It will come as no shock that councillors are being recommended to approve upgrades to Ryde’s Esplanade Train Station – but the Police aren’t happy about the potential impact on crime.
As part of the major transport interchange works taking place in Ryde, the Island Line station at Ryde Esplanade is to be refurbished, as previously reported by Island Echo.
In the plans, provisions are included to refurbish the currently closed public toilets and open them to the public; extend the cafe and add another shop. External alterations would see a new glazed entrance feature installed, as a welcome focal point to the station.
Commenters say it is crucial to protect the building’s historic context while also fulfilling transport requirements but there was no need to remove the existing bus information office.
However, concerns have been raised by Hampshire Constabulary’s Designing Out Crime Officer who said incidents regularly occur in that area of the Esplanade. Between 27th July 2020 and 26th July 2022, 115 incidents were reported with 55 being of relevance to the application — 27 of which occurred between 22:00-06:00.
Police say the multiple entry/exit points would make policing incidents difficult and therefore, to reduce crime and disorder, advise the facility should be secured with roller shutter doors between 22:00 and 06:00 with CCTV installed.
Council planning officers say commuters would be unable to access facilities and the tram pier pedestrian walkway if the facility was secured overnight, while transport services are still running. In their report, they say the same number of entry and exit points are proposed in the refurbished station as there are now, so it would not exacerbate the existing situation.
Officers are recommending the planning committee grant conditional permission subject to a construction environment management plan; demolition work completed outside of bird breeding season unless supervised by a qualified expert and final approval of external materials.
They say while the proposed design would not result in a comprehensive regeneration of the building it would nonetheless improve its current ‘service-like’ appearance and provide a better sense of arrival. Overall, officers say, the refurbishment would have substantial social, economic and environmental benefits.
The application will be decided at the council’s planning committee meeting next Tuesday (25th October).
This whole fiasco is a total waste of money in the current climate.
The island has been given substantial funds by central Government to ‘level up’ and improve obviously outdated structures. Ryde Bus Station was certainly that. It was something out of the 1960s! If the island wants to continue with tourism, this busy gateway to the island was in desperate need of a makeover don’t you think?
‘a new glazed entrance feature installed, as a welcome focal point to the station’ – sounds lovely but it will be smashed in no time by the hoi polloi. How about some menacing brutalist plan to mirror the masses?
The plans look good but they need to greatly improve the abysmal rail & ferry service. Had to walk up the pier again in gale force winds as the fastcat was a few minutes late & the train wouldn’t wait for it! And don’t get me started on the one per hour fastcat with the last one leaving Portsmouth at 8:30pm. I am sure it was better during the war.
It was better before privitisation, In the 1980s when BR owned the ferries they ran every half hour in all weathers and the trains waitied at portsmouth and the ferrys waited at the pier
Yes I agree. I have been travelling across the Solent since the early 1960’s & have never experienced such a poor service as we have now.
With the police on this. There’s an opportunity for crime prevention here and typical council think they know better. Have they learnt nothing following the recent vandalism of toilets down there.
Stick a Tesco express there, then the Police will be regularliry there.
Absolutely brilliant….
anyone with half a brain would have had all the necessary plans in place before all this work started……and as for the public consultation and survey for this, unless i missed something didnt ask the crucial question, which was do you want this yes or no, a complete muck up from the start
Anything to stop or reduce crime should be made a priority, therefore planning and building alterations should be implemented immediately. The youth and drug dealers will be hanging around causing ASB. I hope the island’s Police objections are listened to and acted upon.
Maybe the police should do their job and move the scumbags on and the vandalism and drugs won’t be an issue.
Ryde needs all the help it can get because at the moment it’s not very inviting as a entry point to the Island
And just how many of those incidents happened in front of officers on patrol? I’m guessing not many.
Ryde train station?? Ryde railway station. Thank you.