The founder of an Isle of Wight civic society has called into question the openness and accountability of the Ryde Neighbourhood Board (RNB), amid an ongoing row over the future of Ryde Theatre.
The Ryde Society founder Stella Davis said there are ‘huge gaps’ in RNB’s representation and expertise and decried a ‘lack of transparency’ in an email to three board members, including County Hall leader Phil Jordan.
The RNB, an independent partnership set up as part of the government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods which could soon access hundreds of thousands of pounds of regeneration funding, has been accused of “unacceptable conduct” over the future of Ryde Town Hall.
However, RNB chair Steven Holbrook said the board is actively seeking to be open and communicate clearly but said changes of government and rule changes had resulted in a “stop, start” process making communication more difficult.
Ms Davis’s email highlighted the Nolan Principles – ethical standards expected of those in positions of public office – which she said formed the basis of the recent Penn Report on the Isle of Wight Council.
Their key tenets include public office holders acting and taking decisions in an open and transparent manner and being accountable to the public for their decisions and actions.
She said:
“There are huge gaps in the ‘representation’ and expertise, including the environment – Ryde is in a Biosphere and has one of the most protected beaches in the world – an SSSI, in a Conservation Area and a Ramsar site. Heritage is scarcely mentioned and I see no expertise in small industry, hospitality, AI or greening.
Article continues below this advertisement “Although we are the local civic society, The Ryde Society has no idea what is being put forward for our town. We are not represented on the board.
“A few weeks ago (22nd September), The Ryde Society held a meeting attended by over 100 of our community, aged from under 18 to over 80. No member of the board, except the chair and yourselves, chose to attend, despite our repeated invitations.”
Mr Holbrook said he disagreed with Ms Davis’s view on representation, saying the board had a “good, wide representation of Ryde” and told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she had initially applied to be on the RNB but failed to secure a place.
Referring to the board’s members, he said:
“You’ve got the mayor of Ryde, two Isle of Wight councillors, you have the MP, you have the Police and Crime Commissioner and then you have a good selection of people from different industries.”
He also pointed to RNB representatives such as Michele Legg, clinical director and deputy chief medical officer for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight and Chartered Builder David Langdon. In addition, he said the board could be expanded if required.
On the The Ryde Society meeting, Mr Holbrook said four RNB members attending was “not terrible” and the invite had not been interpreted as requiring everyone else on the board to be there.
Other concerns Ms Davis raised included the board choosing to have meetings in private and much meeting time being used for forming committees and organisations with ‘various grandiose titles’ and ‘obscure’ membership and activities.
Mr Holbrook said the RNB had decided to hold meetings in private to allow people to have more open conversations.
“If they feel they can express themselves completely honestly and clearly, we feel that’s better at this time. It’s open to change, we can change it in the future.”
He said the board’s creation of subgroups was normal and efficient with “so much work to do” and denied they had grandiose titles.
Commenting on Ms Davis’s email, Cllr Phil Jordan said:
“I have already replied directly to Stella as a Ryde town councillor and member of the board.
“I am planning to meet with Stella to discuss her comments and concerns in person.”
Dear oh dear! So many people with, or wanting, a dog in this fight. Typical Ryde behaviour, RTHT, RTC, RRCIC, RNB and now the Ryde Society. Difficult to find a modicum of integrity amongst all this detritus as there will no doubt be some “funding” available.
It needs an outsider with honesty to sort all this out, not to mention Ryde Harbour.
Question is, is it Robertson?
Turn it into affordable accommodation,
better than it sitting in a poor state.
Not really realistic as the cost of conversion into accommodation would exceed any value for the result. Perhaps preserve the facade and build a new block of flats behind. Thus would still be hugely expensive