Plans to ‘secure the future’ of one of the Island’s exclusive holiday clubs in the West Wight have been put forward — including 26 homes.
Following the impact of the COVID pandemic on the West Bay Club in Yarmouth, proposals to ‘reflect the current needs’ of the business have been submitted to the Isle of Wight Council and could see more holiday and residential properties added to the site at Halletts Shute.
In a 3-phase development, 4 holiday units, manager’s accommodation and 26 residential properties as a mixture of houses and flats are proposed along with the partial demolition of the existing sports hall.
In 2019, planning permission was granted to extend the facility to 115-holiday cottages with a country club, spa and holiday complex. However, since then, agents Dicksons Planning and Development, on behalf of West Bay, say the COVID pandemic has had a devastating impact on the business and it is no longer commercially viable to carry out the approved development, and the ‘situation is now critical’.
They also say it is not possible to secure the necessary funding required to start the development.
Now, the new proposals will allow the business to operate in ‘the short to medium term’, and develop a sustainable strategic plan for the site.
Planning documents also say West Bay would like to open discussions with the Isle of Wight Council over the future of the country club, with current ideas including a replacement country club building which would be a ‘health, wellness and fitness centre of excellence’.
They also say some of the current buildings are in a very poor state of construction, which are now failing and not considered viable to maintain and repair.
To view the plans, 22/00291/FUL, you can visit the council’s planning register. Comments can be submitted until 25th March.
more 2rd homes then just what we need
How many buzz words can you get into one sentence ?
Be honest and just come out with the fact – holiday / 2nd homes with no benefit at all to the Island
It was always on the cards
If you got caught out in the original venture and brought one of there ‘holiday homes’ you now have to pay an extortionate amount for them to ‘manage’ you house with no choice of using another company. Or sell your house with a 50% loss
Another way the rich get richer.
Yes, but al least it is the rich that are getting ripped off, and not normal people.
Presumably, having set the precedent on the site, further residential properties will prove to be essential as well until it’s just one large gated community of second homes.
Surely, at the very least, the planning committee should be setting strict limits on the nature of any further development on the site.
The current economic situation is temporary and the impact of COVID is simply being used as an excuse to bypass planning restrictions.
We all have things we cannot afford at the moment but that doesn’t mean we can just tear up the rule book so that we can.