Just 2 years after a multi-million-pound redevelopment, a café on Totland Pier could be replaced by holiday rental rooms.
The pier — which dates back to 1880 — was restored in a major scheme; with the old café pulled down to make way for The Bay Café and a 2-story café and restaurant at the seaward end of the pier.
Work was continuing on the restaurant building last summer but The Bay Café was open for a season in 2021.
However, questions had been asked about the future of the café as it did not open last summer — and was put up for sale, along with the pier and restaurant, at the end of 2021.
Plans have now been submitted by Surrey-based developers Wooldridge Group, which could see the cafe’s doors shut for good.
The café and kitchen space could be transformed into 5 short-stay holiday rental rooms, which planning agents on behalf of the developers LXA say, would have no adverse impact on the pier or public access. It said it would improve the local economy by retaining visitors to Totland Bay and Pier for longer periods of time.
In a public access agreement, submitted along with the planning documents, the pier would be open between 09:00 – 17:00, with no cycling, roller skating, skateboarding allowed nor swimming or diving from the pier.
Fishing would only be allowed with the permission of the owner.
You can view the plans, 22/02320/FUL, on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning register. Comments can be submitted until 10th February.
Changes are also being proposed to the restaurant, in the hope to improve the internal layout, and include new entrance doors. You can see those plans, 22/02319/ FUL, also on the council’s website.
Well there’s a surprise. That wasn’t the grand plan all along was it.
Suprised? No not really!
Great they make holiday homes, and then we lose parking spaces…
I preferred it when it was ‘rundown ‘ with its welcoming cafe/ restaurant, with log burner, good honest food, the wind and waves against the windows….
Had great atmosphere.
Somthing else the locals have lost in favour of the DFL’s
I said, right from the start, that this was the plan. When readers were hailing the news that someone was going to start work on repairing the pier, I posted in the comments that they would take over the pier, build a house or housing and then make it private property and we would lose access to it. It’s nothing more than ‘Land grab’!