Approval could be given for the first step in controversial changes to Ryde Esplanade later tonight (Tuesday), on the same day that concerns have been raised about a dramatic change to another element of the scheme.
As part of the £10million Ryde Interchange project, the demolition of the Ryde Pier Cafe and public toilets in Western Gardens is being proposed by the Isle of Wight Council. A new pier access road, parking and waiting bays for cars will be built instead.
The move to remove the public toilets, however, has not been fully supported by residents, despite the fact new toilets will be provided within the Ryde Esplanade railway station, along with a new cafe.
A campaign to stop the entire highways scheme was unsuccessful after the Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet approved the scheme in October last year, but locals are still fighting the matter.
Businesswoman Cathy Foulkes has raised concerns about a change to the new walkway on the Wightlink-owned Ryde Pier, which alters the sustainable travel element of the scheme. She has said:
“Significant changes to the other parts of the project have not been brought to light, or been consulted upon with anyone other than the transport providers who are set to gain from the funding.
“Wightlink have now removed the cycle path from the new pier walkway and have halved its width, indicating that there was no appetite for the promised cycle access through the station premises and therefore no priorities given to sustainable transport. Therefore consultation should recommence before irreversible damage to Ryde is done”.
Cathy has added that Network Rail has still not produced a plan for new toilets within the building despite the demolition of the existing toilets set to be approved.
Although it is proposed the construction of the interchange will start in the Spring, and last for approximately a year, Island Echo understands that Network Rail is struggling to appoint a contractor to carry out the works.
If the demolition of the toilet block is approved by the Planning Committee tonight, temporary toilets will be provided on the Esplanade while the new provision is built. It’s anticipated the demolition of the toilets will take just 2 weeks.
It is the councils job to ensure that the esplanade is fit for the summer season and not a half done building site.
They need to compensate all businesses and residents for any disruption and loss of earnings due to the unwanted and imposed against their will development.
nothing should happen at all, as things are fine as they are.
This walkway width hardly seems wide enough,when you consider that there will be two way pedestrian walking with their luggage and possible people with wheel chairs.
Also people like to walk side by side with their loved ones and not one behind the other.
So why not use as much space as possible?
The decision was probably made before they even made any of it public.
Yet again, the public wishes appear to be ignored, and not for the first or probably not for the last time either.
They are supposed to represent the people of the Island.
So basically, the first thing that they are doing is to demolish a popular and quirky cafe and the most used toilets on the island to build a car park.
Nobody wants this new interchange.
The only reason that RTC are pushing it through is because the money is coming from the mainland.
Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.
Shear and utter commercial vandalism.
Totally agree with above comment
And Wightlink want the cafe, so yet another Costa
The sooner they start the better let’s get rid of the drunks and scum that all meet there that you seem to forget about and it will be a positive move for Ryde which my god the place needs all the help it can get at the moment
The so called drunks and scum, in which they are not.
Will just move 100 metres up the road.
This new layout is all about creating more and more parking and does nothing to benefit pedestrians or tourists.
All it does is keep chipping away at Rydes heritage and quirky character in which money can not buy.
Croydon on sea, coming soon.
Hard to believe this work is considered necessary to attract people to Ryde and the Island. This area just needed a ‘spruce’ up
The area which is in dire need of updating is the canoe lake and surrounds, it is an eyesore and the steps down to it are an accident waiting to happen.
So where are holiday makers and other members of the public meant to go to have a pee? Why should Network Rail have to provide toilets for everyone? Anyhow, the cafe seems to be very popular with holiday makers so why destroy it?
The sooner the better.Fed up with people moaning.Arrive at Isle of Wight and welcome to some old concrete buildings with drunks hanging around and frightening the tourists.I live on Union street and it looks like an old derelict 60s project that they pulled down years ago.Let’s progress.Can’t believe the fuss over some old toilets.
I don’t know how anyone could think that this area is fine as it is, and an appropriate gateway to this beautiful Island. Residents and visitors deserve better, but it does need to be fit for purpose. Narrowing the walkway and the lack of a cycle path make no sense and, of course, people need toilets.
Wightlink are planning to refubish the old tram way which will be the cycle and walk way so it will be sustainable. I think its a good idea it is in need of a facelift, I meantrying to drop someone off at the esplanande when its busy is a nightmare. Lets crackon and get it done.