A new five-year lease could be given to the new tenant of a popular Isle of Wight family attraction.
Brown’s Golf Course, on Culver Parade, Sandown, has been open since the end of July under Paul Saville, after previous uncertainty over its future.
Securing long-term future
Now the Isle of Wight council is looking to secure the longevity of the attraction while it works on regeneration plans for Culver Parade and Yaverland.
It means Mr Saville could be in place until 2027 although a ‘mutual’ six-month break clause has been written into the contract for early termination if required.
New tenancy offered in the Spring
New tenants were first sought for the business back in May — after the previous holders ended their tenancy — at which point 29 people came forward. Only eight of those submitted a bid.
To get the attraction open for summer, the council had a budget of £65,000.
Putting greens and refreshments
At the moment, the putting greens, pitch and putt course and the front section of the pavilion are open, offering ice creams and hot and cold refreshments.
Previously, Mr Saville said he fell in love with Brown’s after visiting for almost 20 years and looked forward to working with the council to ensure it has a very bright future and is a place for all to enjoy.
Plans to expand the offer
Going forward, it is hoped the rest of the building and courses could be opened so the full potential of Brown’s could be realised, but there are still major repairs waiting to happen.
A survey of the property was undertaken earlier in the year and it was determined more than £240,000 of work needed to be done either urgently (in six months), essentially (in two years) or longer term (in ten years).
Work totalling £117,000 needed to be done in the next six months.
Delegated decision
The delegated decision to grant the lease will not be made until 30th August by Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, the cabinet member for economy, regeneration, culture and leisure.
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
