A former convent in Shanklin could get a new lease of life as flats.
St Anthony’s Convent, on Beatrice Avenue, Shanklin, was founded in 1898, run by the Sisters of Mercy who established a school in the town and went on to teach in others across the Island.
The last two remaining nuns, Sister Bernadette and Sister Martin had lived at the convent for 56 years but a decline in numbers saw the pair move to another convent in Worthing, in March 2012.
Now, Open Sea Developments is proposing to convert and adapt the existing convent to provide eight flats — 6 2-beds and 2-3 beds — some of which will overlook Sandown Bay.
Planning documents say work started on the convent in December last year, but approval is only now being sought.
A walkway connecting the convent and the Chapel Lodge apartments would be demolished to provide space for a single-storey extension and garages.
Residents of the area have so far shown support for the redevelopment, with one saying the ‘restoration of the property for use and occupation is a benefit to the location and the local community’.
Another said approval of the scheme would ‘be the best possible outcome for this lovely old building and its immediate vicinity.’
While Shanklin Town Council has considered the plans, it had no comments to make.
Island Roads has not given its approval to the development nor its refusal — all dependent on whether the developers can fully reconstruct the unadopted highway network link to Delphi Road from Beatrice Avenue to the current standard and open for all residents to use.
The highways authority has questioned the current usability of the link into Delphi Road due to the ‘serious poor state of repair and level discrepancies’.
They say that should the developer not agree to reconstruct the road, while increasing the movement between the access from Beatrice Avenue onto Arthurs Hill, they would recommend the development be refused as there is a visibility shortfall to motorists at the Arthurs Hill junction.
You can view the plans (21/00671/FUL) at the Isle of Wight Council’s planning register.
Comments will be accepted until 24th May.
probably the only housing application i have seen recently that actually makes sense. They just need to agree to sort the access road as well and should be good to go, especially with resident support.
I agree. Plenty of brown field sites and disused buildings that can be used for housing before the fields are built on. Also needs some way to ensure locals are first in the queue to buy, and to buy to live in, not rent out.
Un-adopted road, until its done properly then it becomes council i bet.
Good idea – but the works have been going on for nearly 2 years now – a lot of work going on at the moment
Got voted down for speaking the truth – wow!!
It would be a Holy experience living there.
That would be an ecumenical matter.