Major hotel application for Cowes shut down

AN AMBITIOUS $12m proposal for a five-storey development at 85 Thompson Avenue, Cowes, was quickly rejected by councillors at their December meeting.

The development would have seen the construction of a residential hotel with retail premises and dwellings.

The building had a maximum height of 17.1 metres, and featured 46 hotel rooms, including a gym, pool, breakfast area and meeting room.

The basement level contained 46 car parking spaces and building services.

The ground floor commercial area featured two food and drink premises fronting Thompson Avenue and four retail tenancies.

A council report recommended the application be refused, after it received 23 objections.

Cr Clare Le Serve said she believed the project was an overdevelopment and would cause overshadowing issues.

“The only merit in this type of application is it’s possibly in the right place in the CBD of Cowes,” Cr Le Serve said.

“And we need accommodation to keep our domestic and international visitors when they come back.

“But really, the immense development of this building is just an overdevelopment.”

Objections raised in a council report also included:

• The development does not achieve the objective of creating an urban environment that contributes to a sense of place and cultural identity; and

• The proposal will visually dominate the Cowes Cultural Centre.