Businesses in the heart of Ryde are concerned for their future as the Isle of Wight Council sets out a controversial proposition to introduce parking charges on Ryde’s Union Street.
Earlier this week, the local authority published their Budget and Council Tax setting agenda for the 2026/27 financial year beginning in April, in which it is proposed that 82 bays down one of the Island’s busiest shopping destinations will be subject to charge.
At present, parking is free for up to an hour, a much-welcomed setup for the many businesses trading on Union Street.
The ‘gateway to the Island’ boasts impressive footfall from both locals and visitors alike. However, the introduction of parking charges will put a huge strain on small, local businesses that rely on people popping into the town.
5th generation Islander and owner of Festival Diner Bar, Nigel Smith, has told Island Echo:
“They should lower the parking charges for the massive great car parks at the back. If they want to put meters here, they should allow a free half hour first so people can nip and get a sandwich, get their medicine or pop into a shop.
“An hour isn’t long enough for people to park up, look around the shops, get something to eat and then go back to the shops. They need longer.”
Union Street’s current parking arrangements were cemented in 2019 with Councillor Ian Ward describing the issue as being nationwide and one of the main reasons town centres across the UK are struggling. But the Alliance-led Council now looks to change things up…
Sheila Wilson, owner of Sugar ‘n’ Spice, thinks the move has taken perhaps longer than it should have:
“From a business point of view, we would want free parking to continue. But when you look at everything overall, why isn’t it equitable?
“I probably don’t think there should be one area where parking is free and then everywhere else you have to pay.
“It’s not too bad, to be honest. People go and buy a coffee for £4 and don’t complain about that.”
Meanwhile, Micheal Ward of Ward House Mortgages and Life feels as though the town has already faced a lot of hardship over the years and this is yet another blow for the town:
“The concern for Ryde is that we’re going to lose 84 parking spaces. We’ve gone through COVID, increases in national insurance and rising unemployment. Most of Union Street is made up of small businesses and they’re the ones who will suffer.
”If we lose those spaces, people will go out of town, and that means more struggle for local businesses, residents want to shop in Ryde, they don’t want to go to Newport, especially with the roadworks. Making parking more difficult just makes it harder for local businesses.”
Jon Wilkinson, owner of the successful Island chain-Ape Vapes completely agrees with Micheal:
“We already pay substantial business rates to operate here. Those rates are meant to contribute towards local services and infrastructure that support the business community. Increasing parking charges on top of that feels like a double burden — businesses are being asked to carry the cost while footfall continues to decline
“An estimated £56,000 a year will be generated on Union Street alone through parking charges, this will not fix the Council’s obvious money management issues. It begs to question how much money has been wasted on the ‘old’ NatWest building since being purchased.”
It’s not just businesses that are worried about the proposed introduction of charges… Shopper Josh Neale thinks there is no way he would visit the town as often as he does currently, if charges come into play.
Josh has said:
“It’s just more of an inconvenience, like why cant I park here for an hour for free as I do at the moment?”
The matter is due to be discussed by the Policy, Finance and Resources Committee tomorrow (Friday), with a decision to go before Full Council at a later date.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
That’s what happens on the mainland, you have to pay
to park.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are bringing in
high fines of £160.00 for vehicles that park illegally.
Many businesses could swallow the charge on items
they sell..
If you park in Freshwater and shop in Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury knock the parking charge off your bill
businesses in Ryde could do the same.
Many cafes charge £4 for a coffee that costs 10p
to make, with such huge profits they could afford
to swallow the charge.
What’s the problem.
I wish the council would concentrate more on
making revenue from vehicles that park on Pavements
and Double Yellow Lines.
Everyday vehicles are breaking the law and no one
stops them.
Instead the council take the easy route to affect businesses
who are paying extortionate rates etc.
The Council should target the numpties parking illegally.
Get Civil Enforcement Officers to drive down
Oakhill Road in Seaview.
Also they could generate more money from speeding
motorists etc etc
Are you SERIOUS in what you are saying, or are you part of the ‘Green Energy/Anti-Motorist Mafia Extremists’?
Businesses are struggling to survive as it is with exorbitant Business Rates, National Insurance increases on Staffing pay, not to mention paying absurdly high prices for lighting and heating, due to ‘Crazy Ed’, and others headlong rush towards some imaginary Utopian Green Power world!
now, YOU expect already struggling businesses to subsidise the IoW Councils parking charge proposals.
You keep banging on about other places and their Crusades against Motorists, might I politely suggest that you up-sticks and relocate to one of those apparent Shangri La’s?
Splendid reply, couldn’t agree more.
Another Numpty who wants everything for nothing.
I don’t want everything for nothing, I just don’t want our shops and businesses going the same way as many places on the mainland.
Once you have got your knickers out of a twist
think how lucky we have been all these years.
Try parking in Brighton free for 1 Hour
It isn’t easy parking in Brighton for 1 hour if paying.
Businesses on the island have very cheap rents and
cheap business rates compared to southern england
and the big smoke, yet many of them charge more for
coffees etc.
The island is greedy.
There are places on the mainland charging £1 for a
burger.
99p for an 99 ice cream, you won’t find such places
on the Island.
Time to pay up or walk, exercise is good.
He’s mental but there is no help for him.
The council must be in league with the “government “ in their quest to completely kill off businesses. Unbelievable!
Get with Agenda 30
This bloody council won’t be happy until everything is closed up. Stupid idea.
Ryde town is already starting to lose shops. Times are tough for the retail trade. If this strategy is implemented more closures will follow. Councils should be doing all they can to encourage visitors to stop and shop. Parking charges in Union Street will just drive shoppers away and more shops will be forced to close turning Ryde into a ghost town.
Lets hope common sense prevails and this crazy proposed scheme is abandoned!
Regent Street Shanklin allow just half an hour parking
and it works.
Many people park much longer, no one police’s the
half hour, so what’s the problem.
Could always do what the takeaway businesses
do in Shanklin, park on the opposite side of the road
FREE OF CHARGE CAUSING OBSTRUCTIONS
TO OTHER MOTORISTS
They are not affected by the half hour limit
Says it is estimated that they will make 56K a year, what about the pay for the CEOs the cost to put the machines in, The cost of maintaining them as Island Roads would not be responsible under the contract …personally I dont think the sums have been calculated properly
councils are inept at capital allocation …they should not be getting any more – they should be cutting the freeloaders getting SEN taxis to school on the taxpayer, instead of making the parents take the kids to school themselves.
that is well over a million a year
stop stealing more money from people that could be in the tills of those businesses – councillors are so short sighted and inept
I agree with the £4 coffee point! Any charge will deter some because of the hassle of having to pay for a ticket. To lose some vibrancy on Union St for the sake of £56k seems pretty daft given the overall negative economic impact that it would be likely to have. Maybe keep 30 mins free. And introduce 30 mins free parking for Newport High St too. Empty shops on high streets are bad for everyone.
I would rather pay to park in ryde then newport anyway but when u park look up and down ,if u cant spot a traffic warden u got at least 15 min and most of the cafes shops ect have got big windows so if u spot 1 it’s time to go
Download “ParkPatrol” and join in.
Great idea, some vehicles park along Union Street
all day long, must be related to Civil Enforcement Officers
It’s who you know.
Reducing free parking in Sandown High Street to 30 minutes would not allow enough time to pop into Boots for a prescription. Since Jhoots closed you can queue there for more than 30 minutes.
Prescriptions can be delivered to your home address