The changes proposed for Ryde Esplanade have been dubbed the latest ‘St Mary’s Roundabout’ by an Isle of Wight Councillor.
Speaking at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s policy and scrutiny committee for neighbourhoods and regeneration last week, Councillor Tig Outlaw compared the controversial plans to those of the transformation of St Mary’s Roundabout to a junction.
When first announced, both highways projects were met with mixed reactions from residents and business owners, with petitions started and calls for a public meeting.
Cllr Outlaw said that when he saw the plans for the Ryde Esplanade to aid the interchange, it reminded him of when the plans were first seen for the Newport junction which came with quite a lot of criticism. He said:
“I was very supportive of [St Mary’s] as I saw straightaway there were real benefits to the plans.
“There was disruption during the process but the result has been widely recognised and made quite a transformative difference to that part of Newport.
“Bearing that in mind I have looked at these [Ryde] plans in detail and I think they are good.
“There are clearly some concerns from some residents and business owners over some aspects but overall I think the plans are excellent and I commend the team for bringing these to the table.”
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Cllr Outlaw also said it reminds him of the transformation of Portsmouth Harbour and the good difference that has made. He said:
“Frankly, looking at Ryde and that area of the seafront, it looks very tired and needs a lot of work: this could deliver a real, important change.”
Former cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, Councillor Ian Ward, agreed with Cllr Outlaw but said saying it was tired was a bit generous. He said:
“Ryde will benefit from the whole reshaping of the interchange.”
Under the proposals, which are set to be approved by this week, a new entranceway to the pier would be created, although demolishing a public toilet and cafe, reworking the bus station and adding traffic lights to the bottom of George Street.
Critics have called for the popular public toilets and cafe to be retained but the amenities will be put inside of the train station, although plans have yet to be announced by South Western Railway.
The changes to the Esplanade are part of a £10million government-funded project to increase connectivity to the mainland while also making it a safer and better area for pedestrians.
The next St Marys indeed.
That means they will f@#k up the flow of traffic and ruin the area completely and forever at a massive price.
There will be so many traffic lights that nothing will move.
After that they proclaim it all a massive successes and give themselves all a pat on the back.
Breaking news……. St Marys is not a success at any measure of the word.
Like you I thought St Mary’s was going to be a disaster but it has turned out to be excellent and if Ryde interchange is as good then that’s wonderful news. I can admit to being wrong but I don’t think you can appreciate improvements and accept that you may be wrong
I do not understand why you think that the St Mary’s junction is not a success. The junction works well with traffic flowing well and with easy access and exits across the lights.
Except for people who want to turn right when leaving the hospital. No thought was given to that at all.
Like you not convinced the money spent on what we now have can be considered worthy of being called a great improvement. For example it does not speed up any traffic accessing the Cowes road from Forest Road as it only takes a couple of vehicles to use the left hand lane to turn right down Medina Ave and the access is blocked! Turning left onto Forest Road and you, far too frequently hit a red light for the pedestrian crossing! Why was there no tunnel built in to prevent that? Still we’re stuck with it now and the build up of traffic on Coppin’s Bridge still impacts negatively – should have started there first IMHO
they do not need to fix, what isn’t broken.
perhaps the councilors should move into a property opposite the bus station and put up with the racket of endless building works.
perhaps the councillors should have their salaries cut, to represent the impact to businesses along the sea front.
perhaps the councillors should be investigated to see who is financially benefiting from this – tenders to companies, who owns the companies…etc etc
I was on Ryde Esplanade yesterday and the bus station area is very tired and scruffy. The only good things are the flower borders, supplied by the council. The place needs a good going over because it is a gateway to the Island and should give a better impression to visitors.
Here we go again! Why on earth do you think that every councillor is corrupt? Ask the council for a Freedom of Information reply and you will get answers. Or is that too difficult because you might be proved wrong.
john vectis – ha ha – you cannot really believe that councillors are not making sure that their own nests are feathered and that they act in accordance with, what is in their best interests at all times.
politicians will only ever do what is needed to stay in office and get re-elected – irrespective of common sense.
It is broken though, and the works won’t be endless. Unless wight fibre get involved.
What did one arrogant councillor say to the other arrogant councillor?
“The public know nothing, so tell them nothing”
most of the island is rundown. we moved off it best thing we did
Yup, I may be doing the same. Grew up here but can’t take the moaning from the NIMBY lot stopping all development. Taking food of the plate of the local trades. Slowly killing the island.
excellent – goodbye fred – no more of your anti environmental rhetoric then
The main thing that’s spoiled the Island is too many undesirables moving here from elsewhere in the country. In such a small geographical area you can’t have so many people coming to live here without making a severe detrimental effect on everything in every way. And by undesirables I mean the yobbish antisocial types that litter the town squares,make a lot of noise and rejoice in their bad manners and rudeness and have total disregard for anyone else’s well-being.
ward crawled out from under his rock to comment, thank heavens he isn’t involved in this.
Just proves the point that there is no point in voting in any elections as you always end up with the same deluded type of councillors who only do what is good for them and not what is good for the island. This lot are every bit as bad as the last lot. Nothing will ever change as all politicians are liars.
Isn’t it time they started re modeling Bullen cross at the top of Ryde, those two houses have been empty for years in readiness for the work to expand that junction, or will they put in the new estate up first?