Former Shanklin B&B To Become Boarding House For Care Home Provider

A former bed and breakfast in an Isle of Wight coastal town is now a boarding house for care home shift workers.

County Hall has agreed to Hartford Care’s Lawful Development Certificate application to use Shanklin’s closed Rowborough Hotel as accommodation for both ‘day and night shift workers’.

The application is also to use the boarding house for ‘visitors, employees, building contractors and potential new recruits’ for the care home group, according to a submitted statement from Plan Research.

The Rowborough Hotel at 32 Arthurs Hill closed its doors in September 2022.

Plan Research said:

“When the former owners of The Rowborough closed their bed and breakfast business in September 2022, following the Covid-19 lockdowns, our client saw the opportunity to acquire this site for accommodation purposes, with very convenient access to the adjacent Springfield care home.

“It was anticipated that purchase of the building would mean our client’s business would be less reliant on the varying availability and cost of accommodation for guests, visitors and employees in the local market.

“Commuting to and from the care homes our client operates on the Isle of Wight on a daily basis is impractical and expensive, due to the ferry crossings involved and the time it takes to reach locations such as Shanklin or Bembridge via car or public transport.”