Plans have been submitted to demolish the old Shanklin Library and build a brand new performing arts centre, museum and heritage centre in its place. The Shanklin Theatre & Community Trust has now filed a planning application with the Isle of Wight Council to redevelop the site at Victoria Avenue, which will act as an ‘uplift provision’ for the nearby Shanklin Theatre. Once the town’s fire station and more recently the local library, the building is currently used as the Shanklin Performing Arts Centre. The freehold for the site was purchased from the Isle of Wight Council in May 2022. Under the plans, the new centre will boast a 106-capacity flexible auditorium with retractable seating, with a foyer and bar alongside. The 1st floor will host a gallery space for a local museum and heritage centre. On the lower ground floor, there will be 3 dance/rehearsal studios. 
It is hoped that the new building will allow some of Shanklin Theatre’s performances to be moved, particularly those with ow rates of audience occupancy. By moving shows to the smaller performance space, such as those associated with amateur and educational groups, there will be a lower cost and it will ‘enhance cultural provision for local people, improving diversity and allowing the theatre to attract new audiences’. Trustees at Shanklin Theatre & Community Trust are working with Theatres Trust in London – the national advisory public body for theatres – on developing the project. The Theatres Trust was established through the Theatres Trust Act 1976 to promote the better protection of theatres and provide statutory planning advice on theatre buildings and theatre use in England. This Act requires the Theatres Trust to be consulted by local authorities on planning applications which include ‘development involving any land on which there is a theatre’. 
PLANS FOR NEW ARTS AND HERITAGE CENTRE IN SHANKLIN UNVEILED
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Ewww (Ignore this part, its just for reaching the minimum character count)
What a monstrosity. What’s the matter with the existing building?
Another waste of our money
The depicted design, for an arts centre, leaves something to be desired.
Resembling a barn, whose corrugated roof extends downs its walls, it is aesthetically inferior to the building it replaces, and it harmonizes poorly with the neighbouring architecture.
It’s sharp angles and large planes are unwelcoming to humans, and prioritize abstract geometry over comfortable inhabitability.
Where are all the best architects it looks like a barn
more money for namby pampy so called “art” Dodgy placement of the bollards, you can’t even get a pram through there, how about mobility vehicles. Who did that 3D depiction, shocking. More money wasted on a building that will get little or no use, jobs for the boys again.
Stick a bit of cladding on a shed and call it a performing arts centre, are people really that nieve, was these plans drawn by someone from playgroup using an etch-a sketch.
The application reference is 23/02226/FUL. comments in relation to this application can be submitted online. This design and colour is awful and should be refused permission, it is totally out of keeping with the pleasant architectural style of Shanklin.
Excellent Shanklin needs a boost.
How can a 106-seat venue be financially viable? The place will be totally dependent on grants and council handouts until the money dries up.
Me thinks someone needs to spend more than 4 hours “learning” blender whilst jerking it
These trusts appropriate public property and then the tax payer has to probably pay again for the scheming.
I think it is disgusting that the Red Cross are charging a child to hire a wheelchair, Wheelchairs are supposed to be available to anyone that needs one and if the Red Cross gave her one it should be reimbursed by the NHS.
Yes I believe also that they will charge as much as £1000 per day to attend a one day charity event for just sitting there enjoying the music…thus putting price of tickets up so less people attend..seems crazy.
what a dreadfull country we are now..brexshit immigration costing us BILLIONS..
Because the same racists like you voted for it all
The elephant in the room is why, in 2024, does a little girl have to wait that long for surgery?
We are truly regressing back to Victorian times under these Tories who, no doubt, want massive expansion of private healthcare in the UK.
Give Seelys lot another term and cases like this will be the rule rather than the exception.
Perhaps the NEVER ending flotilla’s contents are taking up money which could have been used to treat OUR people.
As the arrivals have no limit, as breeding in their own lands as well as here just as quickly, then things can only ever become even worse for our own sweet children.
SEE the reason. £140 per night per imm in a hotel, and multiply THAT by a never ending growing number.
THINK and ignore the brainwashing medial images, SEE it how it is for you and your families futures.
No its not exactly correct , like the councils of the UK who send so much of our money on non core business ventures that lose money,same with the NHS, take out the thousands (274) in hampshire alone wh are waiting for weight loss surgery, thousands who are waiting for so called gender reassignment surgery, people who are self conscious because theyhave too small or too big boobs, and the list goes on, take all these out of the equation and the surgeons and the beds would be freed up for surgery on people that actually need and deserve it.
This is how we all will be funding our medical treatments soon. How sad our government has succeeded in there mission to trash our NHS to make a case for American style privatisation.
