Rubbish sacks regularly dumped on the pavement all week, vermin fears, the ‘eyesore’ Royal York Hotel and cracks across the road.
Ryde residents have had enough of George Street’s problems and want solutions. A group of locals aired their frustrations on Wednesday morning (18th February 2026).
Keogan: During the summer there’s vermin, it stinks
Standing next to a collection of open bin bags down the street from Ryde Baptist Church, some heaped on top of each other, Ryde Society chair Helen Keogan, said,
“This is a permanent fixture now in Ryde and didn’t use to be.”
A couple of wheelie bins were also overturned, with rubbish lying unattended. She continued,
“During the summer there’s vermin, it stinks. Look at the vista from here – it’s a lovely thoroughfare that leads to the sea and it is blighted by all this garbage.”
While praising waste operatives for doing a “heroic job” trying to sort stuff out, she described the situation as “insanitary”.
Wade: IWC don’t find it unacceptable
Resident Jenny Wade said,
“We’re also in a conservation area.
“From what we’re hearing from Ryde Town Council (RTC), the Isle of Wight Council seem to have said they don’t find it unacceptable for these to be left out 24/7.
“I find that really peculiar and I’d like somebody to explain how they’ve come by that decision.”
Keogan: Nothing ever gets done
Ms Keogan mentioned the government’s Pride in Place programme, which will invest £5 billion across 244 towns nationally, with Ryde set to receive £19.5 million over a ten-year period.
She added,
“Who can be proud of a place that looks like this?
“We’ve implored the Isle of Wight Council, RTC have written, the Ryde Society have written, private individuals have written, it regularly comes up on Facebook…but nothing ever gets done.”
Conyers: Lack of bin storage provision
Ryde Town Council Mayor, Diana Conyers, said,
“They (landlords) have a legal requirement to provide proper storage and nowadays all planning applications have to have provision for bin storage.
“The trouble is, these are multi-use buildings, there’s lots of different flats…the one at the end has great provision at the back…but the others: they don’t have access to that.”
IWC: No internal storage space
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson in response said the local authority is “aware of concerns” around waste presentation on George Street and fully recognises the frustrations expressed by residents. They said,
“These properties present challenges due to the design and layout of the buildings.
“The properties are subdivided into flats that have no internal storage space for bins and no external land on which a communal bin store could be created.
“These physical constraints significantly limit the waste storage options available. In light of these limitations, the council has permitted residents to use gull proof sacks hung on their property railings, a solution that complies with council guidance requiring receptacles to be stored off the highway surface, while still keeping waste secure between collections.”
The spokesperson said the situation has “improved considerably” since the introduction of gull proof sacks.
They added,
“We will continue working with residents and landlords to ensure responsible waste management for the area.”
Royal York Hotel
Moving down the street past cracks etched across the road surface, the party headed to the Royal York Hotel, which it’s understood is owned by Isle of Wight Hotels Ltd and has been vacant for around 20 years.
Recent Visit Isle of Wight board appointee Nick Spyker is currently listed as a director and secretary of the firm, according to Companies House.
Neighbour Eileen Stratton said the dilapidated Grade II listed building had lowered her property’s value and spoke of past fires, drug use and “syringes” found within the site.
Send a strong message
Another resident, Helen Donnelly, said,
“I would like to see the council be more forceful, whether it’s making examples of certain people.
“The bins, the hotel, the road – make examples of these things and then you’ll sort it once and for all and it’ll send a message.”
Conyers: Hotel could be an attraction rather than an eyesore
Mayor Conyers said of the hotel,
“It’s a listed building that could be a great attraction to the town and instead it’s an eyesore.”
Ms Wade said that in combination with the road surface condition, the “whole area” is being brought down amid efforts to “build up” and smarten Ryde.
Mayor Conyers added,
“Ryde Town Council decided to pay for the services of an IW Council enforcement officer because we were advised by the Council that this would enable them to devote time to the major enforcement issues in the town, particularly the Royal York.
“However, there has been no progress on this issue. Hence our decision not to provide further funding.”
Ross: We feel the pressure of the locals
Ryde town councillor Malcolm Ross added,
“We’re helpless – we have an Isle of Wight Council that’s got the control over planning and we’re relying on them, they’re the only people that can take action.
“For them, their priorities are different. As a town council, we feel the pressure of the locals here.”
Planning enforcement strategy
County Hall responded by stating the planning enforcement strategy sets out how it will use its discretionary planning planning enforcement powers in response to receiving concerns.
There are Island-wide priorities which form the core of its work for a “small team of three”, with local parish, town and community councils having the opportunity to identify local priorities and fund the extra capacity needed to work on them, the council said.
County Hall said RTC has funded such capacity over the last few years, enabling “significant improvements” across Ryde but the town council has confirmed they will stop this funding.
A spokesperson said,
“As a result, the local planning authority will revert to reactive planning enforcement, focussing on Island-wide priorities within the Ryde area.
“Planning enforcement notices have been served against the owner of the Royal York Hotel building, but they have never moved to prosecution as the minimum work to comply with the notices were undertaken.”
Roads checked every year
Island Roads meanwhile said all roads across the Island, including George Street, are checked every year using specialist survey equipment. A spokesperson said,
“This gives each road a condition score which helps us decide which locations most urgently need repairs based on their structural condition.
“Although there is some visible cracking on George Street its current condition score does not show that resurfacing is needed.
“The scoring system focuses on its structural condition rather than how it looks and minor surface defects have only a small impact on the overall rating.
“We will continue to monitor George Street through regular inspections and annual surveys. This information is used to review and update our programme of works ensuring we prioritise those that need most attention and keep the Island’s road network safe and up to the required standards.”
Isle of Wight Hotels has so far declined to comment.
Article edit
3.30pm 21st Feb 2026 – Final comment from DC added
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
