No one has come forward to run the popular Browns Golf Course in Sandown after the Isle of Wight Council advertised the business opportunity.
The council sought applications from interested parties to operate the golf course and cafe after former leaseholders gave it up and closed the doors in September last year.
Speaking at a full council meeting earlier in the week, council leader Councillor Dave Stewart, said more than 50 expressions of interest were received for the opportunity but no official bids came in to take the business on by the deadline (19th February).
With no successful bidder, Cllr Stewart said the council will ‘review the position’ in relation to the future operation of the site.
After the meeting, an Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said the council was reviewing future options for the site, which may include further marketing.
When announcing the closure of the attraction, which opened in 1932, then leaseholders Clare, John and Cherry said with the future of Browns ‘in jeopardy’ and ‘no real security to project the business forward for the future’ it was time to hang up their aprons and retire their mowers after seven seasons.
The Isle of Wight Council has been looking for partners to regenerate and invest in the future of Dinosaur Isle, which is next door to Browns, and asked potential bidders to consider the wider regeneration of Culver Parade. This led to concerns the golf course may be under threat if regeneration plans proposed to get rid off it.
1 bidder for Dinosaur Isle has been in talks with the council over the project, which were initially paused due to COVID-19 but are now re-engaging in the dialogue process.
A petition was set up to save the golf course and get the council ‘to acknowledge the unique heritage of Browns and guarantee the protection of the much-loved public asset, with all it has to offer, for future generations’ which gained more than 3,800 signatures. The Isle of Wight Council, however, has not accepted the petition on public law grounds and offered a different wording ‘in the spirit’ of the petition but was not accepted by the organiser.
this would be open, up and running if it wasn’t for the greedy council
Sadly I haven’t seen much life in Sandown for about 15 years ? Was so alive in the 80’s 90’s. It has to be one of the most neglected towns on the island. The only think attractive about it now is the beach. You need people to have a successful business ? I can see how this could be a struggle. Need somebody with throw away money to risk it.
As long as the council dont try to run it themselves or that will be another black hole we will have to plug
“After the meeting, an Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said the council was reviewing future options for the site, which may include further marketing.”
If it got over 50 expressions of interest, it’s not a marketing issue is it. Why can’t they just say it how it is?
No surprises here then.
There must be something they have planned for it that they are keeping quite about.
more houses not for the young and overpriced
We need transparency, as said why the 12 month lease, yes we are kept in the dark….. The iow Wight council are intent on under the table deals, selling off all as there doing now with the pier Street toilets and retail unit, will cash generated from that sale benefit Sandown? Not a chance…. We are large contributers via our council taxes to iow council coffers yet we remain one of the most neglected on the island….. Ravaged by hoteliers leaving there wrecked buildings for public view ….. Who’s really in control the respective councils the iow council or the plundering privateers….
Well it’s obvious isn’t it, Pugwash & Co. are going to be building blocks of luxury flats there… Lot’s of lovely council tax for them in the future, without giving a stuff for the locals of course. Let’s see if this gets allowed to be posted??
How can the paper say much loved public asset. If it had been that much loved it would not be in the position it is in.
I am still surprised with the council’s record they have not put 5000 houses on the site.
You don’t know what you are talking about. It was a successful business but the council failed to invest in maintenance. They wouldn’t give the lease holders security of a longer lease and no one could’ve worked harder than the family that last ran it. They had plenty of ideas to keep it going, to improve and grow but the Council would not give them the security of a longer lease.
You don’t know what you are talking about.
Aprox 10 years ago the council were trying to sell a lease on Brown’s , i was interested and went through their books i didn’t continue and that is all i will say
With the state of the economy and Covid not exactly a surprise.
Oh and another minor issue, IOW Council! Put that lot together and you get a building developer building Luxury homes.
Time for a BIG change in the local election.
what a crying shame about browns i have been visiting your wonderful island for over 30 years over the past decade i have seen sandown just go downhill what a vibrant place it used to be
i thought we had a useless council in sheffield but having seen yours especially the fiasco with the floating bridge i have my doubts about my lot
i just hope someone with brains comes along and saves sandown
It might help if something was done about the not so Grand Hotel
Perhaps the council’s stance on regeneration such as this would be different if it had not wasted so much funds on a floating bridge.
Browns used to be the best place on the island during the late 50’s and 60’s; beach trays, canoe lake, golf and the best cream doughnuts and ice cream on the island. Everybody went there, particularly on a Sunday, must have been a little gold mine. What happened?
The Council. As Wight Leisure they couldn’t run it, along with Westridge Leisure Centre, the Ice Rink etc. When someone came along to run it properly, the Council, in effect, pulled the plug. They aren’t even cutting the grass now to maintain an asset that belongs to US, the taxpayers! You’d have thought they would have at least kept the grounds looking good and building maintained to encourage someone to take it on.
No building on that site as its in a flood zone .And its a site of historic interest. Just means a bigger slap on the old proverbial back pocket. What a sorry mess this council is I’m convinced it is getting lessons on BS baffles Brains from madam twanky North of the wall. The accounts are pretty similar as well disgraceful.