By Carole Dennett
Questions surrounding the Ryde Neighbourhood Board’s (RNB) handling of the proposed purchase of Ryde Town Hall look set to remain unanswered until the board next meets on January 9.
A new statement from the board’s chairman, former IW Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Steven Holbrook, appears to directly contradict background information and emails seen by the IW Observer about the motion passed on December 8.
The motion stated that the board intended to use part of a £20 million government grant, awarded to Ryde to enable a local community group to purchase the iconic Town Hall. It promised an open and transparent process to select the group. However, background information, and emails not released to the public, made clear that Ryde Revival CIC had already been identified as the beneficiary. Minutes of the meeting, published this week, also record that the motion was to “effectively underwrite the CIC’s ability to proceed” with paying a £25,000 deposit and signing legal documents.
There is also no clarity over how the proposed purchase price of £600,000 was reached. The figure was agreed by Cllr Phil Jordan with the building’s owner, Ken Gladdis, who, with his son, Joe, bought the Town Hall from the Isle of Wight Council for £300,000 in 2013, via Gibraltar based Phantom Productions. In 2020, surveyors Gully Howard valued the building at £200,000, citing extensive structural and maintenance issues. No significant improvements have been carried out since. The price is disclosed to Board members in an email from Cllr Jordan on December 5.
The chairman of Ryde Town Hall Trust, Simon Cooke, has also spoken out, stressing that the charity – initiated by Ryde Town Council to safeguard the building and counting TV producer and screenwriter Dominic Minghella among its trustees – “should be empowered and enabled to perform its constituted role.” He added that as long as conflicting interests continue private negotiations away from public scrutiny, the building deteriorates and the chances of saving it diminish. The Trust, he said, stands ready to fulfil its role with openness and transparency.
East Wight MP, Joe Robertson, has also expressed disquiet, writing to Isle of Wight Council monitoring officer, Chris Potter. He said: “The Board now knows that it has committed an irregular act (although it was so obvious it should have known at the time it passed the motion).”
He called for proper training for board members, noting that “some are unsure of their role and responsibilities,” and urged professional support for agendas, minutes and papers to ensure compliance with public spending rules. He added that several board members are unhappy with how the body is being run.
Mr Holbrook, in his statement, insisted that the board has not allocated or given any money to any local group, and that no pump-priming funds are available until April 2026. He said any future financial commitment would require full board approval, independent valuation, and Isle of Wight Council sign-off.
He acknowledged that “some members have questions surrounding the process to date” and promised that the matter will be discussed in detail at the January meeting, with a full statement to follow.
The IW Observer has asked to attend the January 9 meeting and, in view of the level of public disquiet, that it be open to the public.
