As the wranglings over Ryde Theatre / Ryde Town Hall continue, OnTheWight decided to get in touch with Ryde Neighbourhood Board to seek answers to a number of questions.
As reported, Ryde Town Hall was due to be auctioned off last week, but was suddenly withdrawn from the auction following a motion approved by the Ryde Neighbourhood Board (RNB). The Board was set up to manage the distribution of £20m of Government funding over ten years for the benefit of the town.
Questions to the Board
Following meetings, and decisions surrounding the acquisition of Ryde Town Hall/Theatre, OnTheWight put four questions to the Chair of the Ryde Neighbourhood Board, Stephen Holbrook.
We asked:
- On 5th December, the Board stated “the Board cannot commit directly to the purchase.” On 8th December, it voted to “commit to use funds available to it from April 2026 to enable a local community group to acquire Ryde Town Hall.” What happens to this money (the board’s money) if the CIC cannot raise the money for the building?
- Did the deposit get put down to pull the building from auction?
- If so, who/what body supplied the deposit? How much was it – £25,000 or £50,000?
- Given there have been two valuations of the site (£200k and ‘negligible’) why is another VOA valuation taking place, who pays for it, and when will it be completed?
Response from the Board
The Board responded to the questions with a statement (avoiding answering questions 1, 2 & 3) as follows:
The board’s position on Ryde Town Hall was set out in a motion agreed and published earlier this month. That motion makes it clear that:
- The Board has agreed that, while it cannot commit directly to the purchase of the building, it would commit to supporting a community group to acquire the building provided certain conditions, ensuring due diligence and due process, are completed by any third party wishing to purchase the building.
- The Board is clear that an open and transparent selection process must take place. This will be based on a robust business case and the ability of the prospective acquirer to secure the building with appropriate insurances.
- Any future financial commitment would need full Board approval, be in line with MHCLG criteria and also be signed off by the Isle of Wight Council as the accountable body.
I would emphasise that the board has not allocated or given any money to any local group in relation to Ryde Town Hall and no such pump-priming money is even available until April 2026. The board would need independent valuation of the property as part due diligence ahead of any pump-priming grant.
While this summarises the board’s position, it is clear that some members have questions surrounding the process to date. It is vital that the board has a shared understanding of its role in this important local issue and this matter will be discussed in detail by the board at its meeting on 9th January 2026.
It is equally important that decisions involving the spending of public money are shared in a transparent way and a full statement re-iterating the board’s position will be issued after the meeting on 9th January 2026.
OnTheWight went back to the board,
“You say ‘the board has not allocated or given any money to any local group’ – but the auction was cancelled two days after your vote. What commitments were made to the owner to secure that cancellation, and are you saying no deposit was paid by anyone connected to the Board or the CIC?”
A spokesperson avoided part of the question, but did confirm,
OnTheWight has gone back to the board, to ask for a clearer response to questions 1 and 4.
Background: Acquisition of Ryde Town Hall
At their 5th December meeting (see the minutes below), the acquisition of Ryde Town Hall and Theatre was discussed. Minutes of the meeting explain that,
“Ryde Revival CIC is a group the owner is agreeable to sell to based on their plans and presentation to him on how they would keep the building as a public asset for the community”
However, the owner was demanding for a deposit of £25,000 be paid prior to the premises being withdrawn from the auction.
It was not clear who would be putting this money up, but it was requested in the meeting that the Board effectively underwrite the CIC’s ability to proceed.
What the Board agreed
The minutes from 5th December meeting show that it was agreed:
- The Board cannot commit directly to the purchase; the CIC must hold the acquisition
agreement. - Legal frameworks, including an MOU, will define responsibilities, conditions, and due
diligence requirements and due process to follow to make sure the opportunity was
available to all. - Funding for the deposit (£25,000) must come from a third party; the Board can fund
feasibility studies but not the deposit itself. This would be at the risk of the party putting
down the deposit. - An email vote may be used to enable wider Board participation, ensuring decisions are
representative. A motion would be drafted for a vote on Monday if required to establish
the position of the Board in the tight timeframes indicated before the auction on
Wednesday.
Email motion approved
What followed was a motion approved by Board members (9 in support, 3 against, 1 abstained, 1 did not vote) via email (see the notice below) on Monday 8th December stating that:
“That the Board commit to use funds available to it from April 2026 to enable a local community group to acquire Ryde Town Hall subject to completion of the due diligence process. As part of due diligence, the Board will undertake following:
- Valuation by an independent surveyor ie Valuation Office Agency
- Open and transparent process to select the beneficiary/recipient community group
- The selected group will need to evidence support of funding from external grant funding bodies
- Business case for the building from the selected community group.
- Ability of the chosen local group to secure the building, i.e. insurance of the building etc”
Transparency issues surrounding the process have subsequently been raised by Joe Robertson, the Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight East, and Isle of Wight councillor for Bembridge.
Ryde Town Hall Trust
Meanwhile, Ryde Town Hall Trust (RTHT) have reminded all involved that Ryde Town Council initiated the creation of the RTHT charity specifically to secure and restore the Town Hall for the benefit of the people of Ryde.
It says the potential availability of public funding through the Neighbourhood Board makes this a critical moment for the future of the building and that discussions should now take place openly, and the charity be enabled to carry out its formally constituted role.
DRAFT Ryde Neighbourhood Board Meeting Minutes 5 Dec 2025
Ryde Neighbourhood Board – notice of motion of 8 Dec 2025
Article edit
6.30pm 18th Dec 2025 – Updated view on questions not answered
