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COMBINED DESIGN, ACCESS AND PLANNING STATEMENT FOR

LAND AT BARTONS CORNER, SHALFLEET FOREWORD This Design and Access Statement has been prepared by DICKSONS Planning & Development Consultants. It has been prepared under the guidelines suggested by the Councils own published Guidance (Development management Service Design & Access Statements and also in accordance with Policies SP1, SP4 and DM1 of the Councils Core Strategy. THE SITE & CONTEXT The site is situated immediately adjacent to the A 3045, over a short distance to the east, just before the actual village of Shalfleet. Immediately to the north of the site lies a Garage with a car sales forecourt (and it was formerly a petrol filling station). There is also a Farm shop on the garage site and there are two dwellings in the vicinity of the site. Otherwise, the site lies adjacent to open countryside. The existing use of the site is agriculture, and the site area is approximately 1.2 ha. The site is mainly level in character and at more or less the same level as that of the adjacent main road. PROPOSAL There are several purposes behind the submission of this planning application. The application is being made as it is understood that the local planning authority (LPA) consider there to be some unauthorised uses on the site. The other purpose behind application is to set out how the site is to be used, and what action is to be taken with regard to the allegedly unauthorised uses. Thus the main aim of this application is twofold. Firstly, the application seeks to regularise the uses and existing buildings on the site (some to be extinguished/removed, and some to be retained). The second aim is to set out the intended uses for the site, some of which it is considered do not actually require the grant of planning permission. The detail of these proposals is set out in this statement, the application form and in the accompanying drawings. PLANNING HISTORY & PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION Planning history: Planning permission was granted on 17 August 2009 for a detached agricultural Barn on the property, and the location shown on the application drawings. This planning permission was implemented (in 2011) prior to its expiry by the construction of the foundations and oversite for the proposed Barn, and it is understood the local planning authority accept this

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position. This application envisages that the approved Barn will be constructed during the life of the planning permission hereby applied for. In addition, and as already mentioned above, it is understood that the local planning authority consider there to be a number of unauthorised uses and/or activities on the property. To this end, correspondence and discussions between the applicant and the LPA have been ongoing during 2014, culminating in an email from the councils planning officer dated 5 June 2014, which was subsequently followed by a formal REQUISITION FOR INFORMATION being sent by the LPA to the applicant, dated 30 September 2014. The alleged breaches of planning control which the LPA consider to be relevant or detailed in the LPAs planning officers email of 12 June 2014, a copy of which is attached to this statement as appendix a. It should be noted that notwithstanding the submission of this application, the applicant does not necessarily accept that the alleged breaches of planning control exist. Pre Application Consultation: Pre Application advice was sought from the local planning authority, and a meeting was held with the councils planning officer on the 30th September 2014. At that meeting the proposals now put forward in this application were discussed with the councils planning officer and we believe that the planning officer indicated their support for the application as submitted. RELEVANT PLANNING POLICY National Planning Policy Framework: SECTION 3 SUPPORTING A PROSPEROUS RURAL ECONOMY:

28. Planning policies should support economic growth in rural areas in order to create jobs and prosperity by taking a positive approach to sustainable new development. To promote a strong rural economy, local and neighbourhood plans should:

- support the sustainable growth and expansion of all types of business and enterprise in rural areas, both through conversion of existing buildings and well designed new buildings:

- promote the development and diversification of agricultural and other land-based rural businesses;

- support sustainable rural tourism and leisure developments that benefit businesses in rural areas, communities and visitors, and which respect the character of the countryside. This should include supporting the provision and expansion of tourist and visitor facilities in appropriate locations where identified needs are not met by existing facilities in rural service centres; and

- promote the retention and development of local services and community facilities in villages, such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship.

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Isle of Wight Core Strategy:

POLICY DM8 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

The Council will, in principle and in line with national policy, support growth in economic development. The Council will support proposals for:

- 5. Rural economic development opportunities and farm diversification schemes that contribute to the sustainability of the wider countryside.

- 7.136 There are a large number of farm, and other rural buildings, in the countryside which could benefit from re-use and conversion. In line with PPS4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth, which encourages the conversion and re-use of existing buildings, this policy seeks to make the best use of existing buildings in rural areas for economic development. The re-use of buildings can encourage farm diversification schemes to be developed and, importantly, reduce the demand for new buildings in the countryside, reduce the loss of agricultural land and greenfield sites.

