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1847.02
APPLICATION FOR NEW STABLES FIELD 331996 AT REAR OF BALLAHUTCHIN BEG, MAIN ROAD, DALBY for MR AND MRS STRATTON PLANNING STATEMENT
The Applicants, Mr and Mrs Stratton seek planning approval for new stables on field 331996 at the rear of Ballhutchin Beg, Main Road, Dalby, close to the family home. This is an application for full approval for operational development.
The site is located to the rear of Ballahutchin Beg, which is situated in the heart of the Dalby village. The Park family, Charles and Beryl Park and daughter Carly (now Stratton) own the land which stretches from the main road down to the shoreline; and have lived on this land since 1987. Carly married Michael Stratton and they have now started a young family of their own. Carly's mother continues to live in the main house and Carly and Michael have recently secured planning permission to build their home next to the family home under PA 21/00256/B.
Horses have been kept on the land since 1987. Carly has been horse riding since she was a child. Carly and Michael own a number of horses and keep them in these fields. They now have a son and have also bought a horse for him. Carly also wants to teach her son how to ride. Carly had taken a break from horse riding but wants to resume riding regularly. Carly would now like to home her horses on the land, and she would like to begin to shelter the horses on the land over this coming winter, and then in perpetuity.
The stable block is designed for a number of horses and ponies, with space for tack, feed storage, and wash down. The design, materials and construction of the stable block would be mainly timber frame and timber cladding with a shingle or green metal panel roof. There is sufficient space on the concrete apron beside the stable block for the parking of the horse box, so that it is off the road when permanently parked.
In the 1982 Plan, the land is in an area of high landscape value or coastal value and scenic significance.
The IOM Landscape Character Assessment says 'gentle to steeply sloping medium sized arable and pastoral fields shelve down to sea, divided by substantial sod hedges with gorse and some deciduous trees'. It recommends 'The overall strategy should be to
Stables, Ballahutchin Beg Planning Statement
conserve the character, quality and distinctiveness of the tranquil coastal area with its rich ecological habitats, open and expansive panoramic views and the field pattern on the shelving land.
It is worth noting that the site is located outside of, and relatively distant from the 'Dalby Coast Area of Special Scientific Interest', designated in 2009. This is located further towards the shoreline.
The land is not zoned for development. The keeping and the livery of horses, by its nature is a countryside function, and when keeping horses in fields, especially in exposed areas like this, a shelter may be required for the health and welfare of the horses. Therefore, the Applicant is seeking some relaxation of the zoning requirement due to the fact that grazing and livery of horses happens in the countryside and the IOMSP does not make any allowance for such zoning in the countryside. The Applicant requests such allowance be made for these new stables. Other similar applications have been successful such as PA 06/01746/B for stables at the Braaid, where the stables were also located in a field next to the owners home.
When consulted, DEFA's Ecosystem Policy Officer did not have any issue with the proposals, and her email response can be found in Appendix A. Miss Costain recommended that all planting is undertaken with Manx native species, and this is what we have shown on the application drawing.
Our strategy for the design of the stables and their setting, is to ensure we conserve the character of the area and our proposals for this are:
Stables, Ballahutchin Beg Planning Statement
We've designed the stables and concrete apron, so they are parallel with the contours of the land to reduce the dig and fill needed to make the apron both flat and level. We've located the stables to be up close to the village dwellings so that it is not sat in the middle of the field and is less visible. We've shown a new Manx bank with hedgerow and trees which we can use the spoil from excavations to build, and this will screen the stables from public views. The Manx bank and hedgerow will also maintain the character and distinctiveness of the areas field pattern. We think this design will maintain the appearance and character of the area. Therefore we believe the development will not harm the character and quality of the landscape, satisfying IOM Strategic Plan (IOMSP) Environmental Policy 2.
