Plans for a new pedestrian walkway on Ryde Pier have been submitted to the Isle of Wight council’s planning department.
The application for Listed Building Consent sets out details of how the old Ryde Tramway Pier – which was taken out of use in 1969 – will be transformed to provide pedestrian access to and from the pierhead.
Raised above existing levels
The new deck beams of the 620m pedestrian pier will be raised above existing levels, to take into account projected sea level rises over the next 50 years. Despite this, the Tramway Pier will at no point be higher than the adjacent Promenade Pier.
Plans involve removing all the old, heavily corroded superstructure steelwork and cross bracing, leaving the cast iron screw piles in place.
Access to the Tramway Pier will be via the redeveloped Esplanade Station building, to be carried out by South Western Trains under the same grant funded scheme.
3m wide and no cycling
The tramway pier was supposed to provide access for pedestrians and cyclists, but the Heritage statement explains,
“It is proposed to install single “cycling prohibited” signage at each end of the new pedestrian walkway.”
Papers for the proposals state:
The overall width of the proposed new decked area is 3.0m. Funding restrictions mean that the originally proposed 6.0m wide decked area and the widened area near to the pierhead are not included in this proposal but there is no reason why they could not be added at a later date if further funding becomes available.
Lighting
It adds,
The intention is that the redeveloped Tramway Pier does not harm the setting or appearance of the Promenade Pier and, to this end, the only additional lighting proposed is to upgrade the existing Promenade Pier street lights by the installation of double lanterns of the same design as the existing single lanterns.
The proposed shelters will be relatively small and low key, and will provide shelter for disabled pedestrians in wheelchairs as well as bench seating.
View the plans
The public consultation runs until 18th March 2022. residents can view the plans and have their say via the Council’s Planning Portal (22/00235/LBC).
Article edit
7.20pm 21st Feb 2022 – Quote about no cycling added
Image: seattlecamera under CC BY 2.0
