More than a year since major plans were unveiled to restore a dilapidated Isle of Wight pier, alterations have been made to the proposals.
It means that it will no longer have the proposed shop, café, and restaurant features as first announced.
The former Fort Victoria Pier near Yarmouth has been left redundant for many years – now partially demolished and suffering from erosion – after the area was redeveloped into a tourism site at the turn of the century. Before that, it was used for military logistics – moving marine mines – and was part of a boat-building yard.
The latest scheme to find a new use for the land was put to the Isle of Wight Council in April 2022 but no decision has been made yet. Instead, changes have been proposed.
Previously the major scheme to rebuild the pier, creating a shellfish and fish landing processing facility – as well as 5 4-bed houses further up the beach – included a shop, café and restaurant facility. However plans for the shop, café and restaurant have now been removed.
It was said the restaurant would become ‘a sea-to-fork eatery’ in previous versions of the planning documents submitted to the Isle of Wight Council.
Concerns had also been raised about the large building proposed for the end of the pier, which has since been reduced in height and size to a single storey.
The Westhill Beach development is being fronted by Miles Blamire and now includes an oyster nursery and restoration project as part of a project in the wider Solent region, a food and retail hatch and increased public space for events, functions and performances.
Explaining the changes in a letter to the Council, planning agents on behalf of Miles Blamire, BCM say the proposal is very similar and the pier would create a seaside nostalgia.
Miles Blamire hopes the scheme will be a key element in the wider regeneration of the West Wight coast – drawing on the success of The Hut at Colwell Bay and the pier restoration at Totland Bay – and bring inward investment to Fort Victoria.
You can view the revised plans, 22/00634/FUL, on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning portal. Comments can be submitted until 4th September.
“Seaside Nostalgia” – you are having a laugh. 6 huge houses that will cut off beach access and will sell for a million each is what this development is all about.
Lets throw in a bit about ecology and baby oysters and all will be well….
It will go through in one shape or form eventually as money talks, but I bet that the houses will arrive well before the pier development.
‘SEASIDE NOSTALGIA’. They really are having a laugh all they are really interested in is building 5 x millionaire’s homes.
The buildings on the pier are now reduced to just 4 sheds (it wouldn’t do to block the millionaires view) and you just know if the houses get built first the pier will never be restored because it will suddenly become unviable.
With all the promises in this latest proposal feeling very much like a bunch of carrots being dangled in front of the planners with no substance to back it up and no doubt the carrots are infested with carrot fly.
More 2nd homes, holiday lets. This has nothing to do with making things better at all. It’s a con.
I find it somewhat amusing that the houses opposite are opposing this development yet several years ago the houses behind them opposed those new builds.
Ruin the sea view of the original properties and don’t care about them, but then moan if your sea view will be ruined by another development closer to the sea.
Perhaps Island Echo could look into who owns this beachfront plot and where the money will be coming from to build it.
Hint ; The Freshwater Five caught smuggling cocaine worth £53m but claimed innocence.
I was told by an old boy when i was fishing there a few years ago that his brother who resides in Australia owns the lot, it was he that sold the plot on which the recently !!! built houses which overlook the this plot. He also said back then that there could be further developments in the future.
This is why I suggested that Island Echo do some investigations into who will be funding it, rather than rely on the tale of an old fisherman.
You will find that I was correct in my original comment.
Also you will find that the planning agent named in the article above has a brother who is a Totland Parish Councillor.
You will find that the Totland Parish Councillor owns part of the development plot along with the family of The Freshwater Five.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03520287/officers
The owner lives in Australia so i believe and also owned the plots on which the other houses were built, i was told this whilst fishing by an old chap who lived in one of the newer houses as it was his brother.
Please build cafe that locals can afford to enjoy as well as tourists
Cost of living crisis!!!!!
We cannot all afford the prices of the hut and the George!!!!
There is no cafe anymore thats been dropped
That place is a absolute eyesore, rotten, run down, the whole of Fort Victoria is horrible and depressing the toilets are gross. a bit like the Islands towns.
I do feel for the people who will loose their view though.
If you have paid mega money for a house then some years later they decide to take your view and privacy I get their point, planning wont give a toss.
Sorry you feel that way, have you been lately? as all of us down here are putting a lot of time and money into the place to make it a vibrant tourist attraction, thankfully the positive feedback we receive doesn’t mirror your comments,
I’m sorry but I have to disagree with your comment.
The free car park is wonderful to have and is a rare commodity on the island being able to park for free.
But you have people living all year round in the car park, like tramps, and you allow it. Some people have been living there for years, taking the water from the stand pipe and using the toilets as a washing facility, no doubt funded by the tax payers.
The corner of the car park with the view where one used to be able to sit in the car and look out to see is a no go area due to the amount of people living there. It is full up with tatty caravans or mobile homes, some are not taxed or mot or insuranced bits of old car or bicycle, even part of a trailer dumped there plus a boat.
Unfortunately being a public car park owned by the council..we the businesses at fort victoria have no control over the car park as like you say its free to use, the only way to stop any misuse would be to lobby the council to introduce parking fees which I’m sure nobody wants. It’s not exactly a no go area, we have a few charachters that find them selves homeless and are part of a transient community that move around various free sites on the island. The camper vans that took up so much space were actually left there by one person wealthy enough to own 2… any that are untaxed or not mot are reported online so the council can Start removing them.
As for misuse of the standpipe, toilets etc we routinely observe inhabitants of the more affluent areas of Westhill Lane come give there cars a free wash and emptying their rubbish into our bins as theirs must be full so let’s not tar everyone with the same brush, we also have plenty of £100,000+ motorhomes pitching up for a free stay and abuse the site and us when we dare park next to them. But there are no bits of old cars, bicycles etc in fort vic.. you may be confused with the scrub land next door on which this development is proposed.
You have just described why I have stopped visiting fort Victoria by car. I don’t feel comfortable at all parking along with the permanent, rusty and dirty camper van conversions.
The toilets are truly disgusting and I have seen “residents” washing their clothes etc in the sinks and emptying toilet waste leaving a real mess behind.
Maybe along with the million pound houses a section could be put aside for a permanent camp site for the transients, should make good neighbours
Its a shame you no longer visit, but i feel you are blowing your fears completely out of proportion, the toilets are professionally cleaned daily and open for public use 24/7 probably the only place on the island where they still are, as a site we receive many hundreds of visitors daily and there is going to be some signs of this in the toilets, but they are always fully useable and like i say cleaned every morning, We have ample parking for 150 vehicles in the car park and on this bright sunny morning, there are 4 camper vans here, half of those are visiting tourists.
The only eyesore is the proposed building plot that has been knowingly left to decay and and become a dumping ground by the owners.
Miles Balmire fronting the proposal.
So, who’s actually behind it?
His brother, who is a Totland Parish Councillor, plus the family of The Freshwater Five who were caught smuggling cocaine worth £53m
All part of the IOW ‘mafia’.
Exactly! Corrupt as hell.
After building it, tie a barge full of migrants to it. Barges full of migrants are how the Tories sweep their failures under the carpet and hope we don’t notice.