New life could be breathed into a prominent Sandown town centre building after plans were put forward to renovate the derelict Esplanade Hotel.
Once a favourite of Rockstar’s, The Esplanade Hotel, on the High Street, has stood empty for years but plans have been unveiled, by Plaza Property Developments, to turn the block of buildings into 20 apartments — 14 for residential use and six for self-catering holidays.
In 1970, while it was the Seagrove Hotel, Jimi Hendrix stayed the night before his famous Isle of Wight Festival set.
The building has had a chequered history since then, with the hotel last used as budget accommodation before it was sold to its current owners 3 years ago. Despite being in new ownership since 2019, the hotel was already said to be in a state of disrepair so has not reopened since.
Now a ‘sympathetic conversion’ is planned, agents BCM say on behalf of the applicants, with the hotel needing extensive renovations and repairs.
Planning documents, submitted to the Isle of Wight Council, say ongoing maintenance costs and overheads for the Victorian buildings are extremely high and the lower floors have recently been stripped out due to a leak from a water tank.
The transformation of part of the hotel into residential use will help fund the renovation works, BCM say, modernising the dated interior and improving the exterior.
The agents say the amount of work needed to restore the building, would in most cases, lead to demolition but the owner considers it viable to retain and improve it — once again making it an asset to the Conservation Area.
Traditional external detailing would be kept where possible and each block of the building would be finished in different pastel or neutral colours.
The majority of apartments would be two-bed, some with balconies, but all with sea views over the Sandown Esplanade.
You can view the plans, 22/00660/FUL, on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning register. Comments can be submitted until 15th July.
Will this soon be catching fire?
Two minds think alike. I wonder if there will be a bet going on at the local bookies for it to catch fire before works commence.
A positive post. Lovely to hear some owners of these run down, derelict once we’re hotels are willing to invest and renovate.
A positive move for Sandown. Hopefully work will start soon if the IOW Planning Department pass the proposed plans!
totally agree, let’s hope it moves ahead and prompts the start of Sandowns much needed regeneration.
Hardly regeneration – it’s just more expensive seafront flats with no parking and no resources.
Even the “self catering apartments” are just more flats – easily sold as private dwellings after the dust has settled.
so what’s the alternative, leave it as it is, just to rot ?
Why not keep it as a Hotel, NOT turn it into flats… Flats do not bring tourists… !!!
In my opinion, all of Sandown is derelict… I blame it on the Ferries, they cost far too much. WE need a tunnel.. so people are not subject to when they can cross and return, or have to pay the very high costs.
plans have been unveiled, by Plaza Property Developments, to turn the block of buildings into 20 apartments — 14 for residential use and six for self-catering holidays.
……..
usual dross – more benefit hutches, to add to the problems in sandown – more pressure on the already thin infrastructure
idiots with no idea, continually piling more and more dwellings onto an island that cannot handle it.
Obvious Council not interested in tourists anymore, unknown why they cannot keep it as a Hotel , a place where tourists would stay ?? As flats, where are the owners, renters going to park ?? More benefit people moving to the Island …
Quite obvious those that have put thumbs down to many of the answers here, do not care about the Island only themselves… they should move off this Island so we can get a tourist trade again !!