A flexible and cultural community space proposal for a vacant house beside an Isle of Wight second-hand bookshop has been given the green light.
County Hall agreed to Kate Gatenby’s application for a change of use of 19 Lower Green Road in St Helens, into a new commercial unit.
Her agent, Arc Associates, previously said the premises would include a publicly accessible co working and desk space and venue for cultural and literary events.
The Isle of Wight Council said the proposed internal use of the front section of the building at ground floor level would provide an asset to the local community.
It said the literary events would be a ‘positive addition’ to St Helens and the wider area.
Ms Gatenby owns Newlands House, occupied by The Goose Books, with which the space next door will keep a ‘close functional relationship’, Arc Associates said.
Events listed by her agent included author readings, storytelling evenings and book-related gatherings.
Daytime use is to form the ‘core activity’, with only occasional evening or weekend events of ‘modest scale’ and appropriate to the residential context.
Three conditions were attached to the council’s approval to protect the amenity of the surrounding area and neighbouring properties and for legal and planning policy compliance.
