The decision on whether to give Ryde’s iconic Appley Tower a revamp and restoration rests in the hands of the Isle of Wight Council leader.
Planning permission has been approved and grant funding secured for a £250,000 refurbishment. Isle of Wight environment and economy charity Natural Enterprise is looking to lease the tower from the Isle of Wight Council.
If Councillor Lora Peacey-Wilcox signs off the lease, the charity will be able to access £248,552 funding it has secured from the Heritage Lottery for the refurbishment of the Grade II listed building.
As the council’s committees are not set to meet again before the end of December, the decision has been delegated to the leader. Plans were approved by the Isle of Wight Council last month to turn it into an art gallery with educational and retail uses.
Beach huts — to fund the future repair and upkeep of the tower — were also approved and would be added to the current line of huts further down the beach.
Work to the tower includes major stonework repair, replacement windows and doors, external illumination and roof terrace with balustrade.
The Isle of Wight Council is being asked to lease the tower to Natural Enterprise by the end of December or it could miss out on the lottery funding. It is not allowed to be made before 13th December.
The Isle of Wight Council has said it is prepared to support the project by £40,000, which Ryde Town Council will also match funding. The tower needs significant external repairs, estimated to be in the region of £250,000 in 2018, the Isle of Wight Council says. It had been vacant for many years despite marketing campaigns to find a new tenant.
The council says if it does not grant the lease in time, the tower will remain an ongoing risk for the authority to manage with no money to do so.
The funding for Natural Enterprise would also be lost so any money for restoration work would have to be found elsewhere.
This could be the last chance to save this lovely old folly. Would also save a bit of money coming out of the public purse again. Go for it.
Knock it down it is pointless.
Best get you finger out girl, dont sit there dithering, or you’ll be talked out of it by the numpties.
Her only interest is benefit scroungers.
A chance to do the right thing for Ryde and the Island….. Why would she decline the offers on the table?.. Ooops I forgot,,,, she is a councillor so logic goes out the window! Just get it done for heavens sake, it aint rocket science, and the alternative is demolition!
In architecture, a folly is a building usually constructed strictly for aesthetic pleasure. Originally, buildings were made to provide shelter or to house people. Follies are just decoration; they no longer have a building’s original function. They were first constructed to put accents into parks and estates.
So does that mean the decision will be secret like the floating bridge decision?
disgusting excuse for ‘public servants’