The Isle of Wight Council has scrapped plans to provide parking for 200 cars at Simeon Street Recreation Ground in Ryde, instead directing motorists to existing car parks in the town.
An application to Fields in Trust to use part of Simeon Street Recreation Ground as a temporary car park during August has been withdrawn by the Isle of Wight Council. In making the decision, the council has said it is respecting the wishes of local residents.
The authority now plans to utilise existing car parks in Quay Road (behind LA Bowl) and St Thomas’s Street (to the west of Ryde Pier), with new signage in the area to direct visitors to these spaces. Both car parks are a considerable distance from Appley.
With the Appley long-stay car park unavailable due to the ongoing Southern Water sewer repair works, Councillor Phil Jordan, Cabinet lead for transport, has said it is vital the council found alternative provision to support the local economy. He’s said:
“This summer season could be a lifeline to many of our local businesses left devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, it was vital that we looked to put measures in place to support the economic boost they so desperately need.
“Our original plan was to use a partial area of Simeon Street Recreation Ground for temporary off-road parking, close to local amenities and the beach, during the peak season. This was to replace the lost spaces at the very popular Appley car park for a very short period over the summer holidays.
“However, we are a listening council and it became clear local residents wanted us to explore other options. We have listened and we have acted swiftly to accommodate their views.
“Having carefully considered the limited options available to us, we have decided to utilise our existing car parks which, while a little further away, do have some of the capacity to accommodate the increase in visitor numbers we hope to see over the summer holidays.”
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Why not lay on a free shuttle bus for the six weeks along the esplanade….,
A shuttle bus picks people up and drops them to their required destination yes, but after they’ve parked their car in a car park. There seems to be a lack of parking spaces for the predicted amount of visitors with cars. A shuttle bus will not solve the problem.
how about they walk, instead of being lazy and expecting a bus – what next, being carried by other humans.
and you can solve future parking issues, by listening again and cancelling the ridiculous housing desires at P feathers and W acre.
having walked down passed the works at appley I cant understand why the carpark is closed off .
Common sense prevails for once. Amazing. Never thought I would see that.
Been a bumpy start for Cllr Jordan at both IWC and RTC. But overall I know he’s passionate about our town so let’s just be thankful this decision had been reversed and move on.
What Great News !!..After all of the objections to the plan by Ryde residents the Council have seen sense …Or did the Fields in Trust not give their permission so then the Council cancelled
their plans ..we will find out !!
The Council withdrew before it was considered.
Along side lots of local complainants
Good, otherwise the locals would have nowhere for Fido’s evening walk and to squat in the cool grass for some park users to step into the next morning, and the local druggies and vandals would have nowhere to fight, breed and indulge in anti social behaviour for the long summer recess this year.
Great news snd credit to the Council for their reversal of what was a no brainer bad decision .
On the flip side of this is how on earth was the original decision ever arrived at. ???
Lets hope the same approach is taken by the planners before Ryde is destroyed by the Pennyfeathers and Westridge Farm Developments.
Ecological disasters waiting to happen.
No new green space will be made in ghe future. Preserve what we have for our grandchildren.
Utter B*****s.. don’t have the funds to try and over-ride the permission/covenants on the land… The funds are dispersed on floaty MC-fail..
At last the island folk have been listened to ……
Stupid idea in the first place….
It has nothing to do with being a listening council. More like the lawyers did their bit being the grounds have been left to the Children of Ryde.
Sadly the same can’t be said about westacre. As much as we all want it left alone, deep down we know money talks and BALLs##t walks and gets what he wants.
So let’s see on tuesday if this really is a listening council or will they all be booking their free holidays.
Also IE why did the westacre story completely disappear the day before the planning officers were due at westacre site??????????
Has it disappeared then? maybe they were told to take it down in case anyone might be tempted to turn up there and make a stand against it.
So basically there is no solution for tourist parking this summer in Ryde beach.
The tourists won’t be told in advance will they ? They’ll be allowed (encouraged) to book accommodation nevertheless.
So they’ll come to Ryde, have fits trying to park their cars somewhere reasonably near the beach, be stuck in traffic as others try to navigate their way pointlessly from car park to car park.
Next year some of them understandably won’t come, or they’ll avoid Ryde, or they’ll tell their friends how shite Ryde seafront is.
Simeon park floods doesn’t it ? Should be main reason the car park not allowed.
Why do they want to bring car with them anyway? Why don’t they use public transport to get where they want to go and then walk around and see the sights? Not very relaxing to go on holiday and then have to be driving around in a hot car and worrying about where to park;
why not give St Marys School and Oakfield Schools some extra income by using their fields/hard standing as car parking
I can barely believe that the quiet residential are around Simeon Rec was even considered for turning into a car park of up to 200 cars. It would no doubt have required ruining the quiet entrance to the rec, uprooting trees and bushes, and perhaps perhaps widening it. And the grass would have had to go, and it would get appallingly muddy after rain. Worst of all, the noise and pollution and unsightliness of it, when it should be the calm and peaceful heart of the area. I daresay “just for 6 weeks” would easily become extended and regular during every summer.Families and everyone living there would not have had pleasant use of the rec …