Seafront toilet block in key tourist destination could be sold for a pound
The proposed disposal of the Pier Street Regeneration Opportunity to Sandown Town Council (STC) is set to be considered by councillors on the policy, finance and resources committee.
Located opposite Sandown Pier, the building has been used as public toilets between 2019 and 2025 for around three months of the summer season, according to a council report.
The document says STC is initially interested in carrying out limited works and reopening the WCs, moving toward a ‘more comprehensive scheme’ once plans and funding proposals have been drawn up.
“The Pier Street site is a high-profile regeneration opportunity in an important tourist destination on Sandown seafront and was identified as part of the former Regeneration Directorate’s approved regeneration strategy,” it says.
“Planning consent was obtained for a regeneration scheme, and the site has been marketed twice, albeit on both occasions proving abortive.
“The future of this site has regularly been discussed with STC which, during the period between 2019 and 2025, has funded the partial operation of these public conveniences for approximately three months of the summer season.
“The facility provided is the use of the former ladies WCs as a unisex facility (the former gents WCs element of the building has remained closed).”
Various challenges are highlighted in the report, including planning conditions for and the potential costs of public realm works, a lack of viability due to such conditions and the planning requirement to reprovide public conveniences if the current facility is lost.
Committee members have been recommended to endorse the transfer of the freehold development opportunity at Pier Street to STC for the ‘notional sum of £1’.
Full council will then decide on the transfer.
The proposal is conditional and subject to STC carrying out satisfactory due diligence.
“Any transfer should be conditioned such that STC is committed to the provision of public conveniences from the property until such time as any regeneration might take place,” the recommendation says.
If regeneration of the site leads to the loss of WCs within the new development, this cannot take place until STC provides new public conveniences, it adds.
This must be to the satisfaction of County Hall and within the vicinity of the current facility.
The committee will meet at County Hall at 5pm on February 5.
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