Email Correspondence & Initial Assessment Research

Summary

The request sought email correspondence regarding specific planning applications and initial assessment research for various farms, to which the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture provided a partial response including a refusal recommendation for the Ballacroak development and historical research notes.

Key Facts

• The authority recommended refusing planning application 20/00386/B for Ballacroak due to the loss of vernacular buildings.
• Ballacroak is identified as a traditional Manx Quarterland farm comprising approximately 120 acres.
• The site's buildings are recorded on Asylum Plans and the 1868 Ordnance Survey map.
• Historical research indicates Ballacroak was controlled by Rushen Abbey until the dissolution in 1540.
• The response included documentation for the 'Initial Assessment Research' regarding the Ballacroak site.

Data Disclosed

• 20/00386/B
• 21/00163/B
• 21/01373/RBINV
• 1888113
• 1921665
• 2021-07-23
• 2021-10-11
• 13/07/2020
• 24 May 2021
• 120 acres
• 1540
• 1868
• 113 pages
• 5 documents

Original Request

Please could you provide the following information: 1) In connection with planning applications 20/00386/B and 21/00163/B - All internal or external email correspondence or other correspondence which is: (i) 'to' or 'from' ---------------- or where ---------------- is 'cc'd' or 'bcc'd'. Or the equivalent if another form of correspondence is used. (ii) 'to' or 'from' any party of Manx National Heritage or where any party of Manx National Heritage is 'cc'd' or 'bcc'd'. Or the equivalent if another form of correspondence is used. (iii) Any correspondence 'to' or 'from' or where the following entities are 'cc'd' or 'bcc'd' - the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society and/or the Isle of Man Victorian Society. Or the equivalent if another form of correspondence is used. 3) In connection with the Notice of Proposal to Register Ref 21/01373/RBINV - All documentation which constitutes the "Initial Assessment Research", which is referred to in the Notice and upon which the Notice of Proposal to Register was served. 4) We have been informed in FOI request ref 1888113 - that the same "Initial Assessment Research" has been carried out for the following buildings (most in 2020 during -------------------------- - however some not). We therefore request as above all documentation which constitutes the "Initial Assessment Research" for the following non-exhaustive list: - Belle Abbey Farm - Ballamaddrell Farm - Pooil Vaaish Farm - Friary Farm - Billown Farm and Estate Lodge - Dreemfroy Farm - Upper Ballachrink - Ballahot House and Farm - Shenvalley Farm - Glebe Farm - Ballapaddag Farm - Ballachurry Farm - Scard Farm - Strandhall Farm

Data Tables (35)

Full Response Text

TO:

FROM:

DATE:
13/07/2020

20/00386/B RE: Erection of a detached dwelling with alterations to associated residential curtilage

AT: Ballacroak Mullinaragher Road St Marks Ballasalla Isle Of Man IM9 3AQ

Recommendation Refuse

Scope of comments These comments relate to the impact of the development upon a vernacular building within the countryside

Legislative and Policy context

8.11 Replacement Dwellings in the Countryside

8.11.1 There are in our countryside many existing dwellings, some of which contribute positively to its appearance and character, and some of which do not. A number of dwellings have been abandoned for many years; their physical remains being a reflection of agricultural and social change across the Island. They form features in the rural landscape which are often not unacceptable in their present state. It is appropriate to encourage change which would result in overall environment improvement, and to discourage change which would not. Where the building(s) concerned are of architectural merit or of local, historical or social interest demolition and replacement will be discouraged.

Housing Policy 12: The replacement of an existing dwelling in the countryside will generally be permitted unless: (a) the existing building has lost its residential use by abandonment; or (b) the existing dwelling is of architectural or historic interest and is capable of renovation.

In assessing whether a property has lost its habitable status(1) by abandonment, regard will be had to the following criteria: (i) the structural condition of the building; (ii) the period of non-residential use(2) or non-use in excess of ten years; (iii) evidence of intervening use; and (iv) evidence of intention, or otherwise, to abandon.

Report detail

The proposals seek to demolish the existing farm house and Outbuildings and replace with a new larger dwelling.

Ballacroak is a traditional Manx Quarterland farm, the buildings on the site comprise of a traditional 3 bay farm house and stone outbuildings plus more recent metal sheds.

The farm house and stone outbuildings form a group of vernacular buildings which make a positive contribution to the surrounding countryside and are clearly of both architectural and historic interest, as traditional buildings of the Manx countryside.

The farm complex is clearly identifiable upon both the Asylum Plans and original Ordnance Survey map of 1868 and are likely older in origin.

As group of Vernacular buildings representing a Quarterland farmstead which make a positive contribution to the surrounding countryside and form part of the island’s remaining vernacular building stock I can see no justification within the application for their total loss. I therefore recommend the application is refused.

