Councillors To Debate Future Of Ryde Splash Park After Petition Gains Thousands Of Signatures

A campaign to save Ryde Splash Park has reached the Isle of Wight Council after thousands of residents signed a petition calling for action.

Councillors are due to vote on a motion tomorrow evening (Wednesday, July 15) which proposes County Hall consider ‘all viable options’ for the future use of the seafront site.

The item comes as Charlotte Pugmire’s petition for the facility’s refurbishment and preservation reaches 3,609 signatures and after Ryde Town Council (RTC) backed the appeal.

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, but has since fallen into disrepair.

Isaac’s family has formed an action group, working alongside Ryde town councillor Jen Hughes and Lisa-Maria Carter, a former councillor and resident, to push for the park’s restoration.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands Liberal Democrat councillor Michael Lilley formally requested that County Hall discuss the matter.

Campaigners say the Isle of Wight Council, as the landowner and body responsible for issuing any lease, holds the key to the site’s future.

They also point to the Ryde Neighbourhood Board as giving a fresh impetus to the issue, with the action group hoping to receive a share of the Board’s regeneration funding to cover the cost of restoring the park.

The group has raised the possibility of meeting running costs locally through a combination of RTC support and community fundraising.

On full council’s Wednesday agenda, the motion states:

“Following receipt of the Ryde Splash Park petition, the council acknowledges the strength of community support for the provision of accessible and inclusive play facilities in Ryde and confirms its commitment to working with the local community to consider the future of the site.”

It includes a commitment to undertake a comprehensive play needs assessment for the Ryde area, informed by ‘meaningful engagement’ with children and young people under the age of 15, parents, carers, local schools, and other current and potential users of the site, to ensure future provision reflects identified need.

Full council will meet at County Hall at 6pm on Wednesday evening (July 15).