A developer’s proposal to convert a former Isle of Wight care home into a 21-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO) has been met with concerns from Ventnor residents and the NHS.
In a submission to council planners, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight said it would object to Joubert Properties Ltd’s plans to convert the former Ward House Nursing Home on Ventnor’s Alpine Road, unless a £6,320 developer contribution was made for ‘increasing primary care infrastructure’.
The Integrated Care Board (ICB) said:
“The development directly affects the ability to provide the health service required to those who live in the development and the community at large.
“Without securing such contributions, the ICB would be unable to support the proposals and would object to the application because the direct and adverse impact that the development will have on the delivery of primary health care.”
9 members of the public have also come forward to oppose the proposal.
Their grounds of objection include the need for family homes, a lack of local employment and ‘social support’ for the HMO’s residents, fire risks, inadequate parking provision, waste management and the HMO being ‘out of character’.
Other concerns include noise and anti-social behaviour, safety, a lack of local infrastructure, an ‘excessive’ number of future tenants and the HMO having ‘little or no’ outside space.
Mitchell Avenue resident Nicholas Schwartz said:
“Ventnor town is recovering from many years without sufficient employment for its residents and insufficient support for those residents who are socially disadvantaged.
“The additional burden of a 21-bed HMO could add considerably to the town’s problems: there would be no work for the residents and little if any social support.
“It would seem that this application is one based purely on commercial gain, with no thought or consideration given to Ventnor or its residents and little consideration given to the potential inhabitants of the building.”
A statement supporting Joubert Properties’ application from the Andrew White Planning Consultancy says:
“The proposal involves the conversion of the property into 21 bedrooms, taking advantage of the opportunity to optimise the use of this underutilised/redundant building, previously used as a large care home and constituting brownfield land.
“There is an identified need for the proposed low-cost rented accommodation and on this basis occupancy rates should be relatively secure, thereby ensuring the future maintenance of this building, helping to maintain the vitality of the locality and nearby town centre.
“This proposal would make an important and vital contribution to supporting the council’s strategies aimed at tackling Island residents’ housing needs, as well as rough sleeping and homelessness on the Island.”
