An Isle of Wight bed and breakfast could be turned into a youth facility, helping teenage care leavers become independent.
The Lyndhurst Guest House, on Royal Crescent, Sandown, has been running since 1999, but was put up for sale in the past year.
Residential care home for young people
Wightoak Youth Services has stepped in to propose changing the hotel building into a residential care home for young people.
Plans have been lodged with the Isle of Wight council to help young people who have previously been in a care setting as they approach adulthood, with the facility becoming their home.
A vital stepping stone
Agents on behalf of Wightoak, BJC Planning say the facility is vital as a stepping stone for young people leaving care and hoping to find an adult role in society.
Wightoak Youth Services provide other such facilities on the Island and provide therapeutic support, basic life skills and emotional and practical support for 16 to 24-year-olds.
Occupied by 16 to 18-year-olds
The Sandown guest house would mainly be occupied by 16 to 18-year-olds, each with their own living space, helping them to go on and lead normal, successful lives, BJC Planning says, although some may need to be supported for longer.
To prove the building should change use, a letter has been submitted as part of the planning documents from Hose Rhodes Dickson to show there have been no successful offers to buy the bed and breakfast business.
Around-the-clock staff
Around-the-clock staff would be present to support the young people so the hotel’s rear annex would house overnight accommodation for staff to sleep on site.
The nine current bedrooms would stay as they are, with communal areas changed to provide kitchen, dining and living facilities.
Facilities would be upgraded and added, including updating the fire alarm system, additional emergency lighting and extinguishers and security system.
View the plans
You can view the application, 23/00302/FUL, on the council’s planning register.
The public consultation runs until 24th March.
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
