At Friday night’s public meeting, held to discuss the future of the Ventnor Winter Gardens, several pieces of vital information were shared with the packed room of concerned residents.
Tash Dix, the service manager at Isle of Wight council whose responsibilities include planning, advised that following a number of serious complaints from the public, the site had been visited by enforcement officers.
She explained that the current state of the building and grounds were a detriment to the public amenity in the Ventnor conservation area.
Pre-Section 215 letter issued
Tash went on to advise that owner of the Winter Gardens had been served with an initial letter under Section 215 (s215) of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 to tidy up the building and grounds.
A total of 19 actions, including actions such as filling cracks in the render, re-rendering, replacing windows, replacing bargeboards etc had to be completed within 16 weeks. If this is not completed the council will consider serving a s215 notice.
They include:
- To clean all elevations of the building excluding the rear elevation and side elevation.
- Following the completion of requirement 1, to repair the cracked/ defective render on all elevations, excluding the rear elevation and side elevation with suitable materials to match the existing.
- Following the completion of requirement 2, to repaint all elevations of the building, excluding the rear elevation and side elevation with at least two coats of exterior white paint. Prior to repainting, apply an appropriate primer/ undercoat.
- To repaint the painted decorative detailing on all elevations of the building with at least two coats of blue paint to match the existing colour. Prior to repainting, apply an appropriate primer/ undercoat.
- To repaint the curved painted decorative detailing on the central vertical element, at least two coats of blue paint to match the existing colour. Prior to repainting, apply an appropriate primer/ undercoat.
- To replace any broken, damaged or absent glazing on all elevations of the building, excluding the rear elevation and side elevation using transparent single glazing to match the existing glazing and fixed by putty to match existing. This also applies to the windows located within the central vertical element of the building.
- To repaint all window frames on all elevations of the building, excluding the rear elevation and side elevation. Prior to repainting, remove any flaking paint, replace any rotten or decaying sections of timber with replacement timber. New joinery must be primed, and undercoats applied before finishing with white gloss paint to match the existing colour.
- To repaint all window frames on the central vertical element. Prior to repainting, remove any flaking paint, replace any rotten or decaying sections of timber with replacement timber. New joinery must be primed, and undercoats applied before finishing with white gloss paint to match the existing colour.
- To repaint all windowsills on all elevations of the building, excluding the rear elevation and side elevation. Prior to repainting, remove any flaking paint, replace any rotten or decaying sections of timber with replacement timber. New joinery must be primed, and undercoats applied before finishing with the appropriate paint to match the existing colour.
- To remove the advertisements displayed on the building, as well as from the display board from the site and dispose of appropriately.
- To remove the scrap from the site that includes but is not limited to the empty gas bottles, beer kegs and rusty metal box and ensure this waste is disposed of appropriately at a local waste centre.
- To clean and repair the lead flashing on all elevations of the building, excluding the rear elevation and side elevation.
- To clean the iron railings/ balcony on all elevations of the building.
- To repaint all external doors on all elevations excluding the rear elevation and side elevation. Prior to repainting, remove any flaking paint, replace any rotten or decaying sections of timber with replacement timber. New joinery must be primed, and undercoats applied before finishing with white paint to match the existing colour.
- To remove the tarpaulin from the roof and repair using the same materials to match the existing.
- To repaint the fasciae and soffits on the elevations excluding the rear elevation and side elevation. Prior to repainting, rub down the fasciae and soffits to remove all flaking paintwork, repair (infilling damaged or missing sections to match) and redecorate. Any joinery must be primed, and at least two undercoats applied before finishing with gloss white paint to match the existing colour.
- To replace any missing, damaged or leaking guttering (gutters, hoppers, down pipes) with new sections to match the material, profile and colour of the existing and ensure water flows freely through to drains or away from the building.
- To clear the gardens, forecourts and carpark of rubbish and ensure this waste is disposed of appropriately at a local waste centre.
- To remove the overgrown weeds from the gardens, forecourts and carpark and ensure this waste is disposed of appropriately at a local waste centre.
The letter was sent on 4th April, with 25th July the deadline for works to be completed.
Blake: The worse it looks, the easier it is to take action
Ed Blake, Conservative councillor for Ventnor and St Lawrence, pointed out during the meeting that although carried out with admirable intentions, the volunteers who recently cleared part of the Winter Gardens site (which made the national press), potentially slowed down the process of the council being able to take action.
“The worse it looks, the easier it is to take action,” he advised.
Residents were reassured by the councillor, however, that the site could never be used for residential flats.
What next?
If works listed in the Section 215 notice are not completed within the deadline, the council can consider taking legal action against the owner of The Hambrough Group, Kevin Sussmilch of Wight House Limited.
More to follow about other pieces of information that arose in the public meeting.
Article edit
5pm 17th May 2025 – ‘Notice’ replaced with ‘letter’
11am 19th May 2025 – 19 actions listed
