appendix 14 - derry city and strabane district...
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Appendix 14
Derry City and Strabane District Council Planning Committee Report
COMMITTEE DATE: 9th January 2019
APPLICATION No: LA11/2018/0482/O
APPLICATION TYPE: Outline
PROPOSAL: Erection of farm dwelling and domestic garage
LOCATION: 285m North East of 15 Barleyhill Road, Castlederg
APPLICANT: Mr Gerard McHugh
ADVERTISEMENT/STATUTORY EXPIRY: 06/06/2018- 28/06/2018
RECOMMENDATION: Refuse
REASON FOR PRESENTATION TO COMMITTEE: Refusal
All planning application forms, drawings, letters etc. relating to this planning application are available to view on www.planningni.gov.uk
1. Description of Proposed Development
Erection of farm dwelling and domestic garage
2. Site and Surrounding Area
The proposed site is an irregular parcel of land located approx. 285m to the North of No 15
Barleyhill Road and approx. 220m to the north of the nearest farm buildings set within the
farm grouping. The site is elevated when viewed from the public road. The site consist of
poor agricultural land with no defined boundaries. Small immature coniferous plantation is
located immediately to north of the site. Proposed access is via a proposed laneway which
cuts through agricultural land 80m to the west of the proposed site. Localised views from the
site frontage and from the SW on Barleyhill Road.
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Figure 1: Site Location Plan
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Figure 2: Overview of farm holding and proposed site
3. Site Constraints
No constraints.
4. Neighbour Notification Report
No neighbours required to be notified
5. Relevant Site History
J/2012/0096/F- Site 350m North of 15 Barleyhill Road, Castlederg, Proposed 225kW wind
turbine (30m hub height) - Permission Granted albeit approval has expired 23/09/18
Site
Farm Holding
Previous approval J/2009/0122/F
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J/2011/0262/F - Site 350m North of 15 Barleyhill Road, Castlederg, Proposed 100kW wind
turbine (30m hub height) - Permission expired 25-11-2016
J/2009/0122/F- Erection of farm dwelling with the redevelopment of a redundant dwelling to
provide a new domestic garage and stores- Approved 29-09-2009
6. Policy Framework
Strategic Planning Policy Statement
Strabane Area Plan 2001
PPS3 Access, Movement and Parking
PPS21 Sustainable Development in the Countryside
7. Consultee Responses, Internal/External
DFI Roads- No objection
Environmental Health Department: EHD have indicated that should the applicant commence
construction of the wind turbine prior to planning consent expiring (25th September 2018),
the Environmental Health Service is of the opinion that the predicted noise from the turbine
will exceed the financial involved limit of 45dB at the site of the proposal.
If there is evidence that construction of the proposed turbine has commenced the
Environmental Health Service would recommend that planning permission is refused for the
proposed dwelling house due to the impact the turbine would have on future occupants of
the proposed dwelling. To date there is no evidence of commencement of the turbine. During
a meeting with the applicant it was stated that the turbine development had not commenced
and the permission had expired on 23-09-18.
NI Water- No Objection
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DAERA- No Objection in that the applicant’s holding has been active over 6 years
Shared Environmental Services- The potential impact of this proposal on Special Protection
Areas, Special Areas of Conservation and Ramsar sites has been assessed in accordance with
the requirements of Regulation 43 (1) of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations
(Northern Ireland) 1995 (as amended). The proposal would not be likely to have a significant
effect on the features of any European site.
8. Planning Assessment and Other Material Considerations
Section 6 (4) of The Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 requires the Council to make
planning decisions in accordance with the local development plan, unless material
considerations indicate otherwise.
The Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS) introduces transitional arrangements which
will operate until the Council’s Plan Strategy has been adopted. During this period, planning
authorities will apply the existing policy (in this case PPS21 policies CTY1 Development in the
Countryside & CTY10 Dwellings on Farms – the retained policies) together with the SPPS. Any
conflict between the SPPS and the retained policy must be resolved in favour of the SPPS.
The SPPS retains the policy provisions of Planning Policy Statement 21: Sustainable
development in the countryside (PPS21). Policy CTY 1 of PPS21 lists the range of types of
development which in principle are considered acceptable in the countryside and that
will contribute to the aims of sustainable development.
Policy CTY10 Dwellings on a Farm
There are three policy tests under CTY10, all of which must be met if a dwelling on a farm is
to meet policy requirements. These are as follows:
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Criterion a) that the farm business is active and established for at least 6 years.
The evidence provided by the applicant and a response from DAERA has highlighted
that the applicant has been an active farmer over 6 years. Therefore the applicant
has addressed criteria (a).
Criterion b) requires that no development opportunities out-with settlement limits have
been sold off from the farm holding within 10 years of the date of the application.
