Sandy Lanes Resort/Atherfield Bay Holiday Camp - Update 2024

We've been watching with interest at the appearance of a new holiday resort in the West Wight called Sandy Lanes Resort (or occasionally Sandy Lane) at Atherfield. These things don't come along too often and we were excited at the thought of a new Isle of Wight seafront holiday resort with posh lodges (see our guide to the other lodge resorts on the Isle of Wight). From what I can gather, the lodges were being sold individually with the option for owners to rent them out.

We've previously written a couple of blog posts and taken Tony the Drone for a couple of flights at Sandy Lanes Resort. You can read the previous blogs here and here.

The site was previously a privately owned holiday park, which was apparently open from 1935 until 2007, and usually known as Atherfield Bay Holiday Camp. Some reports say it was a Pontins, but that isn't true as far as I can tell (thanks to Vivienne who alerted us to this much repeated bit of fake news).

Planning for a new holiday park with about 60 lodges was approved in 2016, after the land was put up for sale for a guide price of £650,000.

Estate agents began listing properties with a 250 year lease. Signs were put out the front by a company called Sandy Lane Resort Limited saying that it would have a bar, restaurant, tennis courts and a wellness centre. I was looking forward to a game of tennis overlooking the beautiful West Wight coastline and had already ironed my white tennis shorts.

What's happening now?

The sign outside Sandy Lanes Resort in Atherfield in April 2024 says "This property is protected by live in caretakers".

From what I can remember, the resort was due to open in summer 2023. A property website called Knight Knox says it was due to complete in 2023 and mentions a company called RoyaleLife.

However, at the time of writing it is fenced off and a sign says that live in caretakers are protecting the site.

Estate agent listings for the lodges have been removed. Companies House records for Sandy Lane Resort Limited say that the accounts are overdue and that the company status is 'Active — Active proposal to strike off'.

I'm not exactly sure what this means.

Another company mentioned - RoyaleLife - 'went into administration last summer' according to a Business Desk article from January 2024. However, in its list of affected resorts it doesn't mention Sandy Lanes. It mentions 'Fort Caravan Park, Sandown' and 'IOW View, Sandown' (I've not heard of the latter).

However, there are further updates in the minutes from Brighstone Parish Council's meetings.

At the minutes of a meeting on February 14th 2024 there was a representative called Mr Brookes from "the company now funding the completion of the site". He explained that the drainage "had been laid not in the correct direction according to the plans with some drainage pipes running uphill". We had a similar issue with the waste pipe for the washing machine in our old house and can confirm that this design is less than ideal.

The minutes then continue to say:

"As several councillors were missing could either Mr Brookes or the planning agent attend the mid-month planning meeting which would be on Wednesday 28th February."

And so, representatives from the 'new ownership' returned a couple of weeks later on February 27th 2024 "​To discuss new proposals to complete the work on site and highlight unresolved issues still outstanding."

They "explained the current issues with infrastructure and buildings already installed and remedial issues required before going forward. It was explained that changes and future building to various areas of the development would be done in the future. Unfortunately, certain documents from the developers had not been received. These would be re-sent to the Clerk to forward to Councillors. Councillors declined to make any comment until they had seen the documents which included a planning report from the IoW Planning Department. To be an agenda item for the March Parish Council meeting." (I have edited this slightly as there were a couple of typos).

The draft minutes from March gave a brief update that:

"Main concerns were with building control issues raised at the previous Parish Council meeting and lighting. Cllr Alldred was working with Shorwell Parish Council to produce a draft comments response which would be forwarded to Councillors for their comment."

So, what's the summary?

By the point, you have probably nodded off.

From these snippets, I think we can conclude that the company which was due to open the site is no longer involved.

I don't know the name of the new company, although there is someone called Richard Brookes at a company called Turley which offers 'expert advisory services for the built environment and beyond'. I have no idea if this is the same person as the one who attended the meeting. It could also be Richard Brookes, the 18th century physician who wrote History of the most remarkable Pestilential Distempers in 1721, but I admit that is less likely.

We don't know when the site will open, or if it will still be called Sandy Lanes Resort, Sandy Lane or something else altogether.

If you want to check for further updates, I would check minutes from Brighstone Parish Council.