Consultation could have gone better. The East Cowes project, the jewel in the crown of the South East England Development Agency’s £10m Cowes Waterfront initiative, took pride of place in Cowes’ town hall in February. And, although the public didn’t hate it, they didn’t really love it either.
At the heart of the concerns is the proposed relocation of ferry company Red Funnels’ facilities to reclaimed land known as the Shrape to the north of the town. Relocation would have taken place in the third and final stage of the project, topping off the 15-year scheme to rejuvenate the town centre and waterfront.
SEEDA hoped that relocating the yard could open up the ferry’s existing facilities to further redevelopment. But now the plan is in limbo. Peter Cusdin, director of development at SEEDA, says there has been strong support for the masterplan but, referring to the ferry’s relocation, he admits “there was very strong opposition to that one element”.
Opposition centred on the increase in traffic that would flow into and out of the town nearly 24 hours a day if the ferry was shifted. “We understand those issues and we didn’t make the proposals lightly,” says Cusdin. “But the ferry is essential to the economy. We felt visually it needed to stand out.”
As the original masterplan stands, a 20-acre site would be developed in three phases, each lasting roughly five years. The first phase would see Red Funnels’ facilities making way for a hotel, food and drink outlets, shops and car-parking, as well as residential development.
Community facilities
A more pedestrian-friendly environment would be created by redirecting traffic to separate chain and car ferries. This, in turn, would allow construction of a town square, a doctor’s surgery, community facilities and a foodstore.
Phase two, taking 10 years, would concentrate on Venture Quays, and focus particularly on the Cowes Waterfront. An improved marine industries quarter would build on the success of tenants, such as Ellen MacArthur and her Offshore Challenges sailing team, and composite manufacture Vestas Blades. In addition, around 320 berths were planned for the marina, as well as a Maritime Heritage Centre and a boat museum.
But for now the plans remain uncertain. SEEDA will reflect on responses throughout the summer with a view to submitting a planning application in September. The agency will select a preferred developer next spring.
Cusdin says the revised proposal will not include plans for the Shrape, although a revised phase three is planned. “We need to re-evaluate the impact the Shrape has on other phases with regards to employment and public access, and flood defences. It is an incremental process, and not just a case of taking one phase out,” says Cusdin.
Delays do not appear to have dented the confidence of private-sector developers, however. Housebuilders have come back to the island after a blip in 2000, says Jeremy Gully, a partner at Gully Howard. “We’ve now got three serious players, and that has made an incredible difference to perception.”
But East Cowes is unlikely to change significantly, says Gully. “Improvements will help the viability of the town centre.”
