Appley beach will get some more beach huts and Appley Tower a fresh renovation after grant money was unlocked following the approval of the request to lease the tower.
Renovative works to the tower had been touted for some time and earlier this week, permission for works to be undertaken was cleared by Natural England, with a substantial £248,552 pledged courtesy of the Heritage Lottery Fund – the UK’s largest dedicated funder of heritage.
The decision on whether to permit the request was down to Isle of Wight Council leader Lora Peacey-Wilcox, a decision she made under delegated powers.
Councillor Peacey-Wilcox chose to hand over responsibility of the Grade-II listed building to those at Natural England, whose efforts will be boosted by a further £40,000 cash injection from both the Isle of Wight Council and Ryde Town Council.
Stonework on the tower will be repaired and better quality lighting will be installed whilst new windows and doors will give a more vibrant and refreshed look.
The introduction of the new beach huts, would help to fund repairs and future upkeep.
All these changes will allow the tower to be used as an art gallery and educational space as proposed in plans unveiled back in November.
That’s good news (for now).
But give it a couple of years and it will end up another HMO.
How do I sign up for one of the new beach huts ??
Give me your link and bank details and i will hold your deposit in my Nigerian bank account
Well done. I hope the lighting will be in keeping with this iconic building