APL Planning Statement

Ballacutchel Farms Ltd Proposed Cattle Shelters and Silage Pits at Bwoailleecowle Farm Staarvey Road German

PLANNING STATEMENT<br><br>

Job No. 1752-09

Prepared by: McGarrigle Architects 19 Mount Havelock Douglas IM1 2QG

September 2021

Contents

• 1.00 Introduction
• 2.00 Description of the Works
• 3.00 Planning Issues

• 1.00 Introduction:
• 1.01 The Applicant Ballacutchel Farms Ltd operate and manage a beefstock business. The business operates from four farms at Corvalley, Strang; Ballacutchel Farm, Mount Murray, Braddan; Ballavaish, Staarvey Road, German and Bwoailleecowle Farm, Staarvey Road, German.
• 1.02 At present the Applicant currently has approximately 400 head of cattle on the Isle of Man. At present, Ballacutchel Farms Ltd, has sufficient cattle-shelter space for housing 220 head of cattle, and estimate it requires space for sheltering a further 200 head of cattle during the winter months.
• 1.03 Ballacutchel Farms Ltd require the cattle-shelters so that their cattle can be `finished’ over the winter months, and sold and/or slaughtered here on the Isle of Man. This would be beneficial to the island beef market which relies on beef cattle remaining on the Isle of Man. All breeding stock would calf inside shelters; these are currently wintered outside which is detrimental to their wellbeing.
• 1.04 In 2012 Ballacutchel Farms Ltd reviewed all farmland under their ownership and control, and concluded that the most appropriate location for their new cattle-shelters is Bwoailleecowle Farm, Staarvey Road, German. This was most suitable because:-

• 1. The farm already has an established cattle-shelter;
• 2. The farm has an established and suitable vehicle access;
• 3. The farm is remote and the selected site is not visible from the nearby road; and
• 4. The site can be developed without harm to the local ecology and habitat; and without nuisance to neighbours.

• 1.05 A planning application was submitted under PA 12/01594/B and this was approved at Committee and an approval notice was issued on 4th June 2013. The Applicant did not commence the works at the time and only began construction in 2021, when the original application had expired. The

• Applicant was contacted by the Planning Enforcement Team under letter dated 9th April 2021 ref: 21/00024/AUD. This application is to address the enforcement action. Work has stopped on site.
• 1.06 The indoor wintering of cattle has other environmental and animal welfare benefits. The cattleshelters will allow Ballacutchel Farms Ltd to manage their livestock appropriately according to ground and climate conditions to ensure soil erosion does not occur on the land in their operations. Having the cattle in shelters will also reduce the movement of cattle when rotating feeding sites and watering points, thus reducing trampling in these areas.
• 1.07 Ballacutchel Farms Ltd are required to comply with the Welfare Code, Cattle, May 2006, which means providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area. This is not always practicable in winter months in the Isle of Man. If cattle are to be out-wintered, it is not always practicable to have access to a well-drained lying area and to provide shelter from adverse weather conditions. Therefore, for reasons of animal welfare, it is the preference of Ballacutchel Farms Ltd to winter their beef cattle in cattle-shelters.

• 2.00 Description of the Works:
• 2.01 The site is field no. 310653, which is adjacent to Bwoaillieecowle Farm, Staarvey Road, German.
• 2.02 The proposed works is:

• • two cattle-shelters;
• • two silage pits;
• • yard hardstanding; and
• • a vehicle link to the existing farm

• 2.03 The materials for the cattle-shelters are:

• • Roof: Green fibre cement corrugated sheets with rooflights of polycarbonate sheets;
• • Walls: Cast-insitu concrete lower walls with hit and miss treated timber boarding above;
• • Floors: Insitu concrete;
• • Rainwater goods: Green colour-coated steel;

• • Yard hardstanding: Compacted stone chippings to give a permeable surface;

• 2.04 The silage pits will have cast-insitu concrete walls and floors.
• 2.05 A new vehicular access from the existing farmyard will be carefully created through the existing bank, and will be stoned up to provide a permeable road access. The main access on Staarvey Road will continue to be the vehicular access for the farm.
• 2.06 The rainwater run-off from the roofs will be collected in gutters, discharged down through downpipes into sealed gulleys. Surface water drains will collect the rainwater and discharge to the field. This has been agreed with Mr Chris Lally of IOMWASA Land Drainage.
• 2.07 Ballacutchel Farms Ltd intends to adopt good practice for the protection of water. Based on the advice in the Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water, the Applicant proposes to:-

• • roof over the cattle feed/bedding areas;
• • collect all roof rainwater through sealed gulleys and discharge to the field, as agreed with IOMWASA Land Drainage;
• • enclose and cover the silage pits;
• • collect cattle waste/bedding regularly, store it safely and when appropriate, spread it on his fields; and
• • make up the yard area in stone giving a permeable surface, reducing run off.

