Plans have been submitted to change a former toilet block and part of a cafe on Sandown Esplanade into holiday lets.
The Beach Shack, on the western end of Sandown Esplanade, currently a summer cafe with partially indoor seating, could become just a takeaway service with 3 holiday units around it.
A planning application has been submitted to the Isle of Wight Council by a Mr G. Orr to transform the cafe and the now unused toilet block next to it on Ferncliff Path.
The toilet block would be turned into a 2-storey,2 2-bed holiday let with a balcony looking out over Sandown Bay.
The cafe would serve through a hatch with external seating only while the remaining space, plus an extension on top, would create 2x 1-bed units.
Planning agent for the development, Mr N. White, said the building would be kept as low as possible to minimise the impact but would encourage and increase growth in the tourism industry.
No parking spaces are proposed for the site, as the road doesn’t stretch that far and it is thought, should the development be approved, patrons would park in the public paying spaces along the Esplanade.
A neighbour to the development commented on the application saying while they understood businesses need to make money, they did not think the development of the site had been thought through properly. They said:
“There is no vehicular access, no on-site parking, it is adjacent to a turning head that is already regularly abused by people who believe yellow lines do not apply to them.
“The parking problems here are already profound, the recent development of a new hotel will exasperate an already awful underprovision of car parking, this too will cause even more vehicular pollution as more and more cars look for fewer car parking spaces.”
To view the application, 20/01944/FUL, or to submit a comment, you can visit the Isle of Wight Council’s planning portal. All comments should be made by 18th December.
Stupid idea, hopefully it gets thrown out.
Demolish it and make it a two story car park…
If they can build a premier inn with no parking provision on the seafront by using ‘eco sustainability’ and ‘encouraging public transport’ as the pretense under which planning can be granted, then I am sure they can pass this one too by using similar reasons
God almighty, how many takeaways does the Island need exactly?
why isn’t this so called business man renovating the toilets and turning them into state of the art facilities, which will draw tourists and other beach goers to this area to use the toilets and then they will hang around and spend money at the cafe.
A public toilet in this location will attract a lot of people and generate a lot of footfall for that cafe – far more than holiday lets will ever do.
Mr G Orr will be doomed to failure in his plans, unless he keeps those toilets in place and working.
If they get planning it will open it up for the chalets adjacent to it to apply for planning permission as it is part of the same structures. If anything it should be opened back up as toilets for holiday makers.
Yes, public facilities, just what is needed. Holiday lets!!!!!
How bloody ridiculous, holiday lets….. what a trek to the car and right on the esplanade. The low life hanging around down there at night would make the holiday let accommodation life hell.
This has been a takeaway for probably 100 years. The council closed the toilets about 5 years ago. Some people have not got there facts straight!