A former Isle of Wight care home could become a 21-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO).
Joubert Properties Ltd has put forward plans to County Hall for a conversion of the former Ward House Nursing Home on Ventnor’s Alpine Road.
Ward House closed its doors in February last year, leaving 18 residents to find accommodation elsewhere.
The proposed HMO comprises a basement with a laundry room and stores, 7 en-suite bedrooms with large communal areas and a kitchen on its ground floor, a first floor with 7 bedrooms and a communal bathroom and kitchen and a further 7 bedrooms with a communal bathroom and kitchen on its second floor.
A total of 6 of the 14 bedrooms on the first and second floors have en-suite facilities.
A supporting statement from the Andrew White Planning Consultancy says:
“The proposal involves the conversion of the property into 21 bedrooms, taking advantage of the opportunity to optimise the use of this underutilised/redundant building, previously used as a large care home and constituting brownfield land.
“There is an identified need for the proposed low-cost rented accommodation and on this basis occupancy rates should be relatively secure, thereby ensuring the future maintenance of this building, helping to maintain the vitality of the locality and nearby town centre.
Article continues below this advertisement “This proposal would make an important and vital contribution to supporting the council’s strategies aimed at tackling Island residents’ housing needs, as well as rough sleeping and homelessness on the Island.
“The proposal does not involve any fundamental changes to the external appearance of the building. Waste and cycle storage facilities can be provided within the site and be controlled by way of a planning condition.”
County Hall’s public consultation on application 25/00862/FUL finishes on 18th July and a decision is due on 8th August.
And where are the people who need care going to go? No wonder hospital waiting lists are so long.
Won’t be a problem with the assisted dying bill.
I must say well done to the 2 island MPs who
voted against such nonsense.
Imagine how many Shipman’s will be in the making if
this nonsense goes through.
21 Illegals methinks? Why else an HMO? Not a college or university for miles.
The island is lucky that hotels like many on the mainland
have not been used to house them.
Too be honest if the West didn’t blitz their countries
they would have more than happily stayed in their own
countries – people seem to forget that!
Put yourself in their shoes.
When did we blitz Albania, or Sudan, or Eritrea? I must have missed that bit.
Agree. They better not start here…
Why not!, the island should play their part
other parts of the country are playing their
part.
The women and children of ventnor and elsewhere need to be careful if that’s the case.
Que the lefties whining ‘immigrants welcome here’.
If that’s so, put them up at your own expense in your own home.
If other parts of the UK have to take so
many, why should the island get away with
taking any.
Isle of Wight is in Britain and should do their
bit to help.
We are all in this together.
If we stop housing them for free then hopefully they’ll stop coming over on boats draining our NHS, education, housing and social care resources!