The site, at 32, Commercial Road, making the corner with the Bridge, currently consists of a mix of dilapidated commercial, light industrial and residential structures, located centrally on the Bridge and extending inland from the seafront along Commercial Road.
A planning application has been submitted to demolish the existing buildings, and create nine two-bed units, one one-bed unit and one three-bed unit, 10 of which would have a parking space.
A new eatery would likely comprise a ground-floor cafe, open throughout the day, and a first- and second-floor restaurant to replace the long-lost L’Ora restaurant, which used to be situated on the upper floors in the 1990s.
The residential component would be a four-storey, flat-roofed building accessed via two welcoming entrance lobbies fronting Commercial Road.
The ground floor would be dedicated to secured parking and storage space.
Apartments would also have glazed Juliette-style balconies and the building would have a fully glazed stairway frontage.
Planning documents submitted state that the buildings are currently in a state of ‘extreme disrepair’, and that their visual condition alone demonstrate that the buildings cannot be reused.
The current RNLI shop on the Bridge frontage is being held together with scaffold poles.
Architects for the would-be developers said the client was aware of the broader regeneration of St Sampson’s and the Bridge.
The overall design would be of contemporary urban vernacular style using varied cladding materials to add texture and visual depth to the street.
The cafe restaurant would be conceived as a local landmark and social hub.
However, the height of the building would need to be raised 1.6m to introduce glazing, balconies and open terraces to create a ‘modern, people-oriented space that activates the seafront, captures panoramic harbour views and serves as a welcoming meeting point’.
The site is in an area at risk of flooding, so the ground floor is non-habitable, fit for storage and parking only. Draining and passive flood resilience would be integrated.
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