• A history search of the submitted farm maps indicated that there appears to be a
previous history on the applicants holding under J/2009/0122/F- Erection of farm dwelling
with the redevelopment of a redundant dwelling to provide a new domestic garage and
stores which was approved on 29-09-2009 which is after the qualifying date of 25 November
2008. It would appear from the site visit and following discussion with the applicant that this
approval has not been implemented and has expired.
Criterion c) requires that the proposed dwelling is visually linked or sited to cluster with an
established group of buildings on the farm and where practicable. Access to the dwelling
should be obtained from an existing lane.
The proposed site is located approximately 220m away from the nearest agricultural
buildings associated with the farm holding. These are located to the south within the farm
grouping associated with No 15 Barleyhill Road. Officers contend that the separation distance
(see figure 4) is significant and that there is no visual linkage whatsoever between the
proposed site and the farm grouping to the south.
During a meeting with Officers, the applicant indicated that the removed siting was due to a
need for a dwelling not closely located to the working farm. The applicants business centres
on potato production and distribution. The applicant indicated that the storage and
distribution of the product from the farm grouping occurred during the daytime and due to
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work patterns of his partner the activity was not conducive to quality sleep patterns. Mr
McHugh indicated that the previous approval J/2009/0122/f was not implemented due to
this issue. Mr Mchugh also indicated that the previous turbine application has also not been
implemented.
Officers have considered the reasoning for the siting of the proposed farm dwelling however
the substantial separation distance which is approx. 220m from the farm grouping results in a
dwelling which will have no visual linkage whatsoever. The applicant owns all lands that
surrounds the holding and a more appropriate location could be accommodated, which
visually links with buildings on the farm holding (addressing criterion c) whilst addressing
issues raised by the applicant and criteria (c) of Policy CTY10 which states that new farm
dwellings are to be visually linked or sited to cluster with an established group of buildings on
a holding. As such, the proposal fails to address criteria (c) of Policy CTY10.
Figure 4: View of site in relation to Farm grouping.
SITE Farm Grouping
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Figure 5: View of site along Barleyhill Road
CTY13 Integration and Design
The site has no defined boundaries that would provide any significant enclosure or means of
integration. The proposed site is open and exposed when viewed along Barleyhill Road. Due
to the lack of any adequate backdrop and means of enclosure, a dwelling at this location
would be conspicuous and would not integrate successfully into the landscape. Any
development on site would rely primarily on the use of new landscaping for integration.
This is also compounded by the fact that as the site is not visually linked or sited to cluster
with an established group of buildings on a farm and thus the proposal would be contrary to
Policy CTY13.
Site
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CTY14 Rural Character
Due to the lack of existing vegetation and the open nature of the site, a dwelling would be
unduly prominent and conspicuous and would not integrate into the landscape. A dwelling if
approved at this location would have an adverse impact upon the rural character and thus be
contrary to Policy CTY14 Rural Character. This would be further exacerbated by the degree of
roadside hedging that requires to be excavated to achieve adequate visibility splays. This will
result in an unacceptable from of development by reason of prominence.
9. Conclusion
Having considered all material considerations, including relevant planning policies comprising
the Strategic Planning Policy Statement, Strabane Area Plan and PPS21 (Sustainable
Development in the Countryside) and consultation responses, it is considered that although it
passes the principle of the need for a single dwelling in the countryside, it fails to meet criterion
(c) of PPS21 Policy CTY10 Dwellings on Farms as the site is not visually linked or sited to cluster
with an established group of buildings on a holding. It also fails to meet Policy CTY13
Integration and Design and Policy CTY14 Rural Character as a dwelling on site would be
prominent in the landscape and does not cluster with a farm grouping.
Therefore the Planning Officer recommendation is to refuse a dwelling on a farm at this
particular location for the following reasons;
10. Reasons for refusal
1. The proposal is contrary to Policies CTY1, CTY10, CTY13 and CTY14 of Planning Policy
Statement 21, Sustainable Development in the Countryside and does not merit being
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considered as an exceptional case in that it that the proposed new dwelling is not visually
linked or sited to cluster with an established group of buildings on the farm.
2. The proposal is contrary to Policy CTY13 of Planning Policy Statement 21, Sustainable
Development in the Countryside, in that the proposed dwelling is not visually linked or
sited to cluster with an established group of buildings on the farm and would be a
prominent feature in the landscape as the site lacks long established natural boundaries
and relies primarily on new landscaping for integration.
3. The proposal is contrary to Policy CTY14 of Planning Policy Statement 21, Sustainable
Development in the Countryside in that the building would, if permitted, result in a
detrimental change to the rural character of the countryside by reason of undue
prominence.