Ryde residents in Band C properties will pay £12.17 more per year as part of a £1.85million town council budget agreed this week.
A total of 9 Ryde town councillors backed a proposal from Councillor Phil Jordan for ‘Budget One’ and a 7.5% rise precept rise amid ongoing cost increases and pressures on residents at a full council meeting on Tuesday (3rd February).
Spending plans for 2026/7 include £339,886 for the Network Ryde youth service, which is an increase of £79,367.92 compared to 2025/26.
There will be £23,345.96 more for Ryde Marina to reach a £178,396.96 total.
There will be £13,500 in grants, including £4,000 for Ryde Carnival and £2,000 for Harp on Wight.
Budget One also allocates £344,600 for administration – a decrease of £29,373.94 – and £122,884 on community development, including on Ryde Help Centre, which is £12,564.40 less than in 2025/26.
Ryde Town Council’s (RTC) budget consultation received 94 responses, with 68% of respondents saying they would be prepared to pay more tax to keep Network Ryde at its current provision.
The passed budget goes against a recommendation by RTC’s finance and community resources committee for a £1,813,419 budget plan for 2026/27, ‘Budget Two’.
Committee members had previously recommended a 5% precept rise.
Councillor Lou Temel, who represents Ryde West, said:
“I can’t go along with Budget One…because it means there is a £96,000 deficit on the year and I think we should be looking to reduce our deficit.
“The audit has been going on for some years about the lowness of our reserves and that does need to be tackled – I think running a high deficit budget is not a good way to go about that.”
Binstead councillor Ian Dore said:
“It’s no secret that all of us in council land are in trouble financially with some very hard decisions to make down the line.
“I’m not in favour of a precept rise, I would like to look at something where we can pull everything together to reduce costs to keep us on a steady keel over the year.”
Cllr Chani Courtney, of Haylands and Swanmore, said:
“The ripple effect of providing stable, accessible things for the beach, the Ryde Information and Support Service, the extras that go onto option one (Budget One) have a far greater benefit than the pound a month they’re (residents) expected to pay for it.
“The amount of work that’s gone into this plan with the option one and the precept will give stability for them (RTC staff) to deliver the services rather than just keep talking about it.”
Speaking after the budget vote, Cllr Jordan said:
“We’ve done the right thing for this council and therefore for our community. For those that wanted a different outcome…we’ve increased it nine pence a week more than what your preferred option is.
“I’ve heard Newport are proposing 50 per cent.”
A proposed 45% precept increase is due to be considered by Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council at its Monday meeting (9th February).
They should think themselves lucky,the busy bodies at totland parish council put up the precept 60 % last year!
which bought the village hall,but of course,nobody was consulted on it,so it just went through,its time parish councils were abolished as it full of retirees from the mainland that dont like change and want to pretend that they are wanna bee MP,S
freshwater pc is just as bad ,its stuffed full of labour voting ex teachers who still think starmer is doing a good job!
you should be cutting all welfare support and cutting taxes on those working, not leeching off the taxpayers even more
Only 7.5%
Lol
Reduce the deficit by stepping down from your wage increase and stop syphoning it out of already drained Ryde residents, you greedy bunch of to…..ers.
Of course Jordan had to be the first to agree the increase , he was probably the first to agree to a wage increase for councillors.
So the small increase we may get in our wages is already decided where they are going to spend it . Total bulls..t
So that great commercial purchase, Ryde Marina will cost Ryde taxpayers £3430.00 per week. Hardly an asset.
Council tax payers are struggling. Yet every year councillors totally ignore that, adding to the burden.
Why the heck should residents pay for the harbor when they had funds go walkies as previously reported (what has happened about that case by the way) the harbor should be self funding surely.
how much more are we paying for, for empty buildings that the council own, not the residents who has paid for them through CT.
More money for those who can not afford it to pay out
Wankers of course they agree !!