A major extension scheme for an Isle of Wight clifftop hotel, including a yoga pavilion, restaurant and enhanced outdoor seating area, has been refused.
County Hall rejected Dr Malik’s proposal for a 2-storey vertical extension to the two-star Harrow Lodge Hotel on 31 Palmerston Road in Shanklin, citing ‘serious harm’ to the area’s character and appearance.
Submitted plans included a glazed yoga pavilion, extended front entrance with decking and seating, an access ramp, a new passenger lift serving all floors and a rear fire escape stair.
Street-facing balconies with privacy screening were also proposed, together with a café and restaurant at lower ground floor level.
Planners gave three reasons for declining permission, including that the development would be ‘visually intrusive’ and ‘incongruous’, lead to a loss of light and ‘sense of enclosure’ for occupiers of a neighbouring property and on-site parking availability concerns.
A decision report said:
“The proposal would not constitute high quality design, would cause serious harm to the character and appearance of the area and the settings of the Shanklin Conservation Area and nearby listed buildings, would harm the amenities and outlook of neighbouring property occupiers.”
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In a submitted Design and Access Statement, Maplin Engineering said the scheme increases the hotel’s capacity to 35 guest rooms while ‘significantly improving’ accessibility, amenity and architectural coherence.
Shanklin Town Council previously expressed support for the plans.
Dr Malik also owns the nearby Chine Inn, which reopened recently.
Sooner this council is gone the better. Utterly rediculous refusal. Must have been a brown envelope job….
Someone wants to spend some money on a building and the council turn them down ridiculous
Supposedy detrimental to the area’s character and appearance,do the planners know its shanklin, the area has no character certainly in terms of architecture, its an ecletic mix of style’s , many of them plain ugly, yet again someone wants to spend money on the island, inprove employment, why did the planners not call him in for a meeting and say, you can have this, alter that and tone that down and you get our support, there must have been room for compromise, even the local town council approved.
Too be honest the way the path / walkway has fallen away
common sense at last, it would be a disaster waiting too
happen.
I am surprised the Council allowed Blueberries to be extended.
Absolutely ridiculous decision! As usual the council refuses to make the island more appealing to tourists and residents alike. We must promote investment all over this island. Simple!