Lack of investment, employment opportunities and poor transport links have put coastal towns like Sandown at risk. British seaside towns are now underappreciated and underfunded.Their popularity grew in the 19th century to serve an expanding domestic tourism market. Their decline began in the 1970s, when foreign holidays became an affordable option of mass tourism. Whilst some towns have reinvented themselves, many have continued to suffer significant economic decline.By working together, we can find solutions for SANDOWNempowering our communities & securing commercial independenceHow can we achieve this?To start with, by.....
- Encouraging the renovation and occupation of Sandown Bay's fine buildings & spaces
- Promoting economic growth within Sandown (identifying & securing new business opportunities)
- Advancing Sandown Bay as a prime national (& potentially international) holiday destination
What's special about Sandown Bay?
Introduction
Sandown Bay is a traditional beach resort - a prominant bay on the South-East coast of the Isle of Wight - with gently sloping sandy beaches, miles of coastline, blue sea, comprehensive choice of attractions and variety of places to eat, Sandown is one of the best known beach resorts on the Isle of Wight.
Beach and Coastline
Sandown benefits from gently sloping large beaches and golden sands. The beach is also a winner of the prestigious Blue Flag, recognising beaches that are of the highest quality and has also held the Water Quality Award since 1996. The beach at Sandown stretches from Yaverland, through Lake and on to sister resort, Shanklin.
Sandown was originally of huge military significance as its wide sandy beaches offered a perfect landing place. The coastline and Culver Cliff to the north of the esplanade hold a number of forts and barricades which once provided protection against invading forces. Sandown was also once home to a castle that has since eroded away and was eventually demolished.
Transport
A railway line linking Sandown, Shanklin and Lake with Ryde, Brading and Ventnor, opened in 1864. It is still in use today, transporting visitors from the passenger ferry services. During the summer season, the open top ‘Sandown Bay Tour’ service connects Sandown to Shanklin. Sandown is also home to a small airport with grass runway which receives regular visits from private aircraft. Sandown has transport links by bus to all the main towns. Sandown is on Southern Vectis bus routes 2, 3 & 8 and late night buses are run every Friday & Saturday night.
Parks & Gardens
As well as the miles of beach and coastline, there are also a number of parks and gardens. The cliff walk over Culver cliff and the white chalk headland that sits at the northern end of the Esplanade at Yaverland are both popular. The cliff is mostly owned and managed by the National Trust with views across Sandown Bay to the south and Bembridge to the north. On the other side of the town stands Battery Gardens, originally a World War II defence to protect from invasion, the fortifications still exist and have been transformed into a peaceful garden. There are views across the English Channel.
Dinosaur Fossils
As one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur fossils in the world, the Isle of Wight has been dubbed ‘Dinosaur Island’ and the bay and cliffs at Sandown and Yaverland are ideal for fossil hunting.
The Isle of Wight’s only amusement pier
Sandown Pier dates back to 1879. Today the pier provides cafes, all-weather amusements from traditional penny slot machines to modern day virtual games. There are fairground rides at the end of the pier, a helter skelter, spinning teacups and bumper cars. Inside is the Lost World Crazy Golf course with a rainforest theme, 10-pin bowling and Magic Island huge indoor childrens play area.
Events
During the summer months, Sandown hosts carnivals, regattas, fun days and special events. The summer carnival is the Isle of Wight’s first of the season, taking place in July each year. The illuminated carnival and regatta take place in August, bringing hundreds of spectators to the town.
AN AWARD WINNING BEACH!
Not just any beach but best UK beach in 2019
Sandown has won a prestigious Blue Flag beach award, in time for the lifting of the Covid-19 lockdown and a stay-at-home summer. It is the first to be won by an Isle of Wight beach in years and has been handed over by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, which has also awarded four Island locations 2021 Seaside Awards.
Sandown mayor (at the time), Gary Young, called the Blue Flag a 'tremendous achievement.' Sandown used be a regular winner of the accolade but, as the price of meeting the criteria went up, the number of Isle of Wight beaches flying them went down, due to cost cutting by the Isle of Wight Council. This year, Sandown Parish Council applied for one directly - and won!
