The leader of the Isle of Wight Council says he hopes to transform the "whole of Sandown Bay" into the Isle of Wight's very-own Jurassic Park , as he addressed the future of Browns Golf Course.
As Isle of Wight Radio previously reported, the iconic site is poised to close at the end of this month due to its long-term future being in "jeopardy".
Isle of Wight Radio has been told that Browns' current tenants were only offered a 'short-term' lease, which offered no real security,.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said:
“The current tenant of Browns Golf in Sandown; Isle of Wight Zoo served notice to the authority that they wished to terminate their lease.
“The managers who operated the café and golf site on behalf of the tenant, were offered a short-term lease subject to negotiation, however they declined the opportunity."
The news has raised questions over whether the council will include the land Browns is on as part of any future deal for a new investment partner of Dinosaur Isle.
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Speaking exclusively to Isle of Wight Radio, Councillor Dave Stewart - whose mother used to work at Browns - hinted that this could be the case.
He said the area, including Browns, "offers a fantastic opportunity, on the dinosaur theme, for development."
"We're looking at that whole area. We have a very big aspiration and have been working very hard to develop the whole of Sandown Bay as what I might describe as our own dinosaur-destiny. It's a fantastic location, all the way through the bandstand at one end, to the zoo at the other, and everything in between.
"I think there's a real opportunity, that we're currently working on, to provide something really special. Not only for the Island but for people coming to the Island."
Browns Golf Course has been run by Clare Oatley, John Deacon and Cheryl Brazer for the past seven seasons.
After hearing the news of its closure, Islanders flocked to social media to thank the family for their years of service at the helm.
The Isle of Wight Council says it is currently looking at options for Browns Golf, including a short-term tenant, whist the long-term future of the site is decided as part of the Bay Regeneration.
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