If you read yesterday’s OnTheWight article about the planning application to place an SR-N4 hovercraft propeller on land adjacent to Albany Green in East Cowes, you may like to hear more about the background to that proposal – and the community effort that has driven it forward.
East Cowes councillor Karl Love has been at the heart of that story since the summer of 2019, and has shared his account of how the propeller came to be here, and why he now finds himself in a standoff with Cowes Harbour Commission over the future of the wider Albany Green space.
Brought home in 2019
Councillor Love along with his partner, David Hill, and Lin and Chris Kemp (who Councillor Love says deserves the majority of the credit) collected the propeller from the Hovercraft Museum on a sunny summer’s day in 2019.
The group raised the funding needed, and the propeller was donated to East Cowes Town Council on a long-term museum loan.
Red Funnel and Wight Shipyard both supported the effort, with Wight Shipyard providing initial storage before the propeller transferred to the care of the Classic Boat Museum, where it has remained since.
A search for a permanent home
Finding a suitable permanent location for the four-metre-high propeller proved challenging, with several potential sites considered and ruled out over the years.
Councillor Love says the Albany Green project, led by Isle of Wight Council officer Ross Edmunds, has been in development for around 18 months and has brought together a wide range of partners, including the Hovercraft Museum, the East Cowes Heritage Centre, the Boat Museum, East Cowes Town Council, Wight Shipyard and Lin Kemp.
As reported by OnTheWight, Isle of Wight Council has submitted a planning application to install a refurbished SR-N4 hovercraft propeller and pylon on land adjacent to Albany Green, with the public consultation period open until Friday 1st May 2026.
Councillor Love said,
“It’s now more than six years since we first went to collect it and so we are delighted to finally see some plans coming forward with real credibility.”
He added that the propeller tells not only the story of the hovercraft and its inventor Sir Christopher Cockerell, but also the story of the community effort to bring it home and find it a place of significance.
Marina proposal draws opposition
The Albany Green project has itself taken more than five years to reach its current stage, but a recent proposal from Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) to develop a marina with access onto Albany Green has drawn strong opposition from Councillor Love.
CHC intends to operate launches between Cowes and the proposed new marina.
Councillor Love said he has spent considerable time working with representatives of CHC and Isle of Wight Council over the past year to seek a compromise, including suggesting an alternative connection point at Bell’s Landing, away from the performance area of Albany Green.
He said CHC rejected that suggestion and has continued to press its preferred location, which he argues would undermine the community space that partners have spent years creating.
Community space must be protected
Councillor Love explained that East Cowes Town Council is shortly to take ownership of the Albany Green area, which currently sits in the care of Isle of Wight Council.
He described Albany Green as a conservation area with heritage assets that authorities have protected since before the First World War for the benefit of local people.
He said:
“Our residents and community needs come first.”
He acknowledged that a marina connection could benefit East Cowes, but said the community’s long-term investment in Albany Green must not be compromised by it.
Councillor Love said he would continue to seek a solution with CHC.