• 2.08 Ballacutchel Farms Ltd is aware of the ecology and habitat in the area. In order to comply with their requirements, Ballacutchel Farms Ltd propose to:-

• • prevent run-off entering any of the nearby watercourse (as described under 2.07)
• • site the proposed development away from the field boundaries, ditches and Manx bank/hedgerows; and

• • work with the Senior Biodiversity Officer, DEFA to address any concern that may arise due to the presence of frogs or lizards.

The Applicant is happy for additional works to address ecological matters be conditioned as part of an approval.

• 3.00 Planning Issues:
• 3.01 The site is not zoned, under the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982, for development and is referenced as an “area of high landscape or coastal value and scenic significance”.
• 3.02 Therefore, as the site is not zoned for development, Ballacutchel Farms Ltd believe that under the Isle of Man Strategic Plan, General Policy 3 (f), and Environmental Policies 2 (b), 15 and 21, will apply.
• 3.03 There has been development on the site previously with the engineering operations required for the installation of the new Isle of Man Gas Pipeline across the southern part of the site. The proposed development has been sited away from the gas pipeline corridor.
• 3.04 There is a precedent for a similar development of a cattle-shelter on the adjacent fields 310653, 310656 and 314408. Planning Application 04/01472/B: erection of an agricultural shed and creation of an access road onto Staarvey Road, was Approved on Review on 25th February 2005.
• 3.05 General Policy 3:

• 3.05.1 General Policy 3 presumes against development outside zoned area, with the exception of some conditions. As the Applicant considers the provision of the cattle-shelters as essential for his farming business, he is of the opinion that conditions (f) applies. Condition (f) states: “building and engineering operations which are essential for the conduct of agriculture or forestry”.

Ballacutchel Farms Ltd believe that the cattle-shelters are essential to improve their beefstock business and also to improve the welfare of their cattle. They also believe that being able to finish

their cattle on the Isle of Man will also have an enormous benefit to the other producers such as Isle of Man Meats.

• 3.06 Environment Policy 2: Environment Policy 2 states that in Areas of High Landscape or Coastal Value, the character of the landscape will be the most important consideration, unless it can be shown that “(a) the development would not harm the character and quality of the landscape; or (b) the location for the development is essential”. The Applicant believes the development satisfies both (a) and (b). The buildings colour, design, form and siting are all in keeping with traditional agricultural buildings in the landscape. There will be some cut and fill required for the buildings to nestle into the hillside. In doing so, the buildings will sit comfortably into the landscape and not be seen from Staarvey Road. They will not harm the character and quality of the landscape. Also, Ballacutchel Farms Ltd have, after review of their four farm sites, concluded that the Bwoailleecowle Farm on Staarvey Road, German, is the best location for this development. The reasons are already described under 1.04. Therefore, they believe this location for the development is essential.
• 3.07 Environmental Policy 15: Environmental Policy 15 allows for the consideration of the granting of planning approval where the need for an agricultural building outweighs the general policy assumption against development in the countryside. It is the opinion of the Applicant that this agricultural development complies with the requirements of EP 15. The Applicant believes it complies because:

• • the Applicant believes the development is critical for his beef stock business and has demonstrated an agricultural need for the buildings, which should outweigh the presumption against development in the countryside;
• • the new cattle-shelters are sited as close as possible to the existing cattle-shelter;
• • the development makes use of an existing access;
• • the development is sited away from any residential properties;

• • the scale, materials and colour are appropriate for the purposes for whish it is intended;
• • it is sited away from the Staarvey Road and cannot be seen from the highway;
• • the building will be green and in an agricultural style and therefore will be sympathetic to the agricultural landscape in which it is set.

• 3.08 Environmental Policy 21: Environment Policy 21 says “Buildings for the stabling, shelter or care of horses or other animals will not be permitted in the countryside if they would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the countryside in terms of siting, design, sizeor finish. Any new buildings must be designed in form and materials to reflect their specific purpose; in particular, cavity-wall construction should not be used”.

The proposed cattle-shelters have been sited to be on the lower fields away from public view, and they have been set away from the field boundary Manx banks. The cattle-shelters have been purpose-designed to provide a covered and ventilated shelter for the comfort of cattle during the winter. The form design and materials selected are similar to the cattle-shelters previously approved under planning application PA 04/01472/B also at Staarvey Road, German. The green cladding sheets are an accepted finish for agricultural buildings on the Isle of Man. There can be little doubt the cattle-shelters as shown on the drawings can only be for their specific purpose as cattle-shelters.

• 4.00 Summary

• 4.01 The Applicant believes that a precedent has been set for the approval for the construction of two sheds and silage pits under the previous application under PA 12/01594/B. The buildings are cut into the hillside and cannot be seen from Staarvey Road, are designed to be in keeping with other cattle-shelter buildings set in the Manx landscape and will not detrimentally impact on the character of the area. The Applicant respectfully requests approval to the application.