THE PLANNING APPLICATION PROPOSALS As already alluded to above, this application seeks to regularise the uses and buildings and structures etc. currently on site. In addition the application sets out how part of the site will be used for the agricultural business of Worm Farming in pursuit of Vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is the process by which worms (the common blue-nose earthworm) are used to compost organic material into Vermicompost or worm castings (the nutrient rich compost we are all used to seeing at the end of a worm burrow). The Vermicompost will be produced for wholesale sale to the agricultural and gardening industries. In addition part of the site will be used for the keeping of a small number of chickens and alpacas, as shown on the application drawings. In the interests of clarity, this section is set out in three parts, the first part being the regularisation section, with the second part being the proposed uses/proposals requiring the grant of planning permission and the third part is for these element which do not, in themselves, require the grant of planning permission (please also refer to the photographs at Appendix B and to the application drawings in respect of this section). REGULARISATION: This application seeks permission for the following:

- The removal of two piles of spoil (shown as spoil heaps on the application drawings).

- The reduction in size of the existing area of hard-standing on the site, as shown on the application drawings.

- The retention of the existing log store as shown on the application drawings. - The retention of the existing alpaca shelter on site, as shown in the application

drawings. The shelter provides essential shelter for the five breeding alpacas which live on site.

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- The removal of part of the open fronted store area construction, as shown on the application drawings.

- The removal of the horse trailer/box which is currently stored at the site, as shown in the application drawings.

- The removal from site of all non-essential vehicles and equipment which are currently stored on the existing hard-standing, as shown on the application drawings.

PLANNING PERMISSION: The application hereby submitted seeks planning permission for the following elements, which go hand in hand with the regularisation elements set out above:

- The temporary re-siting of three metal containers currently on the site, to a new location on top of the base for the proposed (and approved) new Barn.

- The re-use of part of the covered storage area as a hay and feed store, with that part of the buildings on site being re-clad in a wavy-edged board to match that of the existing tool shed, as shown on the application drawings.

- The conversion of the open deck area construction on-site, into an area for the keeping of chickens.

- The reuse of the lean-to shed as a tool shed, as shown on the application drawings. - The retention of the reduced-sized hard-standing area on site, and its use for the

parking of vehicles for persons working on site in connection with the proposed worm compost farming operation and the keeping of the chickens and alpacas.

DEVELOPMENT NOT REQUIRING PLANNING PERMISSION: The following proposed elements do not in themselves require planning permission, as explained below, but the combined elements set out under regularisation and planning permission above hand-in-hand with the elements set out below:

- The construction of 10 no. Worm beds for the purpose of Worm Farming in pursuit of Vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is the process by which worms (the common blue-nose earthworm) are used to compost organic material into Vermicompost or worm castings (the nutrient rich compost we are all used to seeing at the end of a worm burrow). The Vermicompost will be produced for wholesale sale to the agricultural and gardening industries.

- The completion of the Barn, which has planning permission and which has already been commenced, to house worm propagation units, a small administrative area and storage area for worm casts and additional storage for machinery and equipment associated with the use of the site for the worm composting business, and the keeping of chickens and alpacas.

- The continued use of the existing access for the purposes of the Worm Farming/Vermicompost business and the keeping of chickens and alpacas. It should be noted that the worm compost will be distributed from the site using relatively small transit van vehicles and that it is not intended to commence a retail operation selling any compost to the general public as such.

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JUSTIFICATION As has already been discussed above, there are various elements to this application. Therefore, this justification is set out in two sections regularisation and planning permission and development not requiring permission. The main objectives of this application are twofold: the first objective is to seek the agreement of the LPA in regularising the uses and structures on the site (of most benefits to the LPA) and the second objective is to assist the applicant in achieving their primary aim of creating the Worm Farming/Vermicompost business on the site. This application therefore seeks to strike a balance between these two interests, for the benefit of all concerned. ACCESS The site already enjoys an existing access to Main Road in Shalfleet, as shown on the application drawings. The use of this access for the partially constructed new barn building was approved as part of the planning approval for the barn. There is an existing hard-standing on site, and we understand that previous use of the access, together with the use generated by the permitted barn would be likely to generate traffic movements associated with up to 4 vehicles coming and going to the site, connected with its use as an agricultural unit, with the permitted barn. The application proposes a maximum of four car parking spaces, with two people working on the site on a permanent basis. It is not intended that anything produced on-site will be sold on a retail basis to the general public, rather the compost produced by the worm compost operation (which we believe does not in itself require planning permission) will be delivered from site on a wholesale basis to forms and garden centres et cetera. Deliveries will be made using transit van type vehicles. It is likely that they will be one, perhaps two such vehicles used for this purpose. It is also likely that at least one of these vehicles will be the vehicle used by one of the permanent staff. The proposed traffic generation is therefore low and is certainly no more than the existing use. We therefore contend that the existing access is more than sufficient to serve the needs of the site is proposed, notwithstanding that the worm composting business does not in itself require planning permission, and there is an existing access to the site and vehicle movements associated with it. REGULARISATION & PLANNING PERMISSION Obviously the regularisation elements do not in themselves require any kind of planning permission. Notwithstanding that the applicant does not necessarily agree that the breaches of planning control alleged do exist, from the pre-application meeting there seems to be agreement between the applicant and the council as to which elements should be regularised as part of the overall solution for the site proposed in this application. The elements which require planning permission (as listed above) are not in themselves major or significant elements. The resizing of the three metal containers is for a temporary period only, whilst construction of the Barn is arranged and takes place. If necessary, the applicant would accept a time limit condition on this element something in the order of 18 months would suffice.

