What is next for Dinosaur Isle?
The future of the popular tourist attraction on Culver Parade will be the subject of a consultation with key parties — including Sandown Town councillors.
Speaking at a Sandown Town Council meeting earlier this week, Cllr Debbie Andre said ‘certain people’ were being interviewed to move forward with the plans.
People had come forward to Cllr Andre, she said, with ideas on how to make the area more ecologically and environmentally friendly but also keeping it a public space.
In 2018, the Isle of Wight Council had been looking for a long-term partner to take on the management and development of the attraction.
Plans changed, however, in 2021 when a £33 million ‘Disneyland opportunity’ was unveiled by the then ruling-Conservative administration.
It was linked with the company Dinosaurier-Park International which develop, build and operate dinosaur parks and museum in Europe and would rebrand the site on Culver Parade.
With the change of administration at the Isle of Wight Council, came another change in plans and in November 2021 saw the ambitious ‘Dino-Disney’ scheme removed from Culver Parade and the project taken in a new direction.
It led to Conservative councillors in the Bay area saying they thought Sandown had been abandoned.
Cabinet members said the Dinosaurier plan risked putting a large part of the seafront behind a paywall and the proposal had gone ‘stagnant’.
Now, almost a year later, talks are still ongoing as to what should happen with the area.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said the authority remained committed to ensuring the security of the unique and valuable collection Dinosaur Isle offers as well as sustaining the attraction for future generations.
They said: “We are looking to undertake a consultation with key stakeholders to consider the most appropriate way forward.”
A stakeholder event will take place in October.
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