A hotel that has felt the full force of the Covid pandemic is asking for permission to be turned into flats, one with a holiday use.
The Esplanade Hotel on Shanklin Esplanade has submitted an application to the Isle of Wight Council asking to change the hotel into mostly residential accommodation.
No bookings for 2020
Planning documents say the hotel has not had a booking in 2020, due to the fact that it is predominately a dormitory-style hotel, with bunk beds provided in rooms for school bookings.
With Covid restrictions affecting the nation at the moment, it is unlikely schools will be able to go on overnight stays for the foreseeable future, slashing the Esplanade Hotel’s chances of large bookings.
“Would help address the Island’s housing need”
Agents for the application, Phil Salmon Planning, said the seafront hotel business had been detrimentally impacted from the change in holiday trends and the redevelopment would help address the Island’s housing need.
The owner of the hotel, and the applicant for the development, a Mr Thornton, said the limited or just-viable business that existed before the Covid lockdown will not return.
Internal renovation and repair
The application says the building requires significant internal renovation, repair and upgrading to fulfil any future use, as the existing standard is no longer acceptable for modern requirements — which would not be viable for the future of the business.
The hotel could be turned into one four-bed holiday apartment on the ground floor, two residential flats and a townhouse to the rear of the building.
Balconies would be added to the front of the building on the upper floors.
To view, or comment, on the proposals 20/01648/FUL, you can visit the Isle of Wight Council’s planning portal.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may be been made by OnTheWight. Ed
