The company that owns Totland Pier and the 2 buildings at either end have revealed new plans to turn the former site of the Bay Café into ‘hotel rooms’.
Despite previously having plans for accommodation on the site at the dry end of the pier rejected, a representative of The Wooldridge Group told the Isle of Wight Guru website that they plan to submit another application to turn the Bay Café into ‘hotel rooms’ for guests who would dine at the new restaurant at the wet end of the pier.
The previous application to turn the café into self-catered holiday lets was rejected after opposition from Totland Parish Council. At the time, the Isle of Wight Council said the loss of the café would have a detrimental impact on the tourism provision in the bay, the vitality of a key seafront destination and the local community.
It is not yet understood how the new plans will circumvent these same concerns but the future of the restaurant at the wet end of the pier is becoming increasingly clear.
The owners hope to start work on it this Winter with plans to then open by Easter 2024. They will then be open for most of the year although some closures during winter are anticipated.
There are 20 moorings at the end of the pier so that people can sail across to visit the restaurant.
You can watch Isle of Wight Guru’s latest drone footage of Totland pier below:
Check out the Isle of Wight Guru’s website here – https://www.isleofwightguru.co.uk/who-is-the-isle-of-wight-guru.html
The story says there are 20 moorings at the end of the pier, so we know that local people will not be able to afford to eat there or stay there. Red trousers only.
Has anybody been near The Hut recently just around the corner.?
One part of the beach can’t be used now due to the taxi ribs taking customers back to their yachts, how are they allowed to commandeer a beach.? The sea wall also is a nogo zone outside the hut, nobody can sit there. The music also is so loud it can be heard from 150 yards away, customers have to shout at each other to be heard. I feel sorry for the people who have had to give up their beach huts alongside due to the noise. Dreadful place, we do not want another one of these places around the corner thank you.
They don’t care about the local people, only the elites who like to tread on and disregard any rules or law. Searching some of those “Yachts” might not be a bad idea either, drugs galore.
Has anybody found out what this company proposes to do with regard to parking, at the land end ??
There is precious little at the moment, there will be none during a busy summer for general beach goers ??
Lord knows what will happen then ?
One would imagine that it would be a similar parking arrangement to The Hut.?
Flown in by helicopter to a nearby field then picked up in a big land rover taxi. Or park your yacht nearby and they’ll have a taxi rib to bring you ashore. Or call them from Yarmouth harbour and they’ll pick you up.
Don’t worry peeps the ultimate plan for the pier is to turn everything into housing within a couple of years, the restaurant will be said to be unviable and the cafe will be open so infrequently also making it unviable.
Off to the bookies now to see what odds they will give me.
You are all so right us locals yet again hove no say in what happens? The beach already gets so busy, there isn’t enough parking, plus there are places to stay just up the road, it will affect a lot of local businesses. I for one will not go there if it’s turned into accommodation. Oh hang on I won’t be able to afford it!!!
Oh I guess that wasn’t always the intention.
Blatant grasping greed rears its horrible head!
Hopefully it will be very expensive to deter the sort of pathetic whinger that comments on here every time something a class above a greasy spoon opens. The last thing the owners will want is a few scruffy layabouts nursing a cup of tea all afternoon in their multi-million pound investment. I hope it is successful because it will be providing badly needed jobs in the area on a pier that no-one has been able to use for decades before the investment and many years of hard work restoring it.
There is nothing wrong with greasy spoons, they feed the backbone of Britain.
I would happily spend a day in a greasy spoon with normal people rather than spend ten minutes with people saying Golly is that your yacht.?People’s behavior away from Belgravia would make you aghast. So much variety watching society scampering past. I went to a marvelous party, we didn’t start dinner till ten, and young Bobbie Carr did a stunt at the bar with a lot of extraordinary men.Dear Baba arrived with a turtle which shattered us all to the core.The Grand Duke was dancing a foxtrot with me when suddenly Colin screamed “Fiddledidee” and ripped off his trousers and jumped in the sea, I couldn’t have liked it more.
We don’t want that at Totland Pier.
I find both buildings look cheap and, dare I say it, nasty and no way near appropriate for the location. The one at the end is in such a prominent position and completely dominates views of the beautiful solent, it certainly doesn’t speak of wealthy people enjoying expensive meals etc. An oportunity to achieve something of value to the visual environment wasted.
So did no one see this coming, they set the cafe up to fail. So they could say they tried and put in planning permission again and hopefully do what they wanted in the first place. Happens all the time apparently,
Could the two lads who have purchased Totland Pier come over to Shanklin and build another pier. Whilst it had better days before the great storm of 1987 blew it away Shanklin has never been the same since we lost the iconic treasure that jetted out for 1200 feet.
Does it matter who uses the restaurant and cafe? The reason there is little parking is because it’s a popular place with beach goers and the yellow wellie brigade alike. If the grotty yachties are to bring their big fat wallets all the better. Their money is as good as anyone else’s. The water taxis generate income just like anything else. I bet most people who have commented don’t even own a yacht. Nimbyism at its worst.