November planning round-up

A once-popular Isle of Wight fish and chip shop was lost forever, a scenic seafront will get five more beach huts, and plans to replace a former hotel with a care home were rejected.

These were some of the most high-profile planning proposals decided by County Hall this month, lodged in Lake, Totland Bay and Shanklin.

On November 6, prior approval was given for a change of use of part of 16 Sandown Road in Lake – previously housing the Lake Fish Bar which closed in August 2023. The commercial premises has been vacant since the closure and despite her ‘best endeavours’, the owner n was not able to sell the business, according to a statement from Andrew White Planning Consultancy.

“With the general decline in town centre commercial activity and high level of vacant premises there is an inevitable shift towards greater residential,” the consultancy said. It will now form part of the existing house at the site which is to have four bedrooms. County Hall’s decision report on 25/01360/3MPA said the change of use would not result in ‘any adverse impacts’ such as those relating to highway safety or loss of a desirable use.

Last Friday (November 21), planners approved an application for more ‘smart beach huts’ on land to the south of Pilots Point, Totland Bay. The applicant’s agent, Plan Research, said the huts would substantially improve the area’s environment, with the site’s existing hard-standing run down and unsightly. It came after council officers accepted a previous beach huts proposal from Canice Holdings on land next to Pilots Point, in July. The decision report, on application 25/01389/FUL, said the huts would have a ‘traditional appearance’ and would not look out of place.

And on Monday this week (November 24), the council refused a change of use application from a care provider to replace the former Parkway Hotel on Shanklin’s Park Road with assisted living accommodation for adults with learning disabilities or mental health needs.

The three storey, 16-bedroom premises closed in August 2023, according to their agent, Paul Stack Planning. Its former operator said The Parkway Hotel ceased trading after becoming financially unviable – a result of ‘rising operational costs’ and a ‘significant decline’ in tourism.

But County Hall said the loss of the hotel would have a ‘detrimental impact’ on the Isle of Wight’s tourism economy. Deciding on application 25/01427/FUL, County Hall said planning policy allows for the loss of tourism accommodation where it can be ‘robustly evidenced’ the current use is unviable.

“In this case, it is considered this has not been robustly demonstrated and therefore loss of the existing hotel would have a detrimental impact on the Island’s tourism economy, contrary to local planning policy which seeks to maintain and improve tourism accommodation, particularly in locations such as this,” planners said.