The clock is once again ticking to tidy up the derelict Ocean Hotel in Sandown after the latest appeal bid by its former owners failed. Phoenix Commercial Property Development (PCPD) have until 9th May to tidy up and secure the eyesore hotel after an almost 2-year-long court battle. A Section 215 notice was issued in February 2022 and set 15 actions for the Durham-based company to comply with, which included repairing fencing, removing greenery and cleaning the property. The company appealed the order and has been trying to fight the matter but has lost multiple appeals at different stages of the court system. Now, the Isle of Wight Council has confirmed PCPD’s latest action for the case to be ‘stated’ — which would have taken the matter to the High Court — was declined. It was rejected on 8th January by the same judge who dismissed PCPD’s appeal at Crown Court in November, His Honour Judge Shephard. The council says the dismissal now means the notice is in force and the requirements have to be undertaken within the set 2 and 4-month timeframes, starting from 9th January. However, local councillor Ian Ward BEM has said that there is an added complication as the ownership of the hotel now appears to have transferred to Windlestone Technology Ltd., with the Isle of Wight Council working to determine the ownership of the company. An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson has said:
“Like the community that continues to be affected by the condition of the Ocean Hotel, we expect the specified works to be undertaken to the necessary standards within the required timeframes. If the work is not undertaken or it is not to the necessary standard, we will consider taking further action.”
Since the hotel closed, its ownership has passed through many hands and has been the subject of vandalism and a major fire. 
The notice was first issued to the hotel’s owners as the council said the building’s appearance significantly harmed both the land around it and the town itself.The authority hoped if the work was done it would result in an improvement to the High Street and seafront area of the popular tourist town. If the work is not completed within the set timeframes, the Isle of Wight Council can prosecute the owners and/or carry out the work and then recover the costs from the owner. PCPD sold the freehold of the Ocean Hotel in 2022.
Bet it will still look the same in 5 years time with no actions taken against the owners
Ian as long as Cllr Ward is involved .. nothing will happen .. he just cannot pull his big boy pants up and fix the problem ..
4 months – or what? This council has no spine. This will continue to blight Sandown until somebody grows one.
We need a compulsory purchase order. £1 seems fair since the owners clearly don’t want to use it.
And all these folks struggling to get roofs over their head. What a waste. Disgusting.
Bit of a coincidence that two of the former directors of PCBD have addresses in Windlestone.
Does anyone actually think that this bunch of idiots will do ANYTHING to clear their property up? Selling it off between each other is nothing more than smoke and mirrors, it is the same group of people each time, and we all know it, and they know we know, but still they insist on blighting our town! Nothing will change, it never does with these con-men!
After 4 months no more excuses, send in the demolition squad.
Let’s get Sandown back together
Recover costs from who exactly??
Good luck with that.
Not just damage and fires but drug users squatting in the building, an overdose and a death! But that gets swept under the rug. It is an incredibly dangerous, dirty eyesore. Sandown gets worse every year. This ‘sale’ or change of owners will just keep happening meaning the court orders won’t be active.
It needs to be repossessed and pulled down! Prime seafront location for another business that will actually help Sandown to be regenerated. It used to be a beautiful town (many, many years ago). Now it is somewhere to be avoided at all costs!
We have been coming over to the island for 30+ years. Sandown just look so nice, but it’s gone so down hill.
You walk along yhe sea front and just see all.the hotels, falling down, smashed windows, all over grown, rubbish, I think ALL the derelict hotels should all have a compulsory order on all of them. The council get them for a few quid, and then put them out for bids with a years dead line on to be built on. If they fail the council get the right to sell it on again. no going back to court every 4/6 months and all that happens is they get another 4 months.
A comulpulsory notice to purchase for £ 1 by the council might bring the owner to some kind of common sense. Otherwise go through with that order – prepare a deliverable re-development plan and sell to a reputable developer to bring this very desirable site back into beneficial use to the locality.
It’s beyond saving now and will only attract crime so compulsory purchase the building and redevelop the area via regeneration of the high street and get some grant funding.
These developers only want to flatten the area to build apartments. Stop them in there tracks council for once and take control of the situation.