Asylum plan map from 1868

OS Map of 1868

From: To: Subject: Ballacroak Malew Date: 24 May 2021 12:56:31 Attachments: image001.png image002.png image003.png image004.png image005.gif image006.png Hi My initial thoughts on Ballacroak, following our visit last Thursday. History Ballacroak farm was an almost-intact quarterland landholding well into the 20th century, comprising about 120 acres. The farmhouse is of a scale that befits a landholding of that status, particularly one which has retained that integrity (and not been subdivided). Going further back, Ballacroak was one of many farms, accounting for at least half of the parish of Malew, which were controlled by Rushen Abbey until the dissolution in 1540. A while back I did a fair bit of research through the newspapers, and without going into too much detail, Ballacroak appears to have been tenanted for most if not all of the time during which it has been visible in newspaper records, and with great continuity – just two or three families in all of that time from the 1830s to around 2000. They appear to have had a reasonably comfortable existence, and been stalwarts of the local Methodist chapel, and often winners in the agricultural and produce competitions, but without investing too much in improvements such as would have resulted in their landlords raising the rent. One of the tenants was the younger brother of Thomas Kennish, whose family owned the neighbouring Mullinaragher and was a longstanding MHK – all in all, a picture of quietly well-to-do people who were pillars of the local rural community, both in agriculture and chapel. From at least the mid 19th century, the farm was owned by the family who lived at Thornhill in Ramsey, the heiress of which married into the Clucas family, who as a consequence took over Thornhill and were themselves major landlords throughout the Island, well into the 20th century. The Clucas family was very prominent within the Island both politically and professionally. The consequences of this suggest great continuity in the way the farm was run, with little change or improvement in the buildings - neither the farmhouse nor the outbuildings - particularly those in an east-west line running east from the farmhouse. The Farmhouse Based on a brief single visit I would suggest the following for the farmhouse: In its earliest phase, it was a simple two-storey, single-depth dwelling with a small stair-turret to the rear. The kitchen, containing a large chiollagh hearth, lay to the left (west) of the front door, and the parlour to the right (east). There would have been two, or at most three, rooms on the first floor, forming bedrooms above the kitchen and parlour, and, if existing at all, above the hall. The wall between the hall and the kitchen was certainly present, and was a structural partition. I am not completely convinced that the current (structural) wall between the hall and the parlour was present from the outset, and may have previously been a lighter, non-load-bearing timber partition. At this point it is extremely difficult to put a date on the earliest construction phase, but I would have no hestitation in putting it firmly in the 18th century. Early in the 19th century, the house was subject to a major make-over. I would conservatively suggest this took place in the 1820s, but it might perhaps have been in the preceding decade. The changes involved the removal of the original roof and the rear stair-turret, the replacement of the latter with a larger structure and the addition of additional rooms to either side over two floors, the provision of farm- and house-servants’ accommodation in the roof-space, and a new roof over-arching the newly deeper house. Details which point to these changes include: · a slightly concave profile in the east gable, due to the misalignment of its extension to define the east wall of the newly-built dairy at the rear, and the provision of a new east- facing window in the front (south-east) corner of the parlour; · relocation of the door from hall to kitchen from a position near the front of the hallway to near the back; · partial reconstruction of the rear wall of the kitchen and parlour (possibly involving the enlargement of window apertures?) to provide a simple alcove in the rear of the former and a fancy buffet alcove with plaster detailing in the rear wall of the latter; · the survival under the stairs of a remnant of the pillar supporting the return of a smaller dog-leg staircase. · the provision of a roughly plastered timber partition, raising one of the structural walls that divide the hall and landing from the rooms to either side on the floors below into the newly enlarged roof-space; · the provision of new decorative joinery throughout the hall and landing and the spaces opening off – including six-panelled doors, door architraves, panelled door opening to the parlour, built-in cupboards to either side of the internal stack accomodating the chiollagh, and a banister, newel-post and spindles. All of these have the restrained, simple moulding profiles typical of the Georgian era rather than Victorian. A few subsequent changes have taken place since. These include conversion of what will have started as the scullery and wash-house behind the kitchen as part of the 19th-century remodelling into the present kitchen, re-purposing the former kitchen as a living room (infilling the open chiollagh and fitting a projecting tiled hearth and fire-surround), and the conversion of the back bedroom above the scullery as a bathroom. I would suggest that all of these changes are likely to have occurred post-WW2. Before leaving the farmhouse it is worth contemplating the possibility that there are physical elements present of still-earlier date than those described. This is not impossible in this case. There may, for instance, be an undetected single-storey building, and the potential for both this and the two-storey phase predating the early 19th-century makeover to have been thatched. Any substantial reconstruction, particularly one involving the removal of the roof, requires the provision of alternative accommodation of the family during building works, as well as substantial investment in time and materials. This is usually more practicable when the property is owned by a landlord rather than owner-occupied, and this, in the case of Ballacroak, is certainly a possibility. At this point, however, I have not yet seen anything to suggest this. The Outbuildings I briefly looked at the farm-buildings – heavy rain was not conducive to a longer investigation, but noted the following: · The structure immediately east of the farmhouse has served as a henhouse and pigsty, with a thie veg dry-closet built on (most recently used a a coal-hole). Latterly it served as a cart-shed. · Further east again lie a stable and cow-byre, with haylofts above; the furthest structure shows probable signs of having been raised. · To the south of these structures another stone-built outbuilding has been incorporated into a more modern barn. · All of these buildings share similarities in construction, most notably the incorporation of