This is disgraceful. Surely this is an emergency as the little girl could be left disabled if surgery is left. If the first consultation isn’t until January 2025, goodness knows when treatment will start,
The fact that people now have to try and raise money so loved ones can get the medical treatment they need is so very sad. I really hope her family get some help/results.
Good god, there must be someone on the Island who has a spare wheelchair for the young lady. If we all put in £1.00 each the family would have enough money for the operation, if you can’t manage a pound how about 50p each, with the amount of people on the Island, 50p each would still amount to several tens of thousand of pounds
Don’t say it too loud or the council will want a cut of the 50p.
Im up for donating if someone sets it up.
totally agree
This poor child needs urgent surgery that the NHS should be providing in a timely fashion. The government has been starving the NHS for well over a decade and we are now seeing real people suffer real consequences because of it. This is not an unusual case and more and more of us will experience delays, cancelled appointments, cancelled surgery and the accumulative results are already showing a general decline in life expectancy and general health of the British people. I absolutely feel gutted for this family, but at the same time disgusted by the purposeful actions of our government to dismantle the NHS. I do hope this little girl gets the surgery she needs as quickly as possible and come election time, evict CONservatives!
How many people will read this, nod in agreement, then carry on blindly voting for the Tories just the same? So many have no shame.
Why the £22 a week wheel chair charge ? I thought the red cross lent them out free of charge ?
I understood from working in social care that they ask for a one off hiring fee for indefinite use unless they have changed their policy
If your under 18 you can get referred through your GP to the wheel chair services I did the same for my daughter who had corrective surgery and they gave her a wheelchair also if she’s in alot of pain the mum can go back to the GP an they can extradite the appointment to the consultant so she will get seen quicker I had to do the exact same for my daughter as she couldn’t walk any longer and was in alot of pain hope this helps
I’ve just donated discusting way to treat the family and a 7 year old why is our mp not looking into this? or why not the proper care, we all pay taxes into this and when we need it ..we get nothing..im so angry all those immos get everything handed to them..
There are usually a few wheelchairs available quite cheaply on Wightbay, worth a look as it would be better than paying £22 a week.
its not about a wheelchair this girl needs operation now..not next bloody year..
What would you do if your little Girl?
Either pester the NHS to get it done sooner or use my own money to go private. I would not expect people to pay for private surgery via a fundraising website. We pay our taxes for NHS health care and I am sure I am not paying out more for somebody else’s care.
What will the operation cost?
Surely a referral to QAH Portsmouth would not result in such a long wait – We are after all the Portsmouth and Isle of Wight NHS Trust! Also, have you tried Practice Plus in Southampton, a private practice carrying out NHS work?
There is an Isle of Wight disability aids site which regularly has wheelchairs available for purchase BUT, under the circumstances, “come on Red Cross” waive the hire charges and, refund the charges already paid or, better still Gift Aid them to this appeal!
That’s my next job, to make a donation……Good luck Young Lady x
……
Hi I feel for you so much I really do and I hope Sophie is ok as can be. Just had the same experience with my grandson he needed operation on his leg ACL cruciate ligament and also meniscus ligament problems been going on forever seen several consultants eventually just before Xmas told will go on emergency list get seen before Xmas no show of course got another date that was cancelled and rebooked twice in the end they have had to go private savings gone could no weight bare lost his job 20 year old I really don’t know what is happening with this country had his op Tuesday just gone now long recoup for him but at least he has been done I do hope you get Sophie sorted very soon bless her
‘I really don’t know what is happening in this country’
Surely you can see that since mass immigration, this countries wealth making us all have a lower standard of living?
Surely you can see that if millions of impoverished ‘take’ without ever having paid in, then there isn’t the money to treat our own as they once would have done?
Surely you can see the huge amount of crime since, and whilst the media must have done an excellent job of brainwashing, surely you can see why courts can no longer jail people unless the very worst as our jails are full with such?
Just because every TV show, every ad, every poster, is forced to show these people in a wonderful light, it is to trick people into accepting the unacceptable imo
Surely you can choose and book anywhere in the country and shop around for the shortest waiting list??
Imagine being so bitter that you have to anonymously muck fling on the internet. No one could have predicted this and whatever the family may or may not have paid for prior to this is no one’s business. This is the situation here and now! I’ve got every respect for people that have an opinion and stand by it, but “annon” comments that are malicious and spiteful are a reflection on you – not this family.
What if your child be deformed and in pain for life?????
See above.
Clearly you know the family well enough to make this sort of comment about their financial situation and what they own/lease or have finance on?
Shame you couldn’t have actually put your name to your comment instead of hiding behind a screen name so they can see who you are.
Perhaps you could offer them some face to face advice seeing as you know every detail of their lives and current situation?
Imagine being such a fanny on the internet that you need to hide anonymously behind a child’s fundraiser article.