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The reuse of buildings and construction relates to elements that already exist on site and the use proposed for them is agricultural in nature. With regard to the area of hard-standing, this is significantly reduced in the application and whatever use the site is ultimately put to it is not unreasonable to expect there to be some area of hard-standing for the parking of a small number of attendant vehicles and agricultural equipment, etc. associated with any activity on the site. It is suggested that the regularisation quotes elements balance out the elements which require planning permission. In terms of planning policy, the elements which require planning permission are clearly supported by the planning policy contained at section 3, paragraph 23 of the National planning policy framework and by policy DM8 of the Isle of Wight core strategy. DEVELOPMENT NOT REQUIRING PERMISSION By definition, these elements do not in themselves require planning permission. This is by virtue of either their scale and nature (in the case of the worm beds) or by virtue of the extant planning permission for the Barn. With regard to the worm beds, these are agricultural in nature, and in terms of their physical size they are each 1 m high, 2 m wide and 25 m in length. A detail drawing of them is shown in the application drawings, and a photograph of such a typical worm bed is included at appendix B to this statement. Worm Farming and Vermicomposting is the process by which worms are used to convert organic materials into a humus-like material known as Vermicompost or worm castings. The goal is to create a nutrient and mineral rich soil amendment. Vermicompost is also suitable for further processing into liquid plant nutrient products for use on farms, golf courses, recreation areas, plant nurseries, residential lawns and gardens, etc. The analysis of worm castings (Vermicompost) reveals that they are many times richer in major plant nutrients than even the most fertile soil. The rich castings are water soluble and slowly release their nutrients to the plants, making them immediate plant food. Worm castings are usually P.H. neutral, making them safe for all plants and they will not burn the most delicate of plants. Worm castings make the finest natural organic potting compost for multi-purpose use: sowing seeds, potting on, and for use as a medium for boosting the fertility of exhausted potting soils. Worm castings can be sprinkled on the surface of the soil in seed drills and around plants that need a booster and then watered-in. Fruit and Vegetables not only grow faster, but are also better tasting and healthier than chemical plants, which can be very bitter due to the salts that are present in most chemical fertilizers. Because worm castings are produced from 100% recycled wastes, you are also contributing to a cleaner, less polluted environment. This is very much an Eco-Friendly activity, in line with the ethos of Eco Island. Fertilizing newly planted trees and shrubs with worm casts promotes sound growth without forcing, eliminating soft growth, which can easily burn in severe winter killing a young tree. Because of the better growth of plants fertilized with worm castings they are less likely to succumb to pests and diseases.

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And, one should notice a significant improvement in the colours of flowers due to the high potash content of worm castings. The high phosphates and potash content of worm castings make it the perfect product for use as a top dressing for promoting lush hardwearing turf. Vermicompost will be sold neat in sealed bags to the gardening and agricultural industries, and distributed using smaller sized transit van vehicles (maximum of 2). Although harmless to any growing plant, they are much stronger in nutrients than required to do the job of a multi-purpose compost, or grow-bag etc. In terms of traffic generation, there will be up to two full time employees on site. Combined with the deliveries by Transit Van, which will generate approximately 6 return trips by van per day, the use of the existing access to the property will be no greater than it is at present, or than it would be with any other permissible use of the site. The construction of the Barn will be completed in accordance with the extant planning permission. These elements do go hand-in-hand with the elements of regularisation and those requiring planning permission as described above. The result of the entire package of elements proposed in this application represents what the applicant considers to be a satisfactory and mutually acceptable solution/resolution for the site, which will allow the applicant to establish the agricultural/rural worm composting business in this sustainable location. CONCLUSION We contend that the proposal complies with both local and national planning policies (Island Plan and NPPF) as described in this Statement. The application also proposes a solution/resolution for the site comprising of a number of different elements as described above, all of which go together to provide a comprehensive, balanced, reasonable and hopefully acceptable way forward. We do not believe that there are not any sufficiently material grounds for refusal of the Application, which would stand the test of an Appeal to any refusal. We therefore feel that the Council should look favourably on this submission. DICKSONS Planning & Development Consultants.

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APPENDIX A

PLANNING OFFICERS EMAIL OF 5TH JUNE 2014

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APPENDIX B

PHOTOGRAPH OF TYPICAL WORM BED AND ANNOTATED PHOTOGRAPH OF

EXISTING BUILDINGS

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TYPICAL WORM BED

EXISTING BUILDINGS ETC. ON SITE