Carly has found that at times, the land is too soft and wet in winter and often, when there is a dry spell, too hard in summer for safe riding. She is concerned about injury to the horses. As a result, when training, she has to make arrangements to use a local arena and then has to transport the horses to the arena. To allow Carly to transport her horses, access onto the field to the stables will be via an existing agricultural gate at the rear of Ballahutchin Beg. A new vehicle access from the main road into Ballahutchin Beg has been approved under PA21/00256/B, and the visibility splay on this is 2.4m x 52m. Crushed clean stone will be laid, creating an access track for their horse box, between the new road access and the stables. This will allow the family to load and unload their horses.
The land currently and for some time has little amenity value, and any amenity value is not affected by the proposed development as there are planning and landscaping mitigation measures to retain and enhance any amenity value. The land is not Class 1 or 2 agricultural land. The family currently use their horse wagon to transport the horses to and from the fields. Should the stables be approved and built, this would remain the case, and there will be no increase in frequency of use and therefore no increase in traffic on the highway. As there is no loss in local amenity, its not Class 1 or 2 agricultural land and there will be no increase in highway traffic, the development can be seen to comply with IOMSP Environmental Policy 19.
Whilst this development is set in an area with High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance, being stables, it is only a small-scale equestrian development. Therefore, IOMSP Environmental Policy 20 should not apply.
The design of the stables and their setting is not detrimental to the character and appearance of the countryside, and the stables can be seen to be clearly of construction
Stables, Ballahutchin Beg Planning Statement
specifically for stables. Therefore, the development can be seen to satisfy IOMSP Environmental Policy 21.
Summary
The Applicants believe they have created a shelter for their horses in a sensitive way, retaining the character and distinctiveness of the locality. They believe the stables design proposals are discreet, being screened from public view; and the new hedgerows and trees, of Manx native species will increase local wildlife and habitat opportunities. The application can be seen to satisfy IOMSP Environmental Policies 2, 19 and 21. Therefore, the Applicants respectfully request that planning approval is granted.
Stables, Ballahutchin Beg Planning Statement
From: Costain, Sophie (DEFA) <[email protected]> Sent: 03 September 2021 15:30 To: Niall McGarrigle Subject: RE: 1847.02 Stable Block and Outdoor Arena, Field 331996, Ballahutchin Beg, Dalby Attachments: Dalby Coast ASSI Designation Documents.pdf
Hi Niall,
Again, apologies for the late response. Please give my apologies to Mr. and Mrs. Stratton also.
I don't really have any issue with the proposed plans. The location of the vehicle access and stable look to mostly avoid any areas of potential wildlife interest and the same can be said for the previously proposed outdoor arena as they are to be located on agriculturally improved grassland. Their might need to be a bit of hedge removal to facilitate the vehicle access point but this can be mitigated against via the creation of new banks, hedgerows, and tree planting and by timing the works outside of the nesting bird season (March – August inclusive). In line with what is stated in the plans I would recommend that all planting is undertaken with Manx native species, but additionally I would also recommend that any tree planting is undertaken with smaller native tree species to fit in with the surrounding landscape (elder, rowan, hawthorn, hazel), hedging could be supplemented with native shrub species including Sherard's downyrose and dog rose, though sod banks are probably more in keeping with the surrounding landscape, particularly banks topped with western gorse Ulex gallii (don't use European gorse). It would be good to see the Manx native planting list included in the planning application.
On a slightly separate note, are Carly and Michael aware that the westernmost field (331963) and the coastal slopes within their ownership are within Dalby Coast Area of Special Scientific Interest? I've attached the designation documents which show the boundary of the ASSI. I believe that this land is wet coastal grassland so what Carly has said about the land being soft and wet in winter makes sense. The ASSI was designated in 2009 so if they have owned the land since 1987 they have should have been around during the designation and consultation process. However, I can't see their names within our files.
Best wishes,
Sophie
Miss S Costain, Ecosystem Policy Officer Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture, Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St Johns, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel +44 (0)1624 685963 Mob +44 (0)7624 431301 Fax +44 (0)1624 685851 Email [email protected] or [email protected] Website: www.gov.im/defa
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