An empty Newport eyesore could be regenerated by its owner, Lord Alan Sugar.
Planning permission is being sought by the investment mogul’s real estate company to transform the former BrightHouse store on the corner of Newport High Street into flats and a cafe/restaurant.
The property has been owned by Amsprop, Lord Sugar’s real estate company, since November 2017.
Other properties owned by Amsprop across the south of England, have tenants which include the Hard Rock Cafe, Krispy Kreme, Five Guys, Pret A Manger and Caffe Nero.
Following the administration of BrightHouse in 2019, the property has stood empty in the heart of the High Street and has suffered from water ingress and damage to internal decorations.
An evaluation of the property by Scotcher and Co, commercial estate agents, said the property is too large to be cost effective in the current market and there is very little prospect of a tenant being found for the whole building.
With sub-division thought to be the best option going forward, proposals have been submitted to the Isle of Wight Council to turn the 2 floors above the shop into a 1-bed and 4x 2-bed-flats, with an extension on the top floor.
The shop on the ground floor could face a flexible change of use into a restaurant, cafe or drinking establishment, with plans showing a commercial kitchen and extraction system installed.
Agent for the development, Dean Parkman, said a lot of the work will be internal with only limited external alterations, such as removing 2 windows on the St James Street side of the building.
Mr Parkman said, in planning documents, the property remaining empty, in such a prominent corner position on the High Street, it will continue to have a negative impact on the vitality and viability of the town centre.
To view the proposals, or comment on the application (21/00533/FUL) you can visit the Isle of Wight Council’s planning register. Comments can be submitted until 26th April 2021.
Don’t you think we have enough cafe bars in Newport
Why would you go to Newport for a coffee unless you were going to the bank?
I never go to Newport anymore ,it’s dead Ryde is Much more interesting and vibrant .
Watch the cafe close up after 2-3 years of trading and we will be reading a revised copy of this article.
Maybe some affordable housing would be better and more sustainable. Also a location that the holiday second home owners would not want leaving it available for people who work and live on the island.
The self obsessed vanity driven people (from all generations) need somewhere to virtual signal from.
Surely it would be easier for someone to move into the already converted and now abandoned Prezzo just down the road ? Mind you I suppose longer term the partial conversion to residential will pave the way for full residential if the ‘cafe’ business fails to take off (which is more than likely)
Come back Timothy Whites, all is forgiven
I remember Timothy Whites in the seventies – they had blacked out windows before they were cool.
I could watch myself go by as i drifted up to the traffic lights on my motorcycle.
Happy days :o)
It could be made into a post office, now there’s a thought.