A farmer is to be ordered to remove a track constructed without planning consent across a field.

The planning committee unanimously rejected retrospective approval for the farm track at Shenvalley Farm on Foxdale Road, St Mark’s (24/91189/B).

Planning officer Vanessa Porter said the track in question was more than 274m in length and ranged in width from 4m to 42m, with three laybys or passing places, up to 2m above ground level.

Applicant David Crowe of Homelea Farms Ltd said an existing track had been built up using recycled materials from the farm.

He said in his application: ‘The track is to reach a sheltered field so we can safely transport and reach the livestock we intend to keep in the field.

‘Laybys will be installed for the purpose of temporary storage for livestock equipment, sileage, feed and to act as passing points. There was previously a track there when we purchased the farm in 2017 but it had become overgrown and boggy.’

But the planning officer pointed out there were already two entrances to the upper field.

She questioned why passing points would be required. ‘The traffic would be minimal and due to proposal of the use of the track to get into "sheltered" fields only, there would be no need for passing places,’ she said.

And she also queried the use of the laybys for temporary storage of livestock equipment and silage feed, given the farm has two very substantial buildings.

Essential agricultural need had not been sufficiently demonstrated, she said, and damage had been done to the ecology of the site, which could be reversed by removal of the track and further mitigation.

Manx Wildlife Trust objected to the proposal on the basis that the site was marshy grassland with dense curragh scrub, which is a rare Manx habitat.