Multi-million-pound plans to redevelop the former ice rink in Ryde may be brought before Ryde Town Council for discussion.
Ryde Appley and Elmfield representative Councillor Michael Lilley has asked the town council if it can make contact with the prospective buyers of Ryde Arena.
A local group has set out proposals to bring leisure facilities to the currently derelict Ryde Arena building, which is on the verge of being sold to them.
Cllr Lilley said:
“Ryde Arena is extremely important; it’s been an eyesore for a lot of years on the seafront. We’ve now, through the press, been told there is a proposal.
“Is it possible that as a council we can make contact with the people who are developing so that they can come and talk to this forum…to speak about it?
“It would be good to have the relevant officer with the Isle of Wight Council dealing with that now. Obviously, there’s a change of leadership in the council at the moment.
“It is important for us – I think the relevant officer would be Alex Minns – that we do have involvement about what is happening.”
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Newly elected Ryde mayor Karen Lucioni said Ryde Town Council clerk Lisa Dyer will make contact with Mr Minns, service director for community, regeneration and economy at County Hall.
Cllr Pippa Hayward said she ‘wholeheartedly’ supported Cllr Lilley’s comments and added it was ‘really important’ as much as possible that the town council looks at bringing coherence to the seafront.
Ryde Arena closed in 2016. Its freehold is owned by the Isle of Wight Council but, since 2014, the lease has been in the hands of AEW.
Cllr Lilley told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS):
“I am the chair of a small charity, Ryde Community Development Trust (RCDT) (formerly Wight Ice Leisure which was established out of the Ryde Arena Campaign Group).
“The ice rink was extremely important to Ryde and RCDT has a principal aim of seeing the arena preferably back as an ice rink but if that cannot be achieved then at least a sport and leisure centre.
“There is a new Ryde forum of local sports groups and there is a real need for an indoor sports arena, and we are keen to work with the new owners.
“Ryde needs a thriving esplanade and not an eyesore of an empty building, so Ryde Town Council needs to get behind this proposal.”
The people that want to turn it into a leisure center want to turn it into paddle ball courts, something barely anyone on the island cares about or wants, turn it back into a ice rink and let the other people find somewhere else to play what they want. Not like there’s a shortage of tennis courts on the island they can already use without taking something else from the island
Having formerly worked at Ryde Arena I find it interesting that nobody is mentioning the subsidence risk that was well known to staff back in the day, and was the main reason why the building was never extended to accommodate a full size ice rink after surveyors identified weak foundations. The building is a real life example of the parable about the man who built his house on sand!
I didn’t know about the subsidence risk. I would have thought that the business seeking to acquire the lease would conduct due diligence. I would have thought that even if someone wishes to reinstate the building as an ice rink, that organisation may be less interested if there is suspected subsidence.
Should be an indoor attraction with a restaurant
overlooking the solent.
It will make more money as a tourism attraction.
We got boring old people activities on the island. Should be something for the young people. Oldies piss and moan about bored anti social youths but dread to think about making this place a club