The site of the planned redevelopment. The hotel was due to be built behind the blue sign, to the left of the picture.
AMBITIOUS plans to develop Bembridge Harbour have been sunk by the Isle of Wight Council.
Councillors unanimously threw out a scheme for a four and five-storey 69-bedroom hotel.
They also turned down seven extra houseboats, new piling for a total of 33 floating homes, creation of a 225-metre boardwalk, repairs to the harbour wall and installation of a sewage system.
Both schemes generated huge opposition.
There was a total of 330 letters of objection and a 230-signature petition to the glass and steel hotel, said to have design elements of a cruise liner.
Objectors won their battle for the council to refuse the hotel application not just for environmental reasons but also on grounds of scale, design, inappropriate materials, inadequate car parking and the potential for light pollution.
Objector Mike Samuelson called for the wider impact on a marina known for its small-scale development to be considered and Barbara Clough outlined the concerns of harbour users and the potential impact on the RSPB nature reserve.
Cllr Lady Sally Pigot described the scale of the proposal as “totally out of character with its surroundings” at Tuesday’s planning committee meeting.
Maritime and Leisure Investments wanted to demolish the two-storey former office block on the site and build the hotel with its conference facilities, 116-seat restaurant and roof-top bar.
The meeting was told Natural England maintained its objections to the plan for harbour wall repairs, extra houseboats and a sewerage system to stop raw sewage continuing to flow into the harbour because there was insufficient “environmental mitigation”.
Objectors said a sewerage system was needed but not for extra houseboats.
Reporter: richardw@iwcpmail.co.uk