A new plan to help enhance the architectural and historical features of Sandown, tackle some of the town’s worst derelict sites and improve the public realm, has been published.
The Isle of Wight Council, working with Sandown Town Council, has launched the Sandown Conservation Area Management Plan, following public consultation, community engagement events, and contributions from stakeholder groups.
The plan includes:
- Recording the current condition of buildings in the conservation area;
- Appointing ‘Historic Environment Champions’ to raise the profile and awareness of conservation issues;
- Identifying redundant or harmful signage;
- Tackling some of the worst vacant or harmful sites;
- Creating public realm improvements, including planters and working with Green Town Volunteers;
- Promoting an annual awards scheme for building projects and environmental improvements;
- Supporting a maintenance week to improve the appearance of the public realm.
The management plan focuses on the conservation area but, similar to the Bay Place Plan, aims to support the regeneration of the wider Bay area.
Councillor Paul Fuller, Cabinet member for planning, said:
“This management plan focuses and seeks clarity on the town’s conservation area whilst providing an exciting opportunity moving forward for Sandown.
“At the same time, it enables the Isle of Wight Council to work in partnership with Sandown Town Council addressing concerns raised relating to those areas categorised ‘at risk’ within English Heritage’s Risk Register.”
According to the report, no-one could have foreseen the closure of a string of hotels along the High Street and Culver Parade.
But their closure, along with the demolition of the Savoy Apartments, as well as being an economic loss to the town, has blighted the character of the conservation area. And while there have been improvements to some residential properties, the report says more work is needed.
It acknowledges the enforcement being carried out by the council but says this should also include the development, reuse and restoration of key buildings, with a specific focus on bringing vacant upper floors back into residential use. The report concludes, above all, the future improvement and management of the conservation area is a shared responsibility.
The Mayor of Sandown, Councillor Alex Lightfoot, said:
“We value the Isle of Wight Council listening to the concerns raised with some of the bigger challenges, such as vacant and derelict buildings requiring costly and time consuming legal action.
“We can make more immediate progress on initiatives such as our Accessible Changing Places project, which has secured external funding.”
Sandown Library will be displaying the plan with a transcribed copy of the plan available from the reception desk. The plan can also be downloaded from the Isle of Wight Council’s website.
If the council are involved .. then this initiative is doomed to fail As their track record is a shambles ..
Classic case of polishing a turd. This time next year we won’t notice any difference
Turdtown no1..
Until the High Street and Esplanade is tidy IW Council should
reduce business rates for struggling businesses.
Sandown needs to change, sandown has been dying for years and this is coming from an 18 year old who has lived here this whole time. It’s quickly declining and I was the person who spray painted the wall at the lake public toilets a little while ago to get the attention of the council but it didn’t do much. Either way those toilets got destroyed anyway. Sandown could be so so nice but it’s not. You can do so much better
Sadly whoever is responsible for Tourism on the Island is totally clueless.
Bring back the boating lake would be a good start.
The Council are more concerned booking vehicles who have not paid or
exceeded their parking meter times.
I am fed up seeing enforcement officers parading around Seafronts booking holidaymakers.
Yet vehicles can Park on” Double Yellow lines ” outside the Pier and nothing gets done about it.
Totally shocking behaviour.
Stayed in Sandown for 5 day holiday in May. Couldn’t believe
The state of the town closed shops and crumbling buildings. Such a shame as the beach and promenade are
Lovely. The council should be
ashamed of their selves. The island needs tourism but I for one will not be returning!
I don’t blame you.
The Council should never have let Sandown get in such a state.
Holidaymakers pay ridiculous ferry prices to come to the Island, what for?,
to pay 20p or 40p to use toilets and be hassled by parking enforcement officers.
Devon, Dorset or Cornwall are better options
No ferry fares either.
you can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig
All talk nothing will happen turdtown for ever…the bogs on the revertment shut for last 5/6 months so no pee or poo between turdtown and shaklin..that’s great for a 2023 tourist season well done to all..come to the ils of shite..only thing is you can’t..
The top award today…Turdtown.
What a load of nonsense, everyone knows that the good things that happen in Sandown are due to some wonderful volunteers. The council have done and will continue to do sweet FA for this town and it’s people, they will however find ways for us to pay for their lack of action on this towns real problems, our dying high street, derelict buildings and alcohol/substance issues that drive much of the anti social behaviour we suffer.
Sorry but the reason sandown is in such a parlous state is through the oversight, interference and social engineering of public sector bureaucrats for the last 30 years – expecting them to fix the ruination and ‘regenerate’ anything is as likely as them sending a rocket to the moon
I’m sorry, just wiping away the tears from laughing. Every point in the plan is just pure, unadulterated hot air. Not a single practical step has been suggested. My personal favourite is point no.6;- We are offering a prize to anyone who actually achieves anything in Sandown. Priceless!
Knocking down the burnt-out hotels would be a Start.
I don’t think they should knock them down. They could bring back the beautiful old buildings that have lots of character instead of flattening them and building ugly high rise buildings, flats that know one can afford. Hotels are more useful to a holiday town.
30+ years of neglect is what we are seeing in Sandown now. It will cost 100’s of millions to put it right, and there is no way that will ever happen now. The council have destroyed it. All that will happen is the 2nd, 3rd and more homeowners will move in buy up bits of the rubbish tip that is now Sandown, and eventually privatise the beach front. Then the council can hike up council tax and mark it as a great success for the island.