DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT SERVICES Local Member - Councillor A MacDougall PLANNING APPLICATION REPORT Date of Validity - 18th June 2002 OBAN, LORN AND THE ISLES Committee Date - 4th September 2002 6th August 2002 Reference Number: 02/01082/OUT Applicants Name: Mr Robin Sargeant Application Type: Outline Application Application Description: Site for the erection of a dwellinghouse and commercial shed Location: Achamore, Bunessan, Isle of Mull (A ) THE APPLICATION Development Requiring Express Planning Permission. • Erection of a dwellinghouse (no details submitted) • Erection of a shed for feed delivery business (indicative size approximately 28m x 9m) • Installation of septic tank and outfall to stream (no details submitted). • Formation of a new access Other Specified Operations. • Connection to public water supply (B ) RECOMMENDATION The proposal is recommended for refusal. (C ) DETERMINING ISSUES AND MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS The site lies outwith the local plan inset map for Bunessan and lies within a Regional Scenic Area wherein the Council seeks to maintain and, where possible, enhance the landscape quality of the area. The proposal requires to be justified in terms of the criteria set out in Policy RUR 2a of the Local Plan and STRAT 2A of the Structure Plan. Landscape Capacity Analysis Area of Common Landscape Character The Ross of Mull, from just east of Bunessan to Fionnphort (see attached plan) forms an area of common landscape character. The northern part of the Ross is it generally lower lying than the hilly areas along the southern seaboard, being more heavily populated and following more of a traditional crofting pattern of development. The landform is gently undulating and the vegetation pattern is a mixture of broad tracts of heather covered moorland and arable land, interspersed with limited tree cover. The existing settlement pattern is varied and includes the villages of Bunessan and Fionnphort, the crofting townships of Ardtun/Knockan, Uisken and Creich/Kintra, and occasional minor clusters of dwellings around road junctions. In addition to these more formal settlements there are also sporadic areas of roadside development and occasional isolated farm steadings and individual houses. Due to the varying nature of the settlement patterns, there are a number of sub areas of common landscape character which have their own key characteristics. The Achamore sub area is shown on the attached plan. F:\MODERNGOV\DATA\PUBLISHED\INTRANET\C00000245\M00000833\AI00004728\090201082WR060802SKP0.DOC 1 Key Characteristics The key internal characteristics of the Achamore sub area are two distinctively different settlement patterns and a large, open, undeveloped valley area which maintains the spacing between the two distinct groups and provides an open swathe of land which is important to the area’s rural character. There is a node of development at Achamore (see attached plan), positioned at the junction of the Bunessan coast road and the back road. Along the Uisken road (see attached plan) there is a mix of modern dwellings and ruinous/derelict buildings which are irregularly spaced and which follow the line of the road network. The application site is located approximately 1km to the west of Bunessan. The site lies within an open valley area detailed above as a key characteristic of the landscape. This valley area is formed from the higher ground to the west which descends as it travels east towards a large agricultural field. Beyond the watercourse and field, the land rises again. The site itself lies on the edge of the descending land to the west and on the edge of the agricultural field. This valley area is bounded by the Bunessan back road to the north and the Uisken Road to the east. It is proposed to site a dwellinghouse and commercial shed on this low lying land, situated some 130 metres from the Uisken Road and 150 metres from the Bunessan back road, Capacity to Absorb Further Development In light of the key characteristics of the Achamore sub area, there are three key areas to consider when assessing the capacity of this area to absorb further development: 1. Achamore Junction : This node of development has been infilled with new development and is considered to have been developed to its maximum level. Further development at this node would result in a high density ribbon of development which would be alien form of development in this rural landscape. It is considered there is no capacity for further development at this node of development, with the possible exception of the redevelopment of the agricultural buildings. 2. Uisken Road : This area has a mix of modern properties and ruinous/derelict properties which follow the line of the road network. The predominant characteristic of this area is the very low density and irregular spacing of the development. It is considered there is moderate potential for development/redevelopment along this road network which reflects this pattern and maintains the important irregular spacing without raising the overall density of the development in the area. 3. Open ‘valley’ area : As discussed, this area is a key characteristic of this landscape, providing separation between the two different settlement areas. It is also an open swathe of land which contributes to the rural quality to the landscape. Loss of this important, open and low-lying area of land to development would, by virtue of its adverse impact on the areas undeveloped character and the merging on the two distinctive settlement patterns, be detrimental to this feature’s contribution to the wider landscape character of this area of regional significance and its integral part in the settlement pattern. It is therefore considered there is no capacity within this open valley area for further development. Capacity of Surrounding Areas There is moderate capacity for further housing development within and adjacent to the existing villages, small clusters and within the areas of denser crofting townships. Uncoordinated ribbon development along the public roads and sporadic inmdividual houses not related to the existing settlement pattern would, cumulatively, detract from the essentially rural character of the Ross of Mull. It is important that significant gaps are maintained between such groups of house in order to prevent suburbanisation and loss of character. Conclusion In light of the foregoing, development of this open valley area would undermine a key landscape feature, through the loss of this important undeveloped land and the deviation from the established settlement patterns would result in the merging of these two distinctive settlement patterns. The proposal cannot be justified in terms of environmental impact. F:\MODERNGOV\DATA\PUBLISHED\INTRANET\C00000245\M00000833\AI00004728\090201082WR060802SKP0.DOC 2 Locational/Operational Need The applicant has made a claim of operational need in support of this application (see appendix). This claim is based upon the applicants wishing to sell their farm and relocate their business to allow them to downsize the business solely to the feed business, whilst being able to stay in the immediate location to be near family. Whilst I understand the applicants desire to remain in this area, I do not consider there is an operational need for him to relocate to this particular site, rather it would be more convenient for the applicant to located here. Additionally I do not consider that this type of storage and distribution business is one that would justify an associated dwellinghouse. I do not consider therefore that the proposal can be justified in terms of locational/operational need. Economic Benefit There is an economic benefit attached to retaining this feed business on the Island, however, it is not considered that this is the only site for the business. Servicing and Infrastructure No adverse comments have been received from the consultees. The Roads Engineer has no objections subject to conditions and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has advised that, notwithstanding the proposal for an outfall to the watercourse, it will be necessary to dispose of sewage effluent from the site to a total soakaway. Should this not be possible, then it is likely that a biological treatment plant will be required. Impact on Residential Amenity The applicant currently operates this feed distribution business adjacent to existing dwellinghouses. The Public Protection unit are unaware of any complaints received about noise and disturbance from this business to date. This current proposal would see the proposed business moved to a location in front of an existing dwellinghouse, currently not affected by the business operations. If permission was to be granted for this new site, I consider it would be appropriate to limit the hours of operation of the storage and distribution business in order to protect the amenity of this adjacent dwellinghouse. (D ) CONCLUSION • The proposal cannot be justified in terms of environmental impact and is not supported by a substantiated claim of locational/operational need. The proposal is therefore contrary to STRAT 2 and SAS 1 of the Strathclyde Structure Plan and Policy RUR 1 of the adopted Mull, Coll and Tiree Local Plan. • The proposal does not accord with the principles set out in the Government’s Planning Advice Note 36 on the siting and design of new houses in the countryside. Angus J Gilmour Head of Development and Building Control Author: Susan Poole 01631 567956 F:\MODERNGOV\DATA\PUBLISHED\INTRANET\C00000245\M00000833\AI00004728\090201082WR060802SKP0.DOC