Plans to add to a spirit distillery in Pondwell to include a vineyard and winery have been refused by the Isle of Wight Council.
The planning application, submitted in March, was asking permission to build a winery next to the former Wishing Well Pub, now the home of Mermaid Gin producer, the Isle of Wight Distillery.
According to a design and access statement, the mixed agricultural and tourism development would help Rosemary Vineyard owner Conrad Gauntlett establish the replacement winery business, which would serve the proven demand for this type of niche tourism.
Rosemary Vineyard and visitor centre is currently situated in Ashey — however, the current site has planning permission for 140 houses.
A few acres of vines have been planted on the Pondwell site but it is not as large as the former site. More vines are envisaged by the applicant.
A 2-bedroom flat was also proposed above the winery to serve as a managerial property to comply with licensing requirements.
However, local residents and Nettlestone and Seaview Parish Council, objected the proposals, with one asking developers to ‘please listen to the community’ and saying it was a ‘continued erosion of our green fields’.
Isle of Wight Council planning officers rejected the proposals saying the design would introduce a visual prominent development which would be harmful to the visual amenity and the resulting street scene.
In the officer’s report, it said:
“While the principle of the rural business can be supported, the delivery of such a scheme would not outweigh the demonstrable harm in terms of design and scale.”
Issues also surrounded the number of parking spaces which would be available after the development — an eco lodge development has previously been given permission and the 10 parking spaces remaining would be too few.
Officers said it would have a detrimental impact on the highway network and safety as a result.
The applicants have 28 days, from 6th May, to appeal the officer’s decision.
But they gave permission for the eyesore houses on other side of wishing well which resemble industrial units !
Totally agree, they are ugly and look like the containers you see at the Dockyard. Whoever gave planning permission for them wants sacking. Happy for the distillery to hapoen, supporting local business.
What is it with the locals. You would think with everything going on they would wish a local business trying to expand “Good luck”
So ex Councillor Gauntlett is going to ruin another bit of the island countryside once he plams a few hands with silver
so – they say one winery, a sprit distillery, a few car parking spaces and a vineyard would be an erosion of green spaces,
Rosemary Vineyard and visitor centre is currently situated in Ashey — however, the current site has planning permission for 140 houses.
and 140 houses doesn’t impact the green spaces, the road network, and is a visual prominent development which would be harmful to the visual amenity and the resulting street scene
these councillors need asking – which one of you benefits from a yes or no on these planning decisions.
I’m a resident of Nettlestone, I was not asked about what I thought, so the Seaview and Nettlestone council are Not speaking on behalf of the residents. I for one welcome a thriving business on the island for the economy and local jobs.
Yes you would think that the area would welcome a thriving local tourist business and jobs. Instead of existing vacuums like:
Roadside Inn, Made on the IOW, Springvale Hotel, Flamingo World.
“Isle of Wight Council planning officers rejected the proposals saying the design would introduce a visual prominent development which would be harmful to the visual amenity and the resulting street scene.”
That is just waffle, it really is. What street??? It’s an old pub with fields behind it. And the fields become fields with vines in them (not going anywhere, not eroding!).
Basically they just don’t want coach parties of tourists in their backyard. And yet it was ok a stone’s throw away at Flamingo World for years, on a blind corner and narrow side road. Tosh!
The parish council have been trying to push through planning permission for a housing estate and a nursing home on the green field almost next to this for years. So their excuses don’t make sense.
To all the people who support this planning application, this man already has a winery in Ryde which he is going to concrete over to build housing. So he is not creating a new business, just relocating it whilst ruining the island and lining his pockets.
I thought I read somewhere that the vineyard wanted to stay but as they only rented the land they had no choice but to relocate.
this would bring jobs and tourists to the island, more than another 150 houses! where are people going to work if we keep building houses and not work places. SIMPLE MATHS and i only have a GCSE in maths lol
They obviously need to increase the back hander
Get planning for a business, five years time say its not working sale it off as building land, rosemary vineyard mark 2.
don,t forget they built the floating bridge and st marys roundabout ……..