DEVELOPER WALKS AWAY FROM SHANKLIN SPA SITE REDEVELOPMENT IN MAJOR REGEN BLOW

Plans for the major redevelopment of an Isle of Wight seafront eyesore have fallen through again. After more than 18 months of no action at the Shanklin Spa site, since the Isle of Wight Council agreed to sell the land, the preferred developer has walked away. The Isle of Wight Council hoped the prominent site on Shanklin Esplanade, next to the Cliff Lift, would be transformed into the ‘Island’s first’ apart-hotel and climbing wall, with space for small businesses to trade. The site is currently made up of derelict buildings, closed public toilets and a council-owned car park and had been identified in the authority’s 2019 regeneration strategy as 1 of the 6 large regeneration opportunities on the Island – of which just 1 has been realised, Ryde Interchange. A spokesperson for the authority has confirmed the developer has discontinued their interest but the council intends to remarket the site in the coming months. In the meantime, the council says the site continues to generate money through the pay and display car park.

The authority agreed in June 2022 to sell the site to a private developer, who it said in cabinet papers, had an ‘excellent track record’ of delivering projects over the last 15 years, including council property. In the same cabinet papers, the ‘risk’ of the developer walking away from the site was not considered. At the time, the Isle of Wight Council said it would create a vibrant centre point for the Esplanade, business opportunities and an estimated 50 jobs. Now the plans have fallen through, Shanklin Town Council is calling for something to be done to tidy up the site. Councillor Adrian Whittaker, for Shanklin Central, raised the issue in 2022 at a presentation between Isle of Wight Council officers and the town council and said the whole site must be tidied up as it is an eyesore and a blot on the landscape. Now nearly 2 years later, Cllr Whittaker has renewed his calls for something to be done about the ‘mess’. The Isle of Wight Council has been asked, through the BBC Local Democracy Scheme, whether it would take action to tidy up the site but no response has been given. Plans were also drawn up in 2017 to develop the site but did not proceed further.