The decision whether to give Ryde’s iconic Appley Tower a bright future rests in the hands of the Isle of Wight council leader.
Planning permission has been approved and grant funding secured for a £250,000 refurbishment.
Awaiting Heritage Lottery funding
Isle of Wight environment and economy charity Natural Enterprise is looking to lease the tower from the Isle of Wight council.
If Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox signs off the lease, the charity will be able to access £248,552 funding it has secured from the Heritage Lottery for the refurbishment of the Grade II listed building.
Delegated decision
As the council’s committees are not set to meet again before the end of December, the decision has been delegated to the leader.
Plans were approved by the Isle of Wight council last month to turn it into an art gallery with educational and retail uses.
Beach huts — to fund the future repair and upkeep of the tower — were also approved and would be added to the current line of huts further down the beach.
Funding deadline
Work to the tower includes major stonework repair, replacement windows and doors, external illumination and roof terrace with balustrade.
The Isle of Wight council is being asked to lease the tower to Natural Enterprise by the end of December or it could miss out on the lottery funding.
It is not allowed to be made before 13th December.
£250,000 of external repairs needed
The Isle of Wight council has said it is prepared to support the project by £40,000, which Ryde Town Council will also match funding.
The tower needs significant external repairs, estimated to be in the region of £250,000 in 2018, the IW council says.
It had been vacant for many years despite marketing campaigns to find a new tenant.
Granting lease secures future for tower
The council says if it does not grant the lease in time, the tower will remain an ongoing risk for the authority to manage with no money to do so.
The funding for Natural Enterprise would also be lost so any money for restoration work would have to be found elsewhere.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: © Emma Gee
