Ventnor Blog

The fate of the last remaining Georgian workers cottages on the Wight will be decided next Tuesday at the Planning Committee.

We’re astonished that the planning officer has recommended refusal to retain the cottages and convert into them shepherd’s accommodation.

For those not familiar with the case you can read some background posted by one of the owners over on the forum.

To see the application and plans take a look at the Council Planning Web site, and to read the officer’s recommendation to the Planning Committee check the Council Web site.

You might remember seeing our “One Family Dwelling Covenant” posting last week about Hazelhurst, which was accompanied by the rather excellent cartoon drawn by Barry.

You might also have seen it reproduced in the County Press on Friday. But did anyone notice the variation? We didn’t until it was pointed out to us a couple of days ago. (more…)

Next Monday sees the Ventnor Town Council consider the latest planning applications in the area.

In a change to how these meetings previously took place, there is now a chance for the public to make statements before the meeting commences on any application being discussed at that particular meeting.

This follows the request for public representation at these meetings from Ventnor resident, Dennis Russell which was discussed and agreed by Councillors last month. (more…)

It appears that there’s another twist in planning peculiarities relating to the recommendation and subsequent approval of a development at Hazelhurst in Freshwater (previous).

Among the 226 comments submitted to the planning department, there is a letter sent by Anthony Robson, the owner of Blenheim House - a neighbouring property. It is dated 8th May and informs the planning officers of inaccuracies on the plans.

Mr Robson points out that according to the plans submitted by the architect of the proposed development, the building line in front of the property has been moved.

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As well as the Right to Wreck Covenant over the Hazelhurst property in Freshwater that has recently been given permission to be demolished and be replaced with nine flats, there is another covenant that was unearthed last week.

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The proposed development of Hazelhurst in Freshwater, diagonally opposite Dimbola Lodge, has cause a lot of consternation in and around Freshwater.

We covered the planning committee’s discussion of the case live at County Hall (complete planning meeting, Hazelhurst specific), where the planning permission was approved, on the developer’s third planning application.

Just when you thought it was all over, it looks like there’s another potentially significant twist in the story.

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Quick bit of info for those concerned. At the Ventnor Town Council on Monday night, Councillors saw no reason why the following two applications shouldn’t be approved.

A/02468 - P/01160/08
Richmond Hotel Esplanade Ventnor Isle Of Wight PO381JX
Two retractable awnings on front elevation with lettering

LBC/25702/F - P/00993/08
Westfield Mansion Shore Road Ventnor Isle Of Wight PO381RH
LBC for retention of two satellite dishes

For those not wishing to wade through all the notes from the Planning Committee last night, but interested to hear how the Cheetah Marine application was discussed, read on.

Application: Adjacent to east side of, pumping station, Esplanade, Ventnor, Isle of Wight
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For those who didn’t follow the live coverage of the Planning Committee, what follows are the notes taken down during the meeting by Simon, regarding the application for variation of permission for equestrian purposes at Ashey Common Farm, Deacons Lane, Ashey

Planning officer: Position of buildings (away from main cluster of buildings) is due to the application not owning the land near.
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For those who didn’t follow the live coverage of the Planning Committee, what follows are the notes taken down during the meeting by Simon, regarding the application for Hazelhurst, Gates Lane, Freshwater.

Planning officer presents - Miss S Wilkinson.
Came up in Jan 08 when it was refused.

It’s diagonally opposite from Dimbola Lodge.
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Yes folks, the Planning Committee felt that it was acceptable to allow the condition that Cheetah Marine be obliged to provide a harbour master’s office in perpetuity, to be removed from the planning permission.

Champagne all round at the Bonchurch Inn tonight then?

If you’re scratching your head wondering whether you were right in remembering county councillor Jonny Fitzgerald Bond state that the provision of the Harbour Master’s office was needed to meet the criteria specified by the SEEDA funding for the Haven - don’t worry you’re not going mad. Yes, he did say that at the DCC meeting on 25 April 2007.
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Updates will be added as they come in from our live reporter at County Hall (ie. Simon tapping furiously away on his keyboard, sending details of discussions back to VB HQ for adding to the blog).

Proceedings have begun at County Hall.

JFB is in the house.

No declaration of interests beyond two Cllrs on Freshwater council.
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Simon will be taking his place on the press table at County Hall this afternoon, to provide live coverage of the proceedings of the Planning Committee which starts at 4pm.

Of course, being considered this afternoon is the Cheetah Marine application to remove the the obligation to provide a harbour master’s office in perpetuity.
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As pointed out in the previous post, due to a last minute extension, there is still time, if you want to comment on the proposal by Cheetah Marine to have their obligation to provide a harbour master’s office removed.

