Shanklin Guesthouse To Be Converted Into Residential Home Amid Viability Concerns

A renowned Isle of Wight guesthouse will be transformed into residential accommodation due to the business not being ‘viable’ in the long term.

Planners have accepted a change of use application from two of its four owners for a conversion of the eight room Foxhills of Shanklin at 30 Victoria Avenue into a marketable home.

‘Personal circumstances’ mean they are no longer able to run the guesthouse ‘successfully’, a Planning Statement from Phil Salmon Planning said.

“The change of use will enable the current owners to sell the property, with marketable residential value, and move on.

“They are of retirement age, and whilst the property has been on the market, there is no interest in it as a guest house.

“The applicants have part-owned the business since June 2022 and have operated a popular business which has unfortunately, along with all hospitality businesses, experienced higher energy costs, rises in the cost of living, and the drop in government help post-Covid.

“Over recent years, the guest house business has been impacted from the change in holiday trends such as the growth in very short-term stays, competition from budget national branded hotel chains, the exponential growth and expansion of self-catering accommodation, and finally the take up of ‘Airbnb’ holiday lets.”

A spokesperson for Shanklin Town Council said its members would ‘prefer’ to see the property remain as a hotel or business because of its location within a main tourist area of Shanklin.

They added the ‘loss of good quality accommodation’ within the town would be a ‘shame’.

County Hall’s decision report on proposal 25/01164/FUL said:

“Officers are satisfied that it has been demonstrated that the existing hotel/B&B is not viable and sufficient documentation, which demonstrates the property has been marketed for a minimum of 12 months, has been submitted.

“The loss of this hotel/B&B unit due to its small scale would not be considered to be of significance in this instance in terms of impacts to tourism and the local economy.”