22 August 2007 · Delegated - Director of Planning and Building Control (M. I. McCauley)
New House, Ballalonna Farm, Postal Locality, Dalby, Isle Of Man, IM5 3bw
The site is the curtilage of Ballalonna Farm, a rural farm complex south of the main road in Dalby, containing multiple dwellings from prior approvals including barn conversions and farmhouse renovation.
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The officer noted the proposal is described as a garage with two doors on the northwest elevation facing the main road but concluded 'the scale of the building, its method of construction and the crea…
Do not oppose
Highways Division does not oppose the garage erection; Patrick Parish Commissioners object due to concerns it is a disguised dwelling; Fire Service seeks clarification on roof space utilisation before recommending.
Key concern: proposed design and construction of this garage gives it all the hallmarks of a garage waiting to be converted into a dwelling
Highways Division of the Department of Transport
No ObjectionDo not oppose
Patrick Parish Commissioners
ObjectionThe Commissioners have considered the above application. They are concerned that the proposed design and construction of this garage gives it all the hallmarks of a garage waiting to be converted into a dwelling.; The Commissioners are not opposed to the construction of a garage.
Isle of Man Fire And Rescue Service
I WOULD BE OBLIGED IF THE APPLICANT WOULD CLARIFY HOW THE ROOF SPACE WITHIN THE NEW BUILDING IS TO BE UTILISED.
The original application (07/00969/B) to demolish an unsightly agricultural storage building and replace it with a stone-clad garage on the same footprint at a rural farmstead site was refused by the Director of Planning and Building Control on 22 August 2007, citing that the scale would create the impression of a new dwelling. The appellant argued the proposal would improve the site's appearance, match existing stone buildings, provide needed garaging, and be less prominent than the existing structure, with a fallback of permitted development garages leading to clutter. The Council defended the refusal on landscape character grounds in a High Landscape Value area, while Patrick Parish Commissioners suspected future dwelling conversion but supported garaging. Inspector David Ward found the proposal would not appear as a dwelling from public views, accepted the fallback comparison, noted the farmstead's residential character was already lost, and recommended allowing the appeal subject to a condition removing permitted development rights for further sheds/garages.
Precedent Value
This appeal demonstrates that in residentially-transformed rural sites, replacing incongruous agricultural buildings with sympathetic garaging can succeed if public views show clear garage features and fallback PD worsens character; future applicants should emphasise site history, visibility analysis, and PD comparisons, anticipating conditions removing further PD rights.
Inspector: David Ward
