East Cowes Town Council and the owners of the derelict Norris Castle are butting heads over the proposed development of the historic site and the public consultation surrounding it.
Clynt Wellington, chief executive of Global Technical Solutions (GTS), has written a letter to town residents, expressing his frustrations with East Cowes Town Council (ECTC).
GTS has owned the castle since it was sold in 2015 but, apart from urgent repairs, has not restored the property. The property firm has, in the last year, submitted proposals to the Isle of Wight Council to turn the listed castle and its outbuildings into a luxury hotel and spa facility. The plans also include housing on the next-door Springhill Estate but are yet to be determined.
A public meeting was held in 2019 to present GTS’s plans but since then Mr Wellington says he has made numerous attempts to hold another, alongside the town council, to address points previously raised, but has been denied each time. He believes the town council is failing in its duty by not allowing residents the opportunity to follow up on the previous public presentation.
Mr Wellington says all they want is to directly engage with the community, to explain the merits of the scheme in a public forum and allow the town council the opportunity to ask questions.
ECTC has objected to the plans, raising concerns over the highway’s impact on East Cowes Esplanade and the surrounding road network; impact on listed buildings and the landscape setting and long-term funding of listed building maintenance.
Mr Wellington, however, says ECTC is not responding to questions he has put to councillors over the objection, which he says is based on other parties’ objections. He was asking the town council whether it had any other objections which could not be addressed and if it had any viable alternative to save the 11 listed assets which are on the ‘at risk’ register.
Mr Wellington argues GTS’s proposals for Norris are the only long-term solution to safeguard the assets for future generations. Responding to Mr Wellington, the town council said GTS had not asked to hire the town hall, which he is at liberty to do.
However, it would not participate in any meeting.
It said it has repeatedly told Mr Wellington its position has not changed on the application and only if the plans were varied would ECTC make further comments. ECTC pointed out it is only a statutory consultee and the Isle of Wight Council would make the final decision. The town council said communication from Mr Wellington keps raising the same issues.
It will now be kept on file and not responded to — the same as with any other person.
Brown envelope should do the trick
Too right that’s what they did with island harbour till they got caught
What they always do then make mistakes and pay bribes
Even LARGE brown envelopes to every single resident would not work!!!!
Sounds like East Cowes getting more like Bembridge,to much power and attitude, why don’t town Council by it?. Trouble with this island so backwards thinking – it will end in an insurance fire, demolished and blocks of flats. Not saying I’m for or against,but not going to effect 99.9% of Island population. It’s not just the hall they want to book it’s a public meeting to include Town Clowncil they are asking for.
These guys ruin everything they touch leaving unfinished projects around everywhere island and mainland. Not to be trusted
They use unqualified crooks to do there dirtywork cause it doesn’t matter what happens to them
East Cowes town council ?, thought only East Cowes
Gts ? Uavend llp? 1 company lots of name changes these guys stripped the place of all the valuables and sold them off left it in a state of wreck and ruin to make sure it couldnt be put back with the option or repurpose and restyle. All they care about is money not history or preserving the castle
And all the while the deliberations go on Norris Castle is deteriorating even more. I think if the developers came up with some alternative route for access, along with the agreement that the lands would be open to the public a more amenable start to discussions may happen. Having checked out the developers web site £569+ for other sites a night won’t be met by many on the Island. Those that can afford that price will also possibly need a helipad to land.
Sell it to English heritage and open it up to the public for all to enjoy
I was under the impression that Norris Castle was grade 1 listed? Isn’t it against the law to modify a grade 1 listed building and its grounds? And yet these people want to turn it into a hotel, build a spa etc. etc. Just tell them no. Put it back as it was, a castle, and open it up to the public as a museum, like Osborne House.
It’s only listed until the government decide to de-list it to get some money in their pockets
Amazes me.. this council wants to stay in the dark ages… how long ago was the Victorian era ?? Too long, how many of them are still around… none… so now it is 2022.. how about building something for this YEAR… so maybe in a few hundred years people will say… wow that was built in the 2020’s era … Why keep going backward and wasting all that money… for a dinosaur age… History books are full of the past… so why not build for a future that will go into future history books ?