A 3,400 signature petition calling for the refurbishment and preservation of Ryde Splash Park has won the backing of Ryde Town Council (RTC) on the Isle of Wight.
Councillors voted almost unanimously last night in favour of Councillor Michael Lilley’s proposal to support Charlotte Pugmire’s Change.org plea to save the facility, which has fallen into disrepair.
Opened in memory of Isaac Hayward
Designed for young children, the much-loved park was opened in memory of Isaac Hayward, a boy with cerebral palsy who tragically died aged five in 2001.
Councillor Lilley’s passed motion includes writing to the Isle of Wight Council, the landowner of the park, and Ryde Neighbourhood Board, a ‘possible funding source’.
It also involves having a meeting with a residents’ group to discuss the best way to bring the park back into use for the benefit of the community.
The Ryde Appley and Elmfield representative told RTC,
“It’s important we support this and make it known to Ryde Neighbourhood Board and the Isle of Wight Council that we want to see positive action.
“It’s been pushed around for years, and we cannot do it anymore.”
‘Pull your finger out’
Councillor Lilley said the thousands of people who signed the petition were saying,
“Pull your finger out and get this done.”
Councillor Alex Lewington, who seconded the motion, said he could not think of a ‘more tangible sign of a positive move that RTC could make’, adding that the number of signatories is ‘not to be messed with’.
‘A massive part of childhood’
Newly elected Ryde mayor Karen Lucioni described the park as a ‘massive part’ of her childhood and Councillor Pippa Hayward said it was a ‘great space’.
Councillor Hayward said,
“I’m really keen that we see this as the start of that conversation…about that regeneration of the front.
“This is an important first step.”
Councillor Lou Temel said,
“I’ve been banging on about this for the last five years. With the Waterside Trust, in the summer of 2020, we did a survey of it and the whole thing could have been refurbished for £40,000.
“At that time, nobody decided to do anything. I think it’s really a poor showing on Ryde Town Council that we’ve gone ahead and purchased other things but really fought shy of doing something about the splash park.”
Councillor Chani Courtney said there is a ‘calling from residents’ that cannot be ignored but told attendees the use of the space has changed, with more environmental use by species and birds.
Ryde Monktonmead representative Charles Chapman said,
“It’s very sad because so many people come on holiday here…and they take that back with them, it’s (splash park) not been done.
“I’m very sad it’s got to where it is now, it need not have happened and that, I have to say, lies at the fault of the Isle of Wight Council which I was part of one time.”
Councillor Jen Hughes said the park was ‘really important’ to her when she joined the council a year ago and added it was nice to see that everyone is ‘now on the same page, a year later’.
Funding and the precept
Councillor Ian Stephens said,
“I totally agree that we need a splash park, but we need to fund it.
“We need to make sure we have the backing of every councillor sat in here and those that didn’t make it tonight to say, I’m sorry but the precept might have to move up, but it’s moving up for a reason.
“The reason is we want our seafront to be the best seafront on the Isle of Wight if not the south coast of England.”
The petition can be accessed on the Change.org website.
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
