A planning application to transform a dated toilet block and shop in Sandown into a brand new retail unit and café, whilst retaining public conveniences, has been submitted this month.
The Isle of Wight Council have self-submitted plans to completely change the layout and appearance of Pier Street toilets opposite Sandown Pier.
Under the rejuvenation project, the current beach shop and toilet block will be reworked to form a retail unit and a café across 2 floors, with brand new toilet cubicles built separately to the left-hand side of the building.
The ground floor unit will be split into front of house and back of house, whilst Unit 2 – a café or similar – will be predominantly front of house upstairs with a back of house area on the ground floor too. The 1st floor unit will boast a terrace overlooking Sandown Bay.
It is thought that the new retail units will create 5 full-time and 10 part-time jobs.
The plans have been drawn up by Newport-based ERMC.
You can comment on the plans via the planning portal until 13th March 2020 at https://publicaccess.iow.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=Q4YM5EIQJA400.
I am certain that the local vandals, will do their own alterations to the WC’s.
Bembridge village rid itself of lovely solid, Edwardian, large, virtually vandal proof WC’s, with glazed brick solid walls, high, low maintenance cisterns which because of their height forced over enthusiastic use of paper and waste cleanly away, with 3 separate cubicles in each gender and a large urinal in the Gents.
These two Ladies and Gents spacious toilets were exchanged for ONE small albeit a disabled cubicle and pan only, for all users. The seat hasn’t time to ‘cool’ in the Summer months, and when needing repair is a real ‘inconvenience’ for all the visitors, shop keepers and elderly in the village.
I hope Sandown ‘learn’ from such, but fear not.
The definition of an idiot, is doing the same thing, again and again, yet ‘expecting’ a different result each time.
That or Saving cash, is more important than local and visitors needs. IF so, it is a damning indictment on our impoverished society that even in the Wars large public toilets could be kept open, and now, we are wealthy enough to keep much of the worlds impoverished here, yet can’t keep decent toilets open.
See it how it really is.
I hope the ‘brand new’ public toilets will be free of charge (as is the case on the seafronts at moment), though ‘minimal’ charging has been introduced for some other new toilet developments elsewhere. Couldn’t find reference in plans, anyone know?
It would be great if they could incorporate showers like they provide abroad. As a regular beach user we are often asked where they are