Follow us
Community-minded volunteers have again carried out work to improve the grounds of an East Cowes building.
Supporters of the Frank James Hospital gathered at the Adelaide Grove site on Sunday to clear overgrowth.
They want action to save the building, but a planned meeting with an estate agent at the site on Sunday didn't happen.
Frank James supporter Tanja Rebel told IW Radio it is a shame that the meeting didn't go ahead. She said: "We have met the developers, as well as a representative of the owners - it's a consortium of ten to 12 people, we're not really sure how many but originally there were 12. We have met them, they have talked about their plans and their frustration about not getting through these plans because, according to them, the council has put obstacles in the way all the time."
"We have also invited these developers, as well as the representative who lives in Portsmouth to come to one of our working days. We've had several of them, and we've invited them, I think it's the fifth time, and this time the estate agent said that he would actually come along, and he didn't and that's a great disappointment - especially for the youngsters amongst our supporters who have been waiting and waiting for these people to come and talk to us," Tanja added.
And, speaking about the significance of the building to local people, Tanja said: "One of the supporters, whose father died in that hospital many years ago, he stood there and he cried. And he told me that it's heartbreaking to see this building fall apart as it is doing right now. Because we were trying to get plants away from the brickwork itself, the brickwork is falling apart because of these plants - the roots that are encroaching onto the building structure. Luckily it's a structurally sound building, it's well built, it's quality and that's something we need to keep. It's worth keeping!"
George Brown, cabinet member for the economy and regulatory services at the Isle of Wight Council, said: “In the past the council has – at some cost - taken action to stop the building falling into further disrepair and, given the status of the building, we will continue to monitor the site to try to ensure it is secure and that its condition doesn’t deteriorate.
"However the building’s owners are directly responsible for its maintenance. They have the necessary planning permission and listed building consent to allow them to convert the building into residential use and we would join English Heritage in urging them to undertake the work.
“As with all sites, with valid permissions for redevelopment the council cannot force the landowners to implement that consent.”
Leave a comment!