The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth has launched a consultation as it considers options for what could be done with the vacant former Convent School and former parish school behind St Mary’s Church in Ryde.
The Diocese is being assisted by the Ryde High Street Heritage Action Zone, which considers the potential project a priority for the town.
Thomas Ford and Partners, specialist conservation architects, have been commissioned to prepare an options appraisal for the site and Thomas Ford and Partners have engaged the Destination Consulting team of Colliers, who are business planners, to help explore options.
It is envisioned that the property will be refurbished and that improved parish facilities will be provided, including a new community centre. A 1960s classroom block at the rear may be reused or even demolished and important car parking will be retained.
Areas of the property currently not in use could be used for residential accommodation or perhaps workspace. Ideas suggested in the survey include a small business centre, an events centre, a café or health hub.
However, the church does not have financial or other resources to undertake the project on its own and therefore it will be necessary to obtain grant funding due to the high costs of restoring and converting listed buildings.
The views of Ryde residents are now being sought with a short online survey set up at https://uk.colliers.com/p/631F-BCN/consultation-survey-former-st-marys-convent-school-ryde.
Responses must be submitted by 30th April 2022.
How about offering it up for some Ukrainian people who are being bombed out of existence. Rather than to some rich, pompous developer to sell on to 2nd home homeowners.
Hmm let’s see the likely outcome – a load of airy fairy pie in the sky community things with lots of nice drawings that won’t happen and a load of residential parts that will need to be approved first(to supposedly fund the other stuff) – so we will see loads more flats built and then, due to economic circumstances, even more flats in the previously proposed commercial/community bits which will by then be deemed unaffordable
A Hospital ?, as St Marys is too small to cope with the islands growing population
It’s a scandal that such a fine piece of real estate has been allowed to languish for so long.Anything done to preserve this hidden gem would be a boon to the town.
Saint Therese Presentation Convent
Residential flats for rent for over 50’s…
These are beautiful buildings which must be preserved. Over 50’s would be good.
One of the richest organisations in the world ‘doesn’t have the funds!’ Pull the other one! Of course it does the Catholic church just doesn’t want to put its hands on its pockets but make funders pick up the costs as always.
If it were to be turned into homes, must be on the lease that you live there and not use it as a holiday home or for rent. So many people who were born here are locked into renting. Rent more that twice what a mortgage would be, they are prevented from saving for a deposit. Buy to let is immoral.
Will never happen, too many UK oligarchs stand to loose money if we start doing projects for the greater good.
How is buy to let ‘immoral’? Without people buying properties to rent them out the rental market would cease to exist. There are many people who would rather rent a property than buy it – I’ve been in that situation many times myself over the years. What would you have these people do? Force them to take out a mortgage and buy a property?