The Isle of Wight Council has agreed to make approximately 15 acres of greenfield land they own available to the Ryde community, to form a new country park in Ryde.
Local ward councillors Michael Lilley and Charles Chapman have campaigned for some years for part of the proposed Nicolson Road development site to be used as a small country park. There has been a lack of accessible green space in the area and the proposed country park is within a part of the development site that is unsuitable to build on.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for safe accessible recreational and exercise space has become a real issue for residents. Ryde Town Council has been lobbying the Isle of Wight Council, in partnership with Natural Enterprise, to open up the site. This has now been achieved and the site is officially open.
Access is via footpath 55 which runs from the railway track to Great Preston Road, off Bridleway 54 (between Smalbrook Lane and Oakfield).
Ryde Town Council would like to thank Natural Enterprise for their hard work in getting the site open to the public so quickly and thank the Isle of Wight Council for allowing these plans to go ahead.
Shortly, local residents will be asked for ideas to name the park and Natural Enterprise will be launching a consultation with the local community to develop the area further. This will include establishing a volunteer group to care for the site, to work with them on projects to improve it and protect the important nature on site.
Mayor of Ryde, Cllr Michael Lilley, says:
“As an IW and Ryde Town Councillor I started the campaign back in 2017 with neighbouring Ward Cllr Charles Chapman to get the right of way to this site re-established, this was achieved in that year and since then we have campaigned for part of the land on the IW Council owned Nicholson Road development site to be a community orchard and country park.
“In Ryde we have a deficit of accessible green space, during Covid19 the need for recreational countryside is desperately needed for physical and mental well-being. Ryde Town Council and I have been working with Natural Enterprise on other sites previously and are delighted that in true partnership collaboration with IW Council we have made this possible. Ryde thanks IW Council for agreeing to open up this beautiful site for residents to enjoy.”
Graham Biss, Managing Director Natural Enterprise said:
“Great credit must go to Michael Lilley, Mayor, Ryde Town Council and IW Council for making the lower area of the Nicholson Road development available for everyone to enjoy. We had no hesitation to get involved and we would now like to receive feedback from and the involvement of the local community to help shape how this greenspace is preserved and enjoyed in the future”.
Cllr Charles Chapman, Councillor for Ryde South, which neighbours the site, has said:
“I am overjoyed to see this green space opened as many in my Ward have no gardens and would welcome a place to walk and exercise. Michael and I have campaigned for this for sometime. Good result”.
Somewhere new for vandals, junkies to hang out.
I hope not, we all need a little oasis like this
Whilst taking nothing away from the councillors securing this area, it is only a crumb to attempt to appease the masses for the ruination of the beautiful Smallbrooke valley area, for ever.
To the myriad of wildlife now blissfully unaware of what is going to happen to their lives as food sources, nesting sites, burrows, and the tiny creatures on which so much depends living in swaying grasses, hedgerows, trees, bushes, is bulldozed into smouldering piles, the wild flowers crushed before being smothered with concrete, tarmac and bricks to never, ever, see the light of day again, this will be small comfort.
Akin to trying to fit the whole population of the UK onto the Island, and expecting the people and the land to remain the same and all live in harmony.
It won’t, the untold suffering wildlife will lose its homes, food supply, and the small ‘concession’ will just be littered with dog poo hung bushes, and cider tins where once barn owls, buzzards, and squirrels made their homes.
Bad enough if the ruination was for decent Island people, but we all know what will fill and soon overfill these houses, then onto the next ‘green space’ to ruin for eternity.
Thanks for trying though, ‘your’ heart is in the right place Mr Lilly.
Brilliant post, Abbey. All thanks, especially, to Cllrs. Lilley and Ward, and everyone else concerned. Ryde needs more surrounding, accessible green spaces and fresh air and wildlife. What a pity the Pennyfeathers’ investtors couldn’t be as generous.
Sorry, Cllr Ward, my typo – I meant to write Cllrs. Lilley and Chapman! Thank you again.
Abbey Holmes, your post is beautifully written, evocative, and crushingly sad. So few people recognise the importance of protecting wildlife and learning ways to live in harmony with all species. Quick, ugly fixes are so often seen as the answer, when in reality imagination and empathy are what is needed.
Did you read the article? By creating a park it will be protected from being built on! Leaving it as is will make it more likely to be built on.
Also please re-read “the proposed country park is within a part of the development site that is unsuitable to build on.”
How long until this is paved over and 4,503,454 rabbit-hutch micro ‘houses’ are built on it though?
Stop…breeding then ! Simples !!
I’m waiting for the coronavirus to take people like you out. Simples. 🙂
Just stop all this negative feedback everyone. Enjoy the moment. For once in your lives embrace something good which is happening for Ryde residents in these trying times. Well done Mr Lilley. A well deserved pat on the back to you.
Well done ted always look on the bright side of life at least someone is trying
Mayor Lilley hasn’t just sat on his laurels like some Ryde councillors and has chased up matters including Pennyfeathers. He obviously sticks to his green credentials. A good job he wasn’t overthrown by the red plotters.
Superb post Abbey and i full agree with you.
Their is one way to protect this area, even though its within a development site, and that is for the Council to get a cast iron covenant on it.
It has to be a cast iron one, why?, because in the past it appears that some may have been brushed under the carpet.
Fair play to local councillors, but Abbey Holmes has it right. The great and the ‘good’ at County Hall have allowed this project as a small crumb of comfort for Ryde before the complete ruination, nay, extermination of nearly every beautiful thing in the valley… From Rosemary Vineyard to Brading we’ll have tarmacadam, cars, jerry-built ugly houses, and people with no hope for the future adding to an already unstable situation. I cry when I think of the lack of outrage from educated residents of Ryde at any of Pennyfeathers’ perverse plans.
Lady L D-S. You are being extremely unfair to everyone who demonstrated by all legal means possible their disapproval of Pennyfeathers, Westridge Farm and Rosemary Vineyard developments, all to no avail. In fact, there was a local Ryde Councillor (pre- Cllr. Lilley) who based his election on being against Pennyfeathers. He won the day by a big majority, but sadly and despite the public outrage against Pennyfeathers, the beautiful local countryside didn’t. Apart from that – your other comments about the future of the area are extremely worrying and very descriptive.
Great news… I have walked through it on many occasion, was always lots of ‘ land mines ‘ ( dog drops, in little black bags ) which certainly spoils the walk, thank you dog walkers.. Just a shame they could not extend it across Smallbrook Lane…plant new trees over there, not just the usual ones.. could be really lovely for visitors, but no chance as they want houses there as the need for money grows.. but would be houses that only mainlanders and such could afford !
What’s the average annual pay on Island ? Dole money, !! Hard to get a mortgage with that !