The ongoing saga surrounding the derelict Ocean Hotel in Sandown continues, with claims from its former freeholders that they have stepped away from the property and that legal action is being pursued against Hampshire Constabulary.
In a statement sent to the Island Echo and other local press, Phoenix Commercial Property Development (PCPD) announced yesterday (Wednesday) that it sold its reversionary freehold of the site back in May. It was sold, the company said, to an American property investment company, who PCPD claim are going to sell the site immediately to an overseas developer.
PCPD said they understood the intention of the future freeholder was to come to an arrangement to terminate all the leases held on the property so the site could be made safe and redeveloped.
PCPD, which is funded by former Carlauren Group investors, said it had hoped to bring forward plans to redevelop the site but has now walked away from the property — and the Isle of Wight.
It has already sold the adjacent King’s Bar.
The statement from PCPD explains the freehold it bought only becomes ownership on the expiry of the 125-year leases sold by the Carlauren Group (former owners of the hotel who entered administration) to private investors, which cover the whole site. There were 50 other leases which were sold for between £89,500 and £185,000, starting from 17th November 17 2017 to 26th June 2018, and all run for 125 years. There are also 2 further leases on the site, PCPD say, which expire in 2025 and 2026.
PCPD has in recent months faced legal action from both the Isle of Wight Council and Hampshire Constabulary — and slammed it as “nothing short of a witchhunt, motivated by local politics”.
It says Stephen Purvis — who was due to appear before the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday but did not show — has taken legal action against the Police and CPS. It is alleged the Police did not serve a Community Protection Notice or warning to them and any claims otherwise are false. Hampshire Constabulary had previously said PCPD had acknowledged receipt of the notice.
The company has also appealed the council’s recent win over its planning enforcement notice, to the Crown Court. The company said:
“We hope the new owners will fare better than we have. We have made a significant loss on this site, which adds further to the suffering of former Carlauregn investors.”
TIMELINE OF THE OCEAN HOTEL
- May 2017 – Carlauren Group brought the hotel and announced plans to turn it into a luxury care home
- December 2019 – Carlauren Group placed into administration
- April 2021 – The Ocean Hotel freehold was sold to PCPD
- May 2021 – A major fire saw further damage caused to the property
- 28th January 2022 – The Isle of Wight Council issued a Section 215 enforcement notice against PCPD
- 11th March 2022 – The enforcement notice took effect but PCPD appealed the case to the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court
- 12th May 2022 – Hampshire Constabulary announced it had issued a Community Protection Notice Warning against the hotel’s owners
- 20th May 2022 – The first hearing of the Ocean Hotel appeal was heard in the magistrates’ court where a hearing was set for 3rd August
- 31st May 2022 – Stephen Purvis sold his shares and ceased to be a director of PCPD. PCPD sold its revisionary freehold of the Ocean Hotel
- 10th June 2022 – No action had been taken against the police’s warning notice so the police issued a formal Community Protection Notice (CPN)
- 11th July 2022 – No action had been taken against the CPN so the police issued a summons to court for the owners of the Ocean Hotel
- 15th July 2022 – Magistrates requested the Isle of Wight Council’s case be heard in court due to a lack of communication from PCPD. It was then decided to throw out the appeal, restarting the enforcement notice
- 13th September 2022 – Stephen Purvis was due to be in court answering the breach of CPN but failed to show up. The case has been adjourned to 4th October
- 13th September 2022 – Companies House updated to reflect changes to Stephen Purvis’ ownership and directorship
- 14th September 2022 – PCPD issued a press statement
Our council should be embarrassed with themselves for letting Sandown get so run down. They don’t take pride in anything these days asides upping parking charges. Is it any wonder tourism on this island has dropped?
I think it’s terrible!
So This Peter Purvis sold the freehold on the 31st May therefore he says he is not now responsible for anything that occurred before then ..really !!..so if my dog attacked someone then I sold him before court case am I not responsible then !!
He certainly had altered since Blue Peter days. Maybe the loss of Petra was too much
Just take it!
Give theses fake shell companies £0, and take ownership. They’ve failed, this is our town.
If any of PCPD’s statement is true why wasn’t it presented at the earliest opportunity?
They’re now likely to be in more trouble for ignoring court proceedings, rulings and judgements than for the state of the building.