A ‘half-built eyesore’ in an Isle of Wight coastal village could be replaced with a newly built café.
Hospitality business and owner of Seaview’s The Old Fort SE-View has submitted a planning application to County Hall to build a seafront café at Kingsmere on Lane End Road in Bembridge.
Plans also include an outside seating area, parking spaces for cars and motorcycles as well as bin and bike storage.
The current vacant site historically had a ‘café and residential mix-use’, an application form said.
It states:
“The proposed development would result in the construction of a replacement café within the application site.
“This is a much compromised and reduced application from the previous and subsequent pre-application advice; removing the kiosks and shops and reducing the building footprint.
“The site has historically incorporated a café which was subsequently demolished following planning permission for a replacement structure.
Article continues below this advertisement “It is considered that given the established use of the site and that the proposed café would provide tourist related facilities within a prominent location in Bembridge, the principle of development would be acceptable. The current use of the site is a half-built café construction which was abandoned mid-build leaving an eyesore on the site.”
The document added the current site is the source of ‘much local debate and disapproval’ and would be demolished as part of the proposals.
A total of 10 full-time employees and ten working part-time would work at the premises which would be called ‘The View’. Hours of opening included in the application are from Monday to Sunday between 08:00 and 23:00, including bank holidays.
In November 2023, plans put forward by The Old Fort’s owners for a café and restaurant, also named The View, at the Lane End site were refused by the Isle of Wight Council.
Council planners labelled the proposals ‘out of scale and context’, ‘over-dominant’ and ‘intrusive’.
While having significant support with 72 letters sent in favour of development, the scheme also attracted 47 letters of objection, including from the next-door RNLI station.
A public consultation on the latest application will end on 14th February and a decision is expected on 10th March.
Should have never closed the old cafe down.
Knock it down and start again.
Take a visit to Weymouth and see how
seafront cafes can be built, build the
new building in a design of a boat, not in a
design of a brick sh*t house!
My goodness this building is an eyesore, we went to have a look at the Bembridge lifeboat, but were so appalled at the local buildings, that we’ve never been back !
It use to look good until they took away the old
Cafe.