De Cagh ee Halloo

Isle of Man Land Registry Title No 43-01535

Oik-Recortyssee Thallooyn Ellan Vannin Edition No 2

OFFICE COPY

Edition first issued on 08 February 2020 at 11:06 An Office Copy indicates those interests which have been registered in accordance with the Land Registration Act 1982 and subsist at the date and time of issue of the edition of title. Later editions of title may exist and persons are advised to check the current situation with the Land Registry. Any person intending to purchase or deal with the land is advised to inspect the land to determine if any overriding interests not requiring registration exist; the position of boundaries; the existence of easements and the identity of persons in occupation of the land. Printed on 17 August, 2021 at 09:00 for application no 201900934 Page 1 of 8

Title Status Open

Tenure FREEHOLD Parish MALEW

Local Government District MALEW

PART 1: Description of Land & Appurtenances

Title Address Ballacroak Malew Isle of Man

Parcel(s) of Land

There is 1 parcel of land registered in this edition of title.

Land Parcel 1 Registered on 08 February 2019 by application no 201802821

The land shown edged red on the Filed Plan being 40.07 acres of land at Ballacroak Malew

Map Grid Reference EASTING: 230142 NORTHING: 473389

Appurtenances There are 2 appurtenances registered in this edition of title.

Appurtenance 1

Registered on 08 February 2019 by application no 201802821 Creation date 18 September 2018 Document reference
A Transfer dated 18 September 2018 between (1) Ballacroak Limited (the Transferor) and (2) OT One Limited (the Transferees) created the following: "DEFINITIONS In respect of the below unless the context otherwise requires the following expressions have the following meanings Retained Land means the remainder of the land at Ballacroak registered with title number 43-01289 shown edged green on the Supplementary Rights Plan Rights means the rights reserved by this transfer for the benefit of the Retained Land Transferor means (unless contrary to the context) the Transferor and its successors and assigns owner or owners for the time being of the land registered with title number 43-01289 Transferees means (unless contrary to the context) the Transferees and their successors and assigns owner or owners for the time being of the Transferred Land and each and every part thereof Transferred Land means the land and each and every part thereof of the land shown edged red on the Filed Plan The Transferor covenants with the Transferees to observe and perform the following requirements: (1) The Transferor must forthwith make good to the reasonable satisfaction of the Transferees all damage caused to the Transferred Land in the exercise of the Rights and indemnify the Grantees against all claims and liability in respect of such matters (2) The Transferor must pay to the Transferees fair and reasonable compensation for all damage done to the Transferred Land which is not made good (3) The Transferor must keep and maintain in good condition and if necessary repair and renew any service media located in on over or under the Transferred Land and exclusively serving the Retained Land (4) The Transferor must within 28 days of demand pay to the Transferees 50% of all cost and expenses incurred by the Transferees in performing their obligations to maintain repair and renew any service media located in on over or under the Transferred Land and Title opened on 08 February 2019 by application no 201802821 Last amended on 08 February 2020 by application no 201900934 De Cagh ee Halloo

Isle of Man Land Registry Title No 43-01535

Oik-Recortyssee Thallooyn Ellan Vannin Edition No 2

OFFICE COPY

Edition first issued on 08 February 2020 at 11:06 An Office Copy indicates those interests which have been registered in accordance with the Land Registration Act 1982 and subsist at the date and time of issue of the edition of title. Later editions of title may exist and persons are advised to check the current situation with the Land Registry. Any person intending to purchase or deal with the land is advised to inspect the land to determine if any overriding interests not requiring registration exist; the position of boundaries; the existence of easements and the identity of persons in occupation of the land. Printed on 17 August, 2021 at 09:00 for application no 201900934 Page 2 of 8

serving both the Retained Land and the Transferred Land"

Appurtenance 2

Registered on 08 February 2020 by application no 201900934 Creation date 09 November 2011 Document reference
A Deed of Grant dated 9 November 2011 and recorded as 2011/3809 made between (1) George Ramsey Martin Moore Mark Stephen Humphrey Trustees of the Elizabeth Clucas Charitable Trust (the Grantor) and (2) Manx Electri

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