A MULTI-MILLION pound makeover is on the cards for Priory Bay Hotel — now planning officers have recommended approval of plans to bring it back to life.

A planning application to transform the site with tree houses, woodland retreats, a restaurant, farm shop and spa is set to be approved, with conditions, on Tuesday, March 5, at the Isle of Wight Council's planning committee meeting.

Priory Bay, formerly one of the Island's most luxurious and exclusive hotels, is now owned by Aria Resorts, which also owns Rookley Country Park, St Helens Holiday Park and holiday cottages in Colwell.

The company came under fire after caravan owners at Rookley and St Helens were given notice to quit the sites, to make way for their regeneration.

The proposal for Priory Bay is for demolition of rear hotel extensions and East Cottage, a proposed two storey extension to the hotel, conversion, alteration and refurbishment of existing outbuildings to provide 14 hotel suites, a restaurant, bar and spa, provision of up to 56 holiday lodges, ten tree houses and 12 woodland retreats.

It also includes provision of a gym, village barn, farm shop, welcome barn, internal access roads, parking, and the relocation of the swimming pool. The plans could also create 146 jobs.

The planning officers evaluated that the proposed development seeks to bring the tourism use of the site back to a high-quality and viable offer.

The recommendation states: "Priory Bay Hotel has been closed for business for some years. A lack of investment saw the quality of the tourism offer diminish and some of the building on site fall into disrepair.

"The principle of the development is therefore considered to be acceptable, resulting in a former site tourism site being bought back into use."

Visit Isle of Wight has welcome the proposed development as showing a positive outlook to the development of existing tourism products on the Island, and welcomed the year-round availability of the development and the economic impact of year-round employment.

However, Island Roads recommended refusal of the application due to the access width at the junction of Eddington Road, and issues were raised by the Isle of Wight Council's tree officer.

Nettlestone and Seaview Parish Council objected due to density, layout and scale, and there were 28 letters of objection from the public.