The next 3 months will prove crucial for the Ryde Transport Interchange Project, as a decision on the plans is set to be made by the Isle of Wight Council.
The plans could see the former tram pier being restored for pedestrians and cyclists, along with the gateway area being reconfigured and refurbished with new public toilets and ‘enhanced’ facilities. New crossings and cycle routes could also be introduced.
Funding for the work would come from local transport providers (to the value of around £30 million) alongisde a £10 million grant from the Government.
At the end of last year, the Council announced that a consultation and detailed plans would be published – but this stalled. Over half a year later, the Isle of Wight Council has scheduled a decision on the project in to its Forward Plan.
The item on the Forward Plan reads:
“The £10million grant for the Island will fund reinstatement of the tramway pier, refurbishment of the station/bus interchange and improved approaches with local transport partners providing a further c.£30million of complimentary contributions.
“The project is based on the Ryde Interchange scheme previously approved following consultation in 2008.
“The project is subject to tight timescales due to DfT and partner funding constraints and requires key decisions to be made prior to the next Cabinet meeting following the outcomes of an engagement and consultation process.
Article continues below this advertisement “Cabinet are asked to approve the scheme’s implementation and authorise the Director of Neighbourhoods to make delegated decisions informed by the findings of the consultation and engagement process to enable the finalisation of the detailed design and to place orders for works and services to enable delivery by the funder’s deadline of March 2023.”
Good news.The interchange is a real eyesore.
Will Wightlink be contributing towards the tramway upgrade?
The cheapest way to improve the sea front it have some police doing their job and removing the drunks. Left side of the pier is a no go zone during the day because of the drunks always looking for a fight.
Another pie in the sky project. It will come to nothing. Never dose on the IOW
A project to benefit Wightlink its Not a gateway
This could easily be in place before the new trains commence running.
Well I, for one, can’t wait for the improvements. If they make as thorough job as Portsmouth did in ridding The Hard of the last vestiges of any character, whilst simultaneously ridding Pompey of its best café, then huzzah! We need a generic artist’s generalisation impression of our local gateway. Too long have we been quirky, old hat, ourselves. Open up to the corporate forces, people and sell your souls.
To have a coverd walkway great but do really need a new road to pier entrance more green space gone nothing wrong with the way it is now that wight have made it so that you pay as you come off so no que of cars wait to get on the pier
So 13 years ago something was pushed through by the Tories, after a sceptical public were presented with airbrushed artists’ impressions, and now we won;t even get that? Is the tree by the cafe at the land side of the pier to be cut down again? The planner in 2008 told me it really wasn’t worth keeping, and spoiled their plans. Every year since I’ve rejoiced at its flourishing. I love the way it’s shaped by onshore winds.