The latest planning application for the Mill Bay site on Ventnor’s Esplanade has thrown up more controversy.
First thing was that the Artist’s Impression appeared misleading, making the block of flats in the proposal look like it was about a floor lower than it actually would be, when compared with The Metropole (an architect who had studied it commented that ‘perhaps it had subsidence after being drenched in pastel watercolours’).
New controversy
It’s now come to light that one of applicants, Chris Mortimer, might have run away with himself in his excitement of talking to the press.
Two Fridays back (11.Jun.2010), he was quoted in the County Press as saying (our emphasis)
“We have responded to feedback of the 2007 application which, incidentally, received approval from the planning officers involved. The height and the contemporary design of the tower at the western end of the site was suggested,
if not insisted upon, by these officers after consultation with the conservation officer and English Heritage.”
Well, ‘Insisted upon‘ jumped out of the page.
It was pretty surprising to read those words, so we thought we’d do a bit of journalistic checking – to somewhat surprising results.
Direct contradiction
Rather strangely, when asked, the Isle of Wight planning department had a very different version of events.
“We have never insisted on contemporary design or that the end block had to be a specific height.”
A direct contradiction to the quote from Mr Mortimer.
