A closed Cowes public toilet block on the edge of a car park could be converted into café.
Northwood House Charitable Trust has applied to the Isle of Wight Council to give the Park Road block, located within the historic Northwood House Estate, a commercial use ‘such as a cafe’.
The charity was forced to close the toilets as a result of ‘repeated anti-social behaviour’, according to a Design and Heritage Statement prepared by LMA Heritage Consultancy Ltd.
Proposals submitted to the council allow for a refurbishment of the block as well as additional doors and windows.
A building has existed on the application site for ‘nearly 200 years’, the consultancy said.
Previous structures on the site include one of four gate houses to Northwood Park and a bath house.
The document said:
"The proposals are to change the use of the redundant toilet block into a Class E use, such as a cafe, which would bring the property back into a more communal use as well as bring in another income source for the house.
"The loss of its current use as a public toilet on the evidence provided can be weighed against its positive contribution as a Class E business which would put more back into the community by providing local employment.
"Its location on a bus route, walking route to the High street, proximity to Northwood House and its park as well as being located off a car
park makes this an ideal location for this use."
In a public comment published on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning portal today (November 11), Churchill Road resident Joe Nash said:
"I object strongly to the closed toilet block in Northwood House car park being turned into a refreshment service.
"It’s disgusting that the toilets were closed. There should be a customer toilet for people after a car journey.
"I pushed my mother in law to the toilet block in Northwood in her wheelchair.
"Luckily she can walk a little to use the facility. It’s almost impossible to push her on the cheap gravel path repairs and the toilet in the park is hundreds of metres from the car park, it’s too far."
County Hall will close its public consultation on the application on December 13.
A statutory decision is expected on January 2 next year.
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