Just a month after plans were shelved for the historic Isle of Wight East Dene estate, new proposals have come forward.
The Grade II* listed building, built in 1824, overlooking the Bonchurch coastline, could now be split into eight residential flats, after Robert Camping, the man behind the plans, submitted a new scheme to the Isle of Wight council.
Plans for wellbeing retreat
A previous proposal could have seen the protected estate turned into a wellbeing retreat with eco-lodges installed in the grounds.
Those proposals were later revised to transform the main house into an aparthotel with a commercial kitchen.
In December, the revised plans were withdrawn amid a flurry of objections which called the scheme an ‘overdevelopment’.
Large six-bedroomed house and seven apartments
Scaled-back plans could now see the main house adapted to a six-bedroom home.
In addition, six new apartments, ranging from one to three bedrooms, would be created in the historic building, alongside one existing apartment.
Some internal alterations
Plans say internal alterations would see some doors blocked up and new ones created, with bathrooms, shower rooms and kitchens fitted.
The finishes of some walls, ceilings and floors could also be stripped.
No major external alterations would be made, the plans say, apart from some extraction vents and flues added at roof level.
East Dene had previously been used as a wedding venue and most recently as an Allnatt Children’s Activity Centre, but closed due to the Covid pandemic.
View the plans
You can view the plans, 23/02196/FUL and 23/02197/LBC, on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning register. The public consultation runs until 26th January 2024.
One objection has already been submitted against the plans by a neighbour, saying the traffic consequences would serve to “destroy the allure and very possibly the safety” of this historic site for residents and visitors alike.
Island Roads objection
To get to East Dene, on Bonchurch Village Road, Island Roads said people would need to use a number of substandard junctions, to the detriment of highway safety and would add “unduly to the hazards of highway users”.
The highways authority said it would object to the plans, if it could not be proven East Dene had been used as a 36-bed hotel all year round, as it would generate a significant increase in vehicular traffic.
It also said there was inadequate pedestrian connectivity and unacceptable access width and visibility.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
