Ryde Town Council (RTC) has approved plans to save Ryde Town Hall and the theatre.
At a virtual meeting last night (Monday), councillors agreed to take on the building on a three-year lease, with an option to buy.
The building, on Lind Street, has remained empty since 2013 after the Isle of Wight Council sold it to a private developer.
In recent months, the once popular venue has suffered break-ins and vandalism.
The deal, approved yesterday, will see RTC pay a peppercorn rent until it acquires the appropriate funds to buy the building outright.
Talking after the meeting Councillor Phil Jordan, Chair of Acquisitions and Finance, said:
“I have spent 18 months in serious discussions with the current owner and together we have agreed a bold way forward for the future of the building.
"The three year lease period at a peppercorn rent gives RTC the time needed to try and put into place the serious grant funding needed to restore the building whilst at the same time actually buy the Town Hall when the moment is right ."
The Town Council also has a licence to occupy the building during the same three-year period. The lease will not be a full repairing lease.
RTC has agreed to spend up to £5,000 on immediate safety and security of the building and repairs and to prevent water ingress. As part of the agreement, it will also insure the building.
Last year, RTC applied for a Lottery Heritage grant funding bid for £7m which they were unsuccessful with at the time. It was informed that one of the reasons they were unsuccessful was because they did not own the building.
Mayor of Ryde, Cllr Michael Lilley added:
“It’s important for our town and community that we do all we can to preserve our heritage and historic buildings and this latest agreement safeguards the future of another important building