Appeal over construction of Isle of Wight tourist attraction

Carlton Developments Ltd has appealed a rejected bid to keep a barn, four storage containers and three caravans at the site of the former Arreton Garden and Aquatic Centre as part of the construction of a new Arreton Cider and Chocolate centre.

The new attraction would be inspired by Godshill's Cider Barn and the now closed Chocolate Island shop.

The Isle of Wight Council approved the attraction in March 2017 but refused the developer's application in March this year to keep the construction buildings at the site looking onto the A3056 for a three year period.

A Planning Statement written by the Andrew White Planning Consultancy on behalf of Carlton Developments said the barn was being used to store construction machinery.

• Read more: Houses could be built on edge of Isle of Wight village

The four containers have housed tools and construction materials as well as staff facilities including a meeting room, toilets and a changing room.

Caravans have provided temporary living accommodation for site workers.

• CLICK HERE to find details of Isle of Wight planning applications and other public notices near you via a clickable and searchable interactive map 
• See public notices in this week's Isle of Wight County Press

County Hall's report explaining its decision in April said there was 'no robust justification' for the scale of storage space proposed.

Neither was on-site living accomodation deemed appropriate, with hotels and guest houses in the nearby Bay Area, including budget options.

• Read more: Isle of Wight seaside town could get new sports facility

Other reasons for the refusal included the proposal's 'detrimental visual impact', adverse effect on trees and hedgerows, 'insufficient information' in relation to protected species and biodiversity and nitrate pollution affecting the Solent Special Protection Area.

Arreton Parish Council also opposed the application in a public comment published in April.

The authority said: "The history of different applications on this site has caused confusion and there is contradictory information.

"Concerns were raised about the lack of information about waste water provision.

"An application for temporary approval for three years, given the original application was March 6, 2017, is too long."