‘It’s like a gun to our head’ — Ryde Town Council is calling for a public meeting with Isle of Wight Council officers over plans for Ryde Esplanade as they feel there are too many unknowns.
At a meeting of Ryde Town Council’s planning committee on Tuesday, councillors criticised the Isle of Wight’s consultation on the proposed changes to develop the Ryde Interchange as part of a £10million government-funded project for a lack of information, which was making some members of the public more confused.
Councillor Lisa Carter said people were cross because there were few details.
Only following a meeting with the IWC’s strategic manager for regeneration infrastructure and transport capital programme, David Newton, earlier in the week did Cllr Carter feel she understood what was happening and ‘it was helpful to have that dialogue’.
Mayor of Ryde, Cllr Michael Lilley said the process to get where things stand at the moment, and with only 5 weeks left to the end of the consultation, had not been helpful with a breakdown in communication apparent between the IWC and the Ryde Regeneration workgroup. He said:
“We are not terribly happy about how we got here, it is a bit like a gun to the head with the way it has been done.
“It is very difficult for us and members of the public to make clear decisions about the cosmetics of it unless we have the tools to visualise it … There needs to be some kind of event where people can interact.”
Article continues below this advertisement
Cllr Lilley also said it feels as if we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, that if the IWC said no to the money, stopping the scheme, with the way the national government is working at the moment, there could be a ripple effect of getting investment into the town. He said:
“It is not my final answer but I do have reservations … we are in dangerous territory if we start to object.”
Cllr Malcolm Ross shared his thoughts on the scheme and said the council had to think of what the scheme proposes, with the objective of it all to improve pedestrianisation, which the Esplanade ‘was crying out for’. Cllr Ross’s ‘minor quibble’ with the scheme was removing the rose garden, which stretches along the railway track, to become a pathway and asked if there was a way to keep it.
Cllr Georgie Carter said while she felt there were more pros than cons to the scheme, a better public consultation was needed, with visual aids, like 3D drawings and artists’ impressions, to help residents reach a decision.
Councillors voted unanimously to write to the IWC with a view to having a public meeting to gather more information as well as more engagement with the travel companies.
Speaking after the meeting, RTC’s Cllr Phil Jordan but also the IWC’s cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, who had been watching the meeting, said it was interesting to hear the comments. He said overall it was about trying to do the best for the town and community.
Cllr Jordan said he was not aware if there were any visualisations of the scheme, apart from the map drawings already published, but if they did exist he would make sure people had sight of them.
Has anyone noticed these changes mean no more scooter ride outs or them parking by the cafe, no rallies or ride outs means a huge loss of revenue to local business..
If its broadly in the best long term interests of Ryde, and the Island, then it must be built. Tinker with it, or add and subtract later. Otherwise, in my view, look forward to another 20 plus years of neglect and lost opportunity.
The plans that have been drawn up for the regeneration of the area in question should be made public to the community of residents in Ryde. They can then see what is planned. What they cannot do, is start objecting and expect the plans to be changed just because they think a Rose garden should remain situ. Come on, your lucky to have £10 million spent in Ryde. I’m certain struggling Sandown would love to have that amount spent on improving the area!
Quite right too. They do frequently seem to forget they are Our Servants.
Two things needs to be done to make me happy. The toilets to be rebuilt in a new location close to where they are now. And the walkway on the pier raised up from the level proposed. The current design means that the walk way will be underwater at high tide.
its not a one and only – this can be postponed -discussed and may even be cancelled in its current form – central government is not simply going to cut off all funding to the island if it doesn’t do this work – that is not how things work. this is just a bunch of councilors determined to do this and for what – apart from their own vested interests.
this can easily be delayed and government funding for something better be arranged later, after a much more thorough and open debate
As part of a conservation area businesses have with the help of grants put building back to how they looked before and a great job they have done, now we have the council with grants making it modern so does this now mean with more grants the businesses on the seafront can all have new double glazed shop fronts?
Why are they trying to force this through with no consultation or modern visual aids to show the public thier lofty vision?
I would like to see a full costing breakdown.Has the contract for the construction been awarded? Has it been put out for tender? Who bidded? Who won?
Who was involved in this process?
Do they have any connection with the winning construction company?
It is our money being spent by public “servants” who seem to have become unaccountable dictators
Try typing “Ryde Interchange marksbarsfield.com ” into seach engine.
They cant erect those ultra modern structures at the end of the victorain pier and opposite the victorain buildings can they?
They look appalling