Read the background published earlier in the week to learn more. (more…)

Those crazy cats at the council like to give us, the public, a spills and thrills ride, leaving it until late on the Friday (before a bank holiday weekend and prior to the Tuesday Planning Committee) to say that, Yes, there was a cock up in the legal or planning department (obviously they used different wording to this).

There’s been an assurance from Phil Salmon, Development Team Manager that the ‘marine use only’ wording will be re-re-introduced into the draft s.106 agreement at Tuesday’s planning meeting.

“I reiterate that there in no intention to reopen the question of permanent marine related uses of this site. This is something that the Local Planning Authority would seek to resist as a matter of principle.”

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One thing we’d like to make very clear, is that although we, and others, were openly against the planning application for Cheetah Marine to construct a boat building factory on the esplanade car park — the land that they will be able to buy from the council for £100k — when permission was granted last April, we said “OK, it’s gone through, there’s nothing more we can do, except wish their business well and hope that the development will contribute to the regeneration of Ventnor.”
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Hey Ventnor/Isle of Wight, did you know that Cheetah Marine have again applied to change their previously granted planning permission for the Ventnor Eastern Esplanade development?

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Following an application by Cheetah Marine to vary conditions of the planning permission granted last year, Sean Strevens was invited to the Town Council Meeting to clarify the situation and explain why the variation of conditions were being requested.

Variation to Condition 14 was the first to be discussed. Mr Strevens explained that the request to have the ‘in perpetuity’ label removed from the condition attached to the provision of the harbour master’s office was at the request of both theirs and the Council’s legal teams and was ‘out of their hands’.
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At the Ventnor Town Council meeting tonight, John Farrant passed round correspondence from Ventnor resident, Dennis Russell who had written requesting that the public be allowed time during Town Council Planning Meetings, to make representation before the applications are discussed by councillors.

This is pretty much the same as what happens at County Council Planning Committee meetings, whereby the public are allowed three minutes to speak on planning applications before decisions are made.
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You might remember the saga of the roof terraces at St Joseph’s in Madeira Road - well sadly for all those concerned, it’s continuing.

When permission was granted for the development, the case officer involved, (Andrew Pegram at the time) explicitly stated that the roof spaces could NOT be used as amenity areas, ie used at all.

Of course, Mr Jennings ignored this and went ahead regardless, even promoting them in the estate agent details as sun terraces and adding a tidy amount to the price tag.
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In the final part of the interview with Freshwater resident Chris Jarman, amongst others things, the subject of development and how this works with communities across the Island is discussed.

As we stated previously, even though the Real World Trust have since pulled out of Weston Manor, we still felt it was important to publish these interviews which took place back in January, as they raise many contradictions and discrepancies.
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Was an interesting Town Council Planning meeting last week, with another fun packed one lined up for tonight.

There were only three items discussed at the Planning Committee, but they raised some very interesting debate and the report is well worth a read.

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As you may be aware, earlier in the year, we met up with Freshwater resident Chris Jarman, to discuss the previously proposed change of use for Weston Manor. Since meeting with Chris, the Real World Trust, who were in the process of converting Weston Manor from a residential care home into a drug and rehabilitation centre, have pulled out of the proposal.

At a meeting in March with the local residents and town council, the owner of the Manor, Mrs Robertson, stated that she would be putting the Manor on the market the following day.
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Jonny Fitzgerald Bond! Wow, what a guy!

He never ceases to amaze us and on Tuesday night at the Ventnor Town Council Planning meeting he reinforced our views of him once again.

When discussing the planning application to build a house in a garden on Madeira Road (since when does an established 150 year old garden become an infill site?) he stated that he had no problem with the Victorian wall being demolished to make way for the proposed dwelling, because IT WAS MADE OF BREEZE BLOCKS.

Come again old boy? (more…)

You wouldn’t have realised it, if you check the Town Council Website for details of when meetings are held, because it’s not listed on there, but tonight there will be a planning meeting at the Winter Gardens (thanks to Mark for spotting the agenda on the council noticeboard and posting to the forum).

Anyone interested in the Cheetah Marine application to build on the eastern esplanade car park, may be interested to hear that they have applied once again for variations on conditions attached to the planning permission which was granted last year.

Variation to the conditions were applied for last year but rejected by the Ventnor Town Council, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens tonight.

The variation to condition 14 is the worrying aspect of this application. It’s worrying because it is not clear what changes to the condition are actually being requested.
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