Isle of Wight: Plans to revamp Yarmouth Fort Victoria Pier rejected

The houses would have been built on suspended rafts on land in front of the pier

Plans to restore a dilapidated pier and its surrounding area have been refused.

Isle of Wight Council rejected the proposal, which would have seen the pier at Fort Victoria in Yarmouth revamped and the creation of an oyster nursery.

The authority also refused permission for five four-bed houses, which would have been elevated over the shingle.

Planning officers said the development would fail to preserve the character of the area.

The pier sits next to the Grade II listed Fort Victoria and was formerly used as part of the military operation there

Developers Miles Blamire first submitted ideas for the area in April 2022, before scaling back plans in August 2023.

Both sets of proposals received more than 150 letters of objection from residents, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

West Sussex Archaeology previously said the pier was of "great significance" as a surviving example of late 19th Century military installation.

Publishing its decision, the council said the Grade II listed Fort Victoria should remain the most prominent building on its shoreline - but feared the redevelopment would dominate the view from the seaward side.

In addition, it could discourage use of the beach, as the private housing would make it look like the beach was off-limits, the authority added.

Concerns about flood risks and the lack of public transport connections were also raised.

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