McDonald’s Approved, Hotel Extension Refused And Farm Barns Given New Commercial Future In Isle Of Wight Planning Decisions

A multi-million-pound McDonald’s restaurant, a major extension scheme for an Isle of Wight clifftop hotel and new flexible commercial uses for farm barns in the National Landscape.

These were among the most prominent planning applications approved or refused by County Hall planners in May, relating to sites on the edge of Lake, in Shanklin and south of Brighstone.

RW and JSW Fisk Partnership were given prior approval for a change of use of existing agricultural buildings at Marsh Green Farm, near Brighstone, on May 7.

Proposed use classes included general industrial, storage or distribution, hotels, commercial, business or service, outdoor sports or recreation or for the provision of agricultural training.

A council decision report said:

“Given the rural nature of the site and the existing agricultural works taking place on the site, it is considered that the change of use of the land for commercial use of this scale and location would not have a detrimental impact on neighbouring amenity.”

On May 12, the council rejected Dr Malik’s proposal for a two-storey vertical extension to the two-star Harrow Lodge Hotel on 31 Palmerston Road in Shanklin, citing ‘serious harm’ to the area’s character and appearance.

Submitted plans included a glazed yoga pavilion, extended front entrance with decking and seating, an access ramp, a new passenger lift serving all floors and a rear fire escape stair.

Street-facing balconies with privacy screening were also proposed, together with a cafe and restaurant at lower ground floor level.

In a submitted Design and Access Statement, Maplin Engineering said the scheme would increase the hotel’s capacity to 35 guest rooms while ‘significantly improving’ accessibility, amenity and architectural coherence.

County Hall formally granted conditional consent to an application from McDonald’s for an outlet next to Newport Road in Lake, including car parking, landscaping and associated works, on May 18.

The local authority’s planning committee voted for the proposal at a meeting last July, with economic benefits and Bay Area regeneration cited as grounds in favour.