Gary Young said: "We are possibly the first town or parish council on the Island ever to be recognised this way. All involved deserve a big thank you and this status contributes to a safe summer, for residents and visitors to Sandown."
Sandown's is one of 76 Blue Flag beaches in England this year and the country now has more than Brazil, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Israel, Malta, Mexico, or South Africa. Blue Flag awards recognise safety, facilities, cleanliness and environmental considerations and are often sought out by people visiting beaches when they are on holiday.
Meanwhile, Seaside Awards have been handed to four Isle of Wight beaches. Shanklin, Sandown, Seagrove and Springvale will all be flying Seaside Awards, applied for by their town and parish councils.
ISLE OF WIGHT DEMOGRAPHICS
Separated from the mainland of England by the Solent, the Isle of Wight is home to approximately 141,000 residents. The Island covers 147 square miles with most residents living in the predominantly urban east and home to the Island’s main employment centres of Newport, Cowes, Ryde and the resort towns of Sandown and Shanklin. The Sandown bay area has a population of, circa 21,700.
Cowes and Fishbourne connect the Island to the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth – with ferries operating as the primary mode of transport to the mainland. The predominantly rural west has smaller towns and villages nestled in stunning scenery, while Yarmouth is one of the Island’s gateways connecting the port to Lymington.
The Island’s attractive landscape and natural environment supports a large tourism industry that is valuable to the Island’s economy. Cowes Week and the Isle of Wight Festival, amongst many events, give the Isle of Wight international recognition, while Osborne House, Carisbrooke Castle and Blackgang Chine are major tourist destinations.
Quality of life on the Island is high making it a good place to live and an attractive place for businesses to invest.
The Pier
The pier opened in 1879. It was only 360ft long, due to builders, the Sandown Pier Company, running out of funds.
In 1887 the Sandown Pier Extension company bought the pier and extended it in 1895 to 875ft with the addition of a new pavilion in 1934.
1971 saw the development of a more shore based entertainment area opening in 1973. The pier was sold in 1987 to the Sandown Pier Limited.
A bad fire in 1989 caused severe damage and substantial repairs were required costing over £2 million.
The theatre on the pier played host to many famous names such as Ray Alan, Jimmy Tarbuck, as well as local Island acts and societies.
It was closed down in 1997 due to dwindling attendance and a lack of local council budget.
Following a change of use, the current pier has many more amenities including indoor miniature crazy golf and the traditional seaside arcade.
Sandown Pier
Children
Sandown's next generation are vitally important especially in terms of the facilities and education provided within the town.
Pre-schools
Most people see what is,
and never see what can be
Albert Eistein
Support drives confidence
which drives investment
The SANDOWN stakeholders
Paul Brading
Councillor for Lake South Ward
Chairman of Lake Parish Council
Peter Higgin - Chair of Governors
Bay CE School, Sandown.
I believe strongly in the transformative power of the arts to unlock our innate creativity and curiosity. I place particular importance on ensuring an equitable approach and am passionate about access, inclusion and diversity. I understand first hand the importance of a strong education as a foundation for your future and have my experiences at Sandown High School to thank for that.
Joe Robertson MP
Deliver affordable homes
I have been leading calls for more genuinely affordable housing for Islanders including affordable rental homes. We secured £40m in the Council’s Budget and published a 5-point action plan for delivery.
Paul Massara, Chair
Paul is a former CEO of energy company RWE Npower, with extensive experience in the energy industry at Board level. He is an active member on the executive committee of both RWE and Centrica/Direct Energy and a non-executive director of Electron.
Sandown Bay forms a very important community. Over 20,000 people live in the area full-time with numerous visitors arriving annually.
Together, we compliment each other. The actions we take as individuals, often directly affect others.
Both Positively And Negatively.
We therefore need to consider how we interact as a community; especially towards those relying on us to look out for them.
Too often those in control yield their power unfairly without the best interests of everyone at heart.
In this website, we hope to open a dialogue - objectively - to identify ways in which we can all work together to improve our environment and our town.
We have a twitter account and Instagram(see below) for anyone interested in opening a dialogue or able to amend any of the many mistakes contained herein!
Do get in touch....