A new riverside restaurant will be coming to a local mental health and wellbeing centre, as part of a scheme to give the site a ‘multi-faceted’ use.
County Hall has accepted the Isorropia Foundation’s plans for a restaurant and shop selling ‘wellness products’ at the Medina Valley Centre on Newport’s Dodnor Lane, next to River Medina.
The Island-based non-profit was given £1 million from the government’s Community Ownership Fund to purchase and redevelop the centre at the end of last year.
A Design and Access Statement written by consultants ERMC on behalf of the Isorropia Foundation said:
“The Medina Valley Centre was previously a training facility owned by a charity, providing environmental and outdoor education. Isorropia are presently still utilising it for training.
“They provide 12-week programmes of psychoeducational workshops as well as social activities to Island residents, focusing on improving Island residents’ general wellbeing.
“Isorropia… need to generate some additional income streams and to do that they require the site to be multi-faceted. In addition to the workshops, they would like to convert the dining area to a restaurant and run a small shop selling wellness products for its members.
“They would also like to lease out a portion of the previous sleeping accommodation (now offices/consultation rooms) and apartment (existing treatment rooms) to other health care providers.”
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The converted dining space would be used by staff, Isorropia members, cyclists and walkers during the day and as a restaurant open to the public in the evening, according to ERMC.
Explaining the approval, planners wrote:
“The proposal by the applicant would see the site continue in a charity-run community use with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.
“Given the site has been used as a charity-run outdoor education and activity centre, it is not considered the proposed change of use of the site would have any adverse impacts on the character and appearance of the site, the surrounding area or riverscape.
“The proposal would not involve any change to the existing access and parking arrangements at the site.
“Island Roads (on behalf of the local highway authority) has also advised it is satisfied there would be no material increase in the number of vehicle movements onto Dodnor Lane or demand for car parking and that in terms of traffic generation the proposal would not have a severe impact on the network.”
