REFURBED TOILETS WILL OPEN AT ESPLANADE TRAIN STATION ‘BY EASTER’

Ryde Town Council will take on responsibility for the yet-to-be-opened toilets at Ryde Esplanade Train Station, bringing a long-running argument over who will look after the refurbished loos to an end. After months of negotiations, an agreement between the Isle of Wight Council, South Western Railway and Ryde Town Council has been met. The town council will now pay to clean and insure the facilities – which are the only ones in the area – for an estimated cost of £27,000 per year, plus VAT. The town council will also have to pay more than £1,000 in legal fees to take on the lease. But no date has been set for when the new public toilets will open. There are hopes though that the public conveniences will open in time for Easter – traditionally seen as the start of the Island’s tourist season. As reported by Island Echo on Friday, the concourse which provides access to the toilets and to the new Ryde Pier pedestrian walkway will open on 19th February. Ryde Town Council previously looked after the former Western Gardens public loos, leasing them from the Isle of Wight Council. They were knocked down to make way for a new access road to Ryde Pier and there were reassurances they would be replaced. However, locals and visitors alike have only had portaloos to spend a penny in since April 2022. Although toilets inside the train station have been refurbished, a disagreement has been brewing over who should be responsible for running them. In December, SWR said it was up to the Isle of Wight Council, but County Hall said it never intended to manage them. Ryde Town Council said it was told SWR would maintain them. This week, it was revealed further talks have been held between the town council and SWR. Ryde Mayor, Richard May, said it was in the public’s interest that the town council pay to clean them and councillors agreed there was ‘no other way forward’, so they unanimously agreed to the deal.