UPDATED: Just days after power was cut to Ryde’s former theatre and town hall resulting in the shut down of the Pubwatch and Shopwatch antenna, the owners of the building say that the Isle of Wight Council have had plenty of notice about making arrangements for the schemes.
As revealed by Island Echo on Friday, engineers from Scottish and Southern Energy cut off the supply to the building on Thursday of last week due to non-payment. As a result, the antenna located on the roof of the grand building lost power and plunged Ryde’s Pubwatch and Shopwatch radio communications into the dark.
Responding to the news, Ryde Theatre’s owners have said that they have allowed the Isle of Wight Council to use the building free of charge for the past 4 years, subject to them being responsible for the electrical service.
According to Phantom Productions, who took over the building in 2013, the Council were reminded several months ago that they needed to arrange for the electrical supply to be put into their name as they are currently the only users. Green Eye Events Ltd no longer required the service as of the 30th September 2015 and SSE were informed of this, although in a statement to Island Echo on Friday SSE claimed the non payment was down to Green Eye Events Ltd.
A spokesperson for Phantom Productions has told Island Echo:
“This week we were advised by the Council that they still have not been able to find out what department is responsible for maintaining the Shopwatch/Pubwatch services and its related use at the theatre, despite us trying to find out for some time now.
“We also advised Ryde Town Council of the urgency and necessity to talk with Isle of Wight Council and that they needed to take responsibility for the electrical services. From talks with the Isle of Wight Council on Thursday and Friday this has still not been done. The Isle of Wight Council are continuing to look into who is responsible for this and to make appropriate arrangements.
“The company has allowed the Council to utilise the building for these services free of charge for past 4 years. We are not responsible for the electricity supply to run the town’s Shopwatch and Pubwatch.
Article continues below this advertisement “We now understand SSE, the electricity supplier, has also contacted the Council to advise the supply would be terminated without an agreement in place to pay for the service. To date this has not been dealt with, which is why they now find themselves without electricity”.
Island Echo has contacted the Isle of Wight Council for a comment.
UPDATE THURSDAY – The Isle of Wight Council has issued a brief statement to Island Echo, in which it confirms the Pubwatch and Shopwatch systems are currently non-operational:
“The equipment for Shopwatch and Pubwatch is housed within the Ryde town hall building, which is presently without electricity supply. The Isle of Wight Council is working together with Police colleagues and others, including the owners of the building, to investigate what options are available to ensure that these initiatives can be reinstated as soon as possible”.
