IT IS with great concern that I read the front page and the related article in last week’s edition (CP online, 18-11-22) concerning the sale of Kingston Marine Park on the Isle of Wight to a consortium that wishes to build film studios on the site (pictured above).

However laudable the concept, Kingston Marine Park was designed and laid out to allow for the expansion of our highly valuable, marine manufacturing industry that urgently requires water frontage to continue its solid growth.

Kingston Marine Park was given planning permission solely for marine development use.

Later there was also an undertaking by both the then Homes and Community Agency and the Isle of Wight Council that the site would replace land lost in the absurd destruction of the iconic boat building facility next to the Columbine building in East Cowes.

READ MORE: Questions over switch of use for Isle of Wight movie studio site

Part of the rationale at the 2017 public enquiry into the proposed Red Funnel car park (which has still not been built) was that Kingston Marine Park would be the replacement for the lost water frontage land in East Cowes.

Wight Shipyard and other internationally acclaimed marine manufacturing industries need all the land with water frontage that they can get to continue their sustained growth.

This would allow the creation of many future jobs for young Islanders, such as those of Cowes Enterprise College, who are currently being encouraged to engage in its award-winning Maritime Futures curriculum.

Can no one in this current council see that film studios do not need to be built on a valuable scarce resource next to the Medina?

READ MORE: Isle of Wight film and TV studio for banks of River Medina

If the film studio is a ‘done deal’, then is the Isle of Wight Council actively looking for replacement sites for the marine industry?

How about the unused redundant council land on the other side of the river next to Medina Wharf?

  • Read more letters sent to the County Press here. Do you have a view on this or any other subject? Send us a letter – under 350 words if possible - to editor@iwcp.co.uk