Ryde councillors fail in bid to hold Vectis Hall debate in public

A determined effort by two councillors to hold discussions about Vectis Hall in public failed on Wednesday, after they were voted down and the press and public were asked to leave the meeting. At the full council meeting, Cllrs Ian Dore and Michael Lilley argued that transparency was essential given the level of public concern, but the majority of Ryde Town Council (RTC) supported the clerk’s recommendation to exclude observers while the issues were discussed.

The controversy comes after RTC confirmed that the auction of Vectis Hall in Melville Street has been deferred until September.

The Grade II listed former free school, now derelict, was bought by the council for £125,000 in 2020, using a Public Works Loan.

It had been due to go under the hammer on June 17 with a nil reserve.

Residents have questioned why a publicly-funded building, on which further sums have been spent, was set to be sold without a minimum price. Local resident, Jenny Wade, who asked questions at the meeting, said she was concerned about “the whole process”, adding that decisions were being taken out of public view and that the public “aren’t being updated about it”, despite the building being paid for with public money.

Cllr Dore, who chairs Isle of Wight Council meetings, said issues involving confidential information could still be handled transparently if councillors had read their papers and were careful about what they said. He warned of the perception that important decisions were being made without public scrutiny. Speaking during the meeting, he implied that the council’s legal advice, which he confirmed he had read, did not specifically advise the council to delay the sale, and questioned the process that led to the delay.

The IW Observer has also been contacted by several Ryde residents expressing similar concerns. One told us: “People just want straight answers. It shouldn’t be this hard to find out what’s happening to a building we’re all paying for.”

The IW Observer has put a number of questions to Ryde Town Council, but had received no response before we went to press last night.