The owners of the dilapidated Norris Castle in East Cowes are revising plans following concerns from the community.
The move comes after they shared frustrations about a lack of engagement from East Cowes Town Council, which they say is ongoing.
Plans have been in the making for a number of years to turn the Grade I listed building on the outskirts of the town into a luxury hotel and resort.
Designs from Global Techincal Solutions (GTS) and the Norris Castle Estate Group were officially submitted to the Isle of Wight Council earlier this year but hit some snags when issues were raised.
The application is now being held up until revised highway plans for East Cowes Esplanade are submitted following concerns from Island Roads.
The town council also shared its concerns, including inadequate junction visibility, width and footway width.
GTS has come up with 2 different schemes, 1 of which would include a Copenhagen crossing and the other which would bend the access road – but have to use a section of land leased from the Isle of Wight Council to East Cowes Town Council.
A Copenhagen crossing gives priority to pedestrians at side roads, encouraging vehicles to slow down and give way to pedestrians when entering or exiting the side road.
The option to bend the access road was the preferred one, Clynt Wellington, of GTS, said, and they were asking the town council to clarify its position and which it would support.
In exchange for the land, GTS said it was offering mutual benefits including:
- a legally binding covenant to prevent further development without the town council’s approval
- an agreement stipulating delivery routes and timings during construction
- pay in part for the repair of the Esplanade and removal of landslip debris
- provide technical and structural engineers to help find a solution to the Esplanade landslip issues
- refurbish of 4 acres of woodland to the town council’s design and specification.
However, Mr Wellington says no preferred option was indicated by the town council so it is now going with the option of a Copenhagen crossing, so the planning issues can be resolved urgently.
East Cowes Town Council said it informed Mr Wellington it had not changed its views from its original comments and would await the amended application before commenting further.
Mr Wellington has said the planning process has been 7 years of frustrations and requires all stakeholders to decide the future of the nationally important asset.
He said it is in their interests to maintain a dialogue with the local community and carry out the benefits and address any local concerns.
As a local resident of East cowes for over 30 years I am in full support of Mr Wellington and his proposed plans for the refurbishment of norris castle. And with their deal to clear the landslip so the public can use the esplanade again is amazing. COME ON ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL stop messing these people around their going to clear the landslip something the council hasn’t done since it happened
You really are blind aren’t you? The only reason they say they will clear the landslip is because they want to build seafront homes on the land for the rich. So good luck with ever being able to see clear land there again. Don’t be taken in by their spin.
total crap there are many children that play down there
I don’t think anybody minds refurbishing the castle — but building over the seafront thus further destruction of seafront and dark sky: that’s the issue.
This does look like an opportunity to be siezed with both hands,and I don’t understand why East Cowes TC isn’t doing so – except, of course, the preponderance of old fa*ts upon it.
The financial stability and backing of GTS needs to be verified, but ECTC doesn’t seem interested in that, either.
Fingers out, boys and girls1
would you like to have your seafront area destroyed or are you ok with putting children’s lives at risk
Why dose mr wellington think that he can dictate to the people of east cowes we do not want the new entrance to this site to be on our seafront .There is only one road into Norris and that is Newbarn road . He should have done his due diligence befor he bought norris . Well done ECTC for stopping this money grabbing company from destroying our seafront
It’s the same company that built 1/2 the flats at island harbour and left the rest for years.
Could bodge this beautiful place and leave it with pop up projects
Don’t let this company destroy another place.
They take on projects all over the UK leave half finished and go into administration
Yup, that whole case is super sus.
Oconnor constructions as used at island harbour.
Don’t let them do it
They take companies destroy them and leave them for rack and ruin
Absolute right of way for pedestrians (who have fun by the seafront) is pretty much what ESPLANADE word means so, err, yes, Copenhagen crossing is probably the obvious minimum any self-respecting architect would recommend.
Never happen i remember back in the 80s monkey town was going to be the next saint tropez…still a crap hole today