Plans to replace seaside hotel with flats submitted

A vacant seafront hotel that was ravaged by a fire more than six years ago could be demolished and replaced with flats.

Developer Farid Barsoum wants to demolish the damaged section of the Tarvic 2 Hotel on Culver Parade in Sandown on the Isle of Wight.

The section, which was badly damaged by the blaze in 2018, would be replaced with 10 apartments under Mr Barsoum's proposals.

His plans, which also include 13 new parking spaces, have been submitted to Isle of Wight Council.

The current structure was described as being in a "very poor state of repair" by architectural firm Macaire Associates in a statement.

"The applicant's overall plan is to redevelop the site as a whole, with this being split into two to three phases, with the first phase being to redevelop the fire damaged portion of the site, to form new, self-contained two-bedroom residential apartments," the island-based firm said.

"It is intended that the later phases will incorporate both residential units and an apart-hotel, providing an element of holiday-tourist accommodation."

But Sandown resident Bruce Webb, who objected to the application, said the proposals were "little more than a box with grey windows".

"Admittedly, buildings either side of the development have been insensitively changed but this is an opportunity for something attractive to be built from the ashes of the previous building," he said.

"Could there not be some architectural value added to the building as what is being demolished was once an attractive Victorian building?"

A public consultation on the application finishes on 7 February, with the council expected to make a decision in early April.

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