Long-Standing Island Yacht Club Looks To Carry Out Facilities Upgrades At Dinghy Park

A long-standing Isle of Wight yacht club is looking to carry out upgrades to allow it to continue offering free sailing lessons to Island school children.

Sea View Yacht Club (SVYC) has submitted plans to County Hall for a set of facilities upgrades at its dinghy park off Seaview’s Duver Road, including a new male and female changing room, kit store and toilet block.

SVYC has run the Seaview Schools Sailing Project since 2017, which is open to all Isle of Wight primary school children.

A statement from Plan Research says:

“The project provides ten sessions of free sailing tuition to Year 5 pupils, with the aim of the children achieving an RYA qualification. As the project has grown, it has found that it needs more covered space.

“SVYC is applying for permission for two shipping containers; one is already used as a workshop and parts store for boats, but needs to be repositioned.

“The proposed shipping container would be used for male and female changing rooms and a kit store. In addition to these two shipping containers, the club needs a toilet building, so that project members no longer have to take children away from the facility for a considerable distance when those children need to use a toilet.”

Plan Research says the proposed toilet would include a disabled toilet with a ramp for wheelchair use.

“This would mean the club could reach a greater number of children with this very popular project.

"Schools have reported that children who attend this project learn a wide range of skills including risk management, team building, confidence building, healthy exercise and listening,” the consultancy added.

County Hall’s public consultation on application 25/00709/FUL finishes on July 11 and a decision has been scheduled for August 1.