By Carole Dennett
There are unanswered questions over the circumstances that led to Ryde Town Hall being withdrawn from auction at short notice last week, with concerns raised over the role of the Ryde Neighbourhood Board and its dealings with Ryde Revival CIC.
The Town Hall was due to go under the hammer on Wednesday, but on Monday the Board passed a motion by email, agreeing in principle to fund the purchase of the building for the benefit of an un-named community group. However, in background information, members were told the motion was needed so that Ryde Revival would pay a £25,000 deposit to the current owner, and ensure the building was withdrawn from sale. The motion promised an independent valuation and “an open and transparent process” to select the eventual beneficiary. However, those assurances appear undermined by what has been described as a “behind the scenes” arrangement with Ryde Revival.
The Board is an unelected body formed to manage a £20 million government grant aimed at regeneration, economic growth, and improving the quality of life in Ryde.
Ryde Revival was established in April 2024, by Helen Keogan and James Longford, after they resigned from the Ryde Town Hall Trust, a charity set up to preserve and protect the future of the building.
Concerns have also been raised after reports that conversations have already taken place with the owner about a purchase price of £600,000 – £650,000, with funding to come from the Board. The iconic building, which has stood at the heart of the town since 1831, was opened as a market hall, designed by London architect, James Sanderson, in the neoclassical style. It was sold by The Isle of Wight Council in 2013 for the sum of £300,000 to Gibraltar-based company, Phantom Productions. That figure, adjusted by inflation, would be around £425,000 now – but the building is now in considerably worse condition, and at a meeting last month, Isle of Wight councillors removed it from a list of sites earmarked for housing.
Minutes from June 2024 show Ryde Neighbourhood Board members had previously flagged major issues, including conservation approval, management of lettable spaces, emergency repair, and full refurbishment costs and insurance – including whether the building, which has suffered repeated fires and vandalism is insurable at all. The IW Observer asked for evidence that these concerns have been resolved and that Board members are confident that refurbishment costs, likely to run into millions, can be met by a community body. Without that confidence, even commissioning a valuation may be a questionable use of public funds.
MP raises concerns
Thursday on Facebook, IW East MP, Joe Robertson, claimed the Board had “quietly passed a motion by email” to encourage money to change hands and get legal agreements signed. He described secret communications between un-named “relevant parties” and called for all documentation, emails and minutes to be published. “Ryde residents must be given the full picture – it is their money, not the Board’s money,” he said.
Neighbourhood Boards were set up separately from local authorities to avoid some of the procedural hurdles of council governance. However, the IW Council retains oversight of the Board’s financial dealings to ensure no there are no irregularities. The IW Observer was told Ryde Revival “had been advised” not to comment.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesman said: “The Isle of Wight Council acts as the Accountable Body for the Ryde Neighbourhood Board. This means the Council’s Statutory Chief Financial Officer provides assurance on governance, decision-making, and the proper use of public funds, ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.
“Decisions are made collectively by the Board, not by individual members and the Board is not bound by private agreements. All decisions are based on publicly available reports presented to the Board which include the necessary legal and financial advice.
“No decision has been made by the Board to acquire the town hall. It remains an aspiration of the Board to bring the town hall back into public use as set out in the Neighbourhood 10 Year Vision that has been submitted to Government for approval, however any acquisition can only proceed subject to a business case and proper due diligence in accordance with prescribed governance arrangements.
“The motion makes clear that any commitment to acquire the town hall will only be made if the due diligence conditions set out in the motion are met.”
On Thursday night Ryde Neighbourhood Board issued a statement saying that Ryde residents want the future of Ryde Town Hall addressed, and confirming that “certain conditions” would need to be met before money would be committed to the project and “due diligence undertaken”.
However the statement failed to address questions about the arrangement with Ryde Revivial, whether the price had been discussed with the owners, or the concerns, raised last June, had been answered. A spokeswoman added: “Ryde Neighbourhood Board operates according to the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and accountable body, the IW Council. It is determined to be wholly transparent and accountable to those it serves – the people of Ryde.”
Ryde Town Hall may not have gone to auction this week, but its future remains uncertain – and questions over whether due process is being followed remain unanswered.
UPDATED: December 17, with a statement from the IW Council
