Plans for a “sympathetic conversion” of former The Esplanade Hotel (previously Seagrove Hotel) in Sandown have opened for public comments.
The application on the Isle of Wight council’s planning portal sets out details of the conversion into a mix of 14 private residential and six holiday apartments.
Not used for many years
The owner purchased the property in the summer of 2019 at auction. It has not been open for a number of years and is in need of extensive renovations and repairs.
Planning documents say the ongoing maintenance costs and overheads are extremely high for such a large Victorian building in a Conservation Area, with seaward exposed elevations.
Dated interior and in need of renovation
Under the previous owner, the building’s most recent use was as a 60 bedroom budget hotel. The interior decoration and layout is said to be very dated and “not in-line with the current holiday market needs”.
The application also states that there’s an opportunity to visually improve the street scene on both main elevations, which are “currently cluttered and untidy with no real identity”. The heritage statement shows images of multi-coloured properties, much like the famous ‘painted ladies’ of Bristol.
Retaining traditional detailing
The application states that the overall aim will be to retain the traditional detailing of the building where possible and ensure the building remains in-keeping with the street scene.
Removing or improving any unattractive later add-ons and adding detailing, as well as tidying up the sea-facing gardens to provide private gardens for the lower ground floor apartments.
Restoring building back to its original purpose
The application states that the aim is to improve and enhance the setting, whilst partially restoring the building back to its original purpose which was residential.
It adds that the mixed use can be seen as providing support to local shops and services from residents and tourists, creating a year-round holiday business, as well as improving the residential accommodation offer of modernised open market apartments in Sandown.
View the plans
Residents can view the plans (22/00660/FUL) on the Isle of Wight council’s planning portal.
The public consultation runs until Friday 15th July 2022
Image: © Google Maps/Streetview
