The Town Council has successfully secured the winning bid on an important strip of Esplanade land in front of the Ocean Hotel, subject to completion. This will ensure that a strategically vital part of Sandown’s seafront real estate is reclaimed for the benefit of Sandown’s community.
Mayor Alex Lightfoot explains “This land will have a decisive influence on any future solution to the derelict Ocean Hotel as well as being a valuable space for seafront amenities and services in its own right. Many have referred to this parcel of land as a ransom strip, due to its influential impact on the surrounding plots. The Town Council overwhelmingly agreed that we could not sit by and see yet another important plot land banked and condemned to permanent stagnation against the interests of all those who live, work and visit here.
We hope that this purchase signals the Town Council’s commitment to Sandown’s recovery and shows its willingness to act decisively to protect the Town’s interests and build community empowerment. In preparation for urgent threats and opportunities, the Council has prudently saved over the past three years, strengthening its reserves beyond the best practice minimum, allowing us to take swift action on key projects where appropriate, without incurring financial risk or increasing borrowing. These are the funds that have been used for this acquisition.
Opportunities of this nature are exceptionally rare. The Ocean Hotel sits right at the centre of Sandown’s dereliction, occupying a large and strategic portion of both High Street and Esplanade and acting as a barrier to the town’s renewal. By acquiring this land, the Council gains not only a vital legal foothold between the previously sold parcels but also brings a significant stretch of seafront under public ownership.
To ensure the future of this public site meets the aspirations of residents and stakeholders, the Council will convene a series of working party meetings alongside opportunities for public engagement and participation over the coming months. This will give everyone a chance to have their say and help to guide visible change and benefit. We are, for example, very keen to explore ideas for meanwhile uses while longer term solutions take shape.”
Mayor Lightfoot concluded: “We believe that by owning this land, the community of Sandown can start to take more direct control of the issues it faces and, working together, shape a better future.”
ENDS
