Proposals to convert an Isle of Wight hotel plagued by fire damage and vandalism have been broadly endorsed by Sandown Town Council (STC).
The body said it is ‘generally supportive’ of Richard Bendy’s revised plan for a change of use of the closed Parkbury Hotel at 29-31 Broadway in Sandown, to provide nine homes and changes to access, parking and landscaping.
Once a jewel in the town’s tourism industry, the Parkbury suffered from a ‘lack of profitable trade’ and eventually closed in 2018, Macaire associates previously said.
A STC spokesperson said:
“The town council is generally supportive of the application, subject to a number of considerations.
“The council highlights the need for the development to fully address and comply with the recommendations set out within the Environmental Survey including the recommended Bat Survey.
“The council notes the pre-application advice provided by Island Roads and supports vehicular access being taken from Station Road rather than Winchester Park or Broadway.
“The council notes that the applicant has demonstrated that tourist accommodation is no longer a viable use of the property, supporting the case for the proposed change of use.”
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They said that while the building is neither listed nor located within a conservation area, STC requests as many original architectural features as possible are retained and incorporated into the development.
The council also asked the applicant to take into consideration the presence of The Bay C of E Primary School next door to ensure appropriate measures are in place to ‘minimise disruption’ and ‘safeguard pupils’ during the construction period.
Macaire associates previously said the site is now owned by a successful local developer who is presenting the application to bring the site back into practical use.
