plan.
• ✗The proposal involves the removal of established hedgerow linked to sodbanks, which contributes to habitat connectivity and supports local biodiversity. This feature lies within an Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, where ecological integrity is a key component of landscape character. The curtilage expansion and fencing introduce domestic elements that fragment habitat and erode ecological value. No mitigation or enhancement measures have been proposed. The development is therefore contrary to Environment Policy 1, Strategic Policy 4(b), and General Policy 2(d), which require the protection of ecological features and nature conservation value in rural areas.