Plans have been submitted yet again to build 5 townhouses on the site of the former Zanies nightclub in Sandown, more than 20 years after plans to build housing on the site were first approved.
Applicants John Moorman and Paul Moorman, of Zanies Ltd, are once again asking the Isle of Wight Council for permission to build on land at the Esplanade which has sat empty since the former nightclub building was demolished in 2015.
Each property would consist of a garage, bathroom, main entrance/porch and bin storage areas at ground floor level, plus 3 bedrooms and bathrooms at the 1st-floor level, as well as a living and dining room and kitchen/breakfast room with access to a rooftop balcony above.
A covenant prevents building much higher than the proposed houses, which will sit on an 832-year leasehold, 0.10-hectare plot between Napoleon’s Landing and the apartment block next door.
Plans of the exact same nature were approved back in 2017, with it understood work had to begin within a 3-year time period. This elapsed however and a further, identical, application was issued in 2022, however, this was withdrawn by the applicants.
The site was then put on the open market for £895,000 in 2020, but failed to sell, despite the site having planning permission for the proposed development at that time.
Ideas of creating townhouses on the site go back as far as 2002 and 2006 when applications were submitted to the Isle of Wight Council. Both were approved however a spade was never lifted.
It remains unclear as to why there has been such a delay in beginning works on the site given that at least 3 submitted applications – albeit differing in nature – have been approved over the last 20 years.
That might finally put a Stop to Numpties parking on the
Double Yellow lines along this Road.
That’s the Numpties who own the Pier, they think they own the
Road, hence parking on Double Yellow lines outside
Napoleon’s Reach
Well it’s a start to making Sandown sea front tidier.
Gonna look like goldilocks and the four bears. These will be very tiny weenie bear. That thing on its left obviously didn’t have covenant!
I was also wondering; why wasn’t there a height covenant for the adjacent buildings. Maybe, the properties behind had placed a covenant years ago stating any building below couldn’t exceed a certain height so as not to block their view of the sea. I had a property in Jeals Lane, where, when I came to sell it, there were issues about proving I didn’t use the home to make bricks. I found out there was a covenant on the site of Jeals Lane preventing anyone from manufacturing bricks. I remember the covenant originated when the railway line went from Sandown to Newport.
Btw what killed off night clubs? Chief suspect is mobile phones imo.
People don’t meet each other anymore, it all seems to be dating apps, no one goes out, chats someone up, buys them a drink, it’s all done on the mobile phone!! I know, I’m old and grumpy!
Hello….myname is Bob
That used to be my name.
zanies was great in the early 90’s rave scene – had many a good night in there.
Even better in the early ’80s when, if you didn’t dress up ‘Zanie enough’, the doorman wouldn’t give you entry. I remember the DJ sitting in a booth which looked like a diamond. The bath with the fake grass. The upside-down umbrellas. Boys would often have more make-up and do it better than girls. You had to bribe the DJ with a drink to get your favourite song (any track by Japan)—great music, great atmosphere, followed by a greasy cheeseburger from the van parked outside. Then, thumbing a lift back to Ryde. Did anyone else use to thumb a lift home from a stranger?
Err… Not comfortable with where this is going. Please don’t regale us with sordid tales of sweaty, sexual endeavour with strangers on the Downs. This is neither the time nor the place.
I used to work the amusement arcade downstairs of the Blue Lagoon back in the 50’s and would love to purchase a town house on this site where I used to work.
Why? Did you bury a body there and you want to make sure it isn’t found?
Think another nightclub would be better, what world are we creating here, one enjoyed through apps in pods??
Ah good some more affordable housing for iow people! push on.
Looks absolutely ridiculous. The council could at least try to make this mess of a seafront look better rather than worse.