A decision to refuse a bid by the owners of Heads of Ayr Farm Park to build a luxurious home at the park has been overturned.
The striking L-shaped single storey building includes a three bedroom home, three car garage and an animal welfare isolation unit which is used to house animals who require emergency care or need to be isolated to prevent infection.
Senior planning officer, James Hall, outlined the planning department’s position at a meeting of South Ayrshire Council’s Local Review Body on Tuesday afternoon.
He said: “The proposed dwelling house is to provide additional on-site accommodation for the primary manager of the farm park and the replacement of the existing animal isolation/welfare unit to support the ongoing operation of the nearby farm park.
“A previous similar application was submitted, but withdrawn following concerns raised by the planning authority. No representations or objections were received from key agencies or the public.”
He said that the officer who made the decision to refuse the application originally said there were ‘overriding concerns regarding the siting of a dwelling house, an operational building in the location proposed, and in particular due to it being remote from the operational base of the farm park, its significant associated buildings, and also from a landscape setting and non-traditional design perspective.
He continued: “They considered that the term isolation related to the intended purpose and function of the building, and not to any locational requirement.
“The fact that there is an existing isolation facility within the farm park. Therefore, they considered the presence of the welfare facility to alternative premises being located remotely.”
It was suggested that there were more suitable areas for the isolation unit closer to the farm park.
Mr Hall concluded: “It was not considered that the proposal is justified on the basis of need for a dwelling house and isolation facility in the location proposed.
“It was considered that there is sufficient land and buildings around the existing operational buildings at the farm park, so it has enabled the applicant to provide for an additional dwelling and updated operational buildings as required.
“The proposed dwelling house does not form or complement a coherent group of buildings, to reinforce the operational base of the farm park enterprise and is visually prominent and uncharacteristic to the detriment of the rural landscape setting of this location.”
The applicant has contested the claim that the plans form an ‘intensive type development’ and argue that Heads of Ayr Farm Park should be seen as a ‘significant leisure, tourism and recreational facility’.
They also say that the need for a new dwelling and more isolation units meant that this was the most suitable location.
Councillor Alec Clark, who is also the tourism spokesperson for South Ayrshire Council, said that he did not think that the plans would ‘break any rules within the NPF (National Planning Framework) and that it should be in line with the policy of providing sustainable management of rural buildings’.
He added that a visit to the site had lead him to take the view that the site was surrounded by buildings and that the proposal was a ‘necessary extension of the business’.
Labour councillor, Ian Cavana, questioned why the proposed building was seen as uncharacteristic of the area, asking: “What’s the difference with this one from these other ones?”
Mr Hall replied: “There are some of the houses in the vicinity. I think they’re mostly farmhouses or isolated rural dwellings, some of which have been there for decades or centuries.
“There’s some newer ones, but it is a case of justifying each one on its own merits. And this one was found to not have locational justification for being where it’s proposed.”
Cllr Cavana also suggested that the proposal was some distance from the farm park.
Cllr Clark interjected: “I personally didn’t think it was a great distance away. There are two entrances, there’s a main entrance and then there’s a secondary entrance, or exit, as it may be the case.
“It was walkable. I think a manager of that particular complex would have no problems whatsoever managing from where he is. It is a rural business and it’s an important economic generator for probably the whole south-west.”
Councillor Mary Kilpatrick echoed Cllr Clark, pointing out that it had gone from strength to strength, picking up a number of official accolades, not least being in Tripadvisor’s top 10 per cent of tourist attractions worldwide.
She added that the park employs 100 people during the peak season and 50 all year round.
Cllr Kilpatrick added: “From my understanding, the proposed dwelling house will be the manager’s base and needs to be located close to the isolation unit.”
She said that the existing isolation unit was put in place due to the available space at the time and that the regulations around them had changed ‘beyond all recognition’ since then.
The review body agreed unanimously to overturn the refusal of the planning application.