The development of derelict Norris Castle has been branded a millionaires’ playground by East Cowes Town Council.
At its meeting on Thursday night, councillors unanimously voted to object to the major development of the Grade I listed building into a luxury, 5-star hotel, by the Norris Castle Estate Group.
The town’s residents also voiced their concerns about the plans, raising issues such as proposed access to the site via East Cowes Esplanade, increased traffic, overdevelopment of greenfield sites and housing proposals.
Town Councillor Sharon Lake said after a visit to the castle, she could not believe what she had seen, as it was not the image of disrepair the council had been fed. Cllr Lake’s biggest concern, however, was potentially allowing access to the proposed housing on the Springhill Estate, next door to Norris Castle, and the developers then walking away, which would open up the land-locked site to further residential developments.
Councillor Cameron Palin said that while he was supportive of protecting and restoring the castle, he was concerned the plans could cause long-lasting damage. He, and other councillors, questioned the viability of the scheme and the use of the public Esplanade to access the site, saying:
“They want to access Norris Castle and Springhill via our Esplanade. This is so they can access their multi-million-pound apartments, billionaire homes and the luxury spa you and I will never get a look at, let alone use.
“They will destroy the estate and turn it into a millionaires’ playground. I cannot support this application at all.”
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Councillor Karl Love said it seemed as if the developers had not listened to what residents had said. He said:
“I would accept a small boutique hotel complex in that area, something which does not do the kind of damage this development would do. There is room for something there, but it has to be to scale.”
Martha James, of Plan Research, ECTC’s planning consultant, advised the town council to object to all but 2 of the proposals on which it would have to decide.
Mrs James questioned the lack of detail and said she did not think the Isle of Wight Council would be supportive of the application, as it currently stood, unless there were major changes.
An official comment from ECTC will be submitted to the Isle of Wight Council.
To view the plans (21/02437/FUL and 21/02438/LBC), and comment on them, you can visit the council’s planning register. Comments can be submitted until 8th April.
Councillor Cameron Palin said that while he was supportive of protecting and restoring the castle, he was concerned the plans could cause long-lasting damage.
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what, and the near 1000 homes they are trying to build in ryde, isn’t lasting damage then.
they just want more and more benefit hutches built, so that more council tax is collected and they have a larger cash trough to get their snouts wedged into.
Just the same as the elite Yacht clubs in Cowes… Locals are never let inside, unless they are the staff!!
Access road for cars THROUGH esplanade is nonsense, that’s literally the antithesis of what constitutes an esplanade
That development of houses would just bring pollution, noise, even more cars and eradicate dark sky status, and attaching graded castle to the same application is clearly used as a bargaining tool. That’s so fishy it’s like from a Goliath TV show.
Oh dear better just let it rot and fall down, forget about the history, and there is no need for the employment or incime streams for local companies. spending mukkuins to get a nuce little boutique hotel would never return enough money on that investment
That’s what I mean by using a castle as a bargaining chip.
”Nice castle you have over here, shame if I were to run out of money due to problems with my other development and not restore it…”
Access from the esplanade? Isn’t that partly closed due to a landslide?
That’s one way of getting the council to repair the landslide without them paying a penny i suppose !
I didn’t realise that East Cowes was run by the politburo!
Its a shame these councillors dint have the same attitude when it comes to ripping farm land apart
Professional developers, career civil servants?
Never gonna win.