Improvements are already being planned by Ryde Town Council for when it takes on the town’s harbour.
Following two years of discussions, it was agreed last month, Ryde Town Council would be treated as special purchaser of Ryde Harbour.
The first in line
This means when details have been finalised and the Isle of Wight Council is ready to sell the harbour, which was built in 1990, the town council will be first in line.
It approached the Isle of Wight Council, offering to take over the harbour freehold to stop it falling into private ownership and submitted a business case with its proposals.
The town council is yet to officially take over the harbour, but is now planning ways to improve the offering.
Deckchair hire concession
A planning application has been submitted by the town council to temporarily site a shipping container next to the harbourmaster’s office to house a deckchair hire concession.
Planning documents say it would also offer paddleboards and kayaks for hire on a stretch of beach along Ryde seafront, from the harbour to Appley Tower.
RTC decided to take on the concession
Images of the proposals show the business would be called Ryde Leisure and other documents say the hire business would operate between April and October each year.
The documents, submitted by the town council, say:
“The Isle of Wight Council has been offering the deckchair franchise [on] Ryde beach for some time without success. The town council felt it was an important amenity for Ryde so decided to take [on] the franchise themselves.”
The steel storage container would be clad in vertical cedar boarding to help blend in with the surrounding area and be there for no more than five years before a more permanent solution can be agreed, once the harbour is transferred to Ryde Town Council.
A mutual agreement has been reached between the Isle of Wight Council and Ryde Town Council for a licence to place the unit in this location, the only acceptable site.
Have your say
To view the application, 21/00772/FUL, you can visit the council’s planning register. Comments will be accepted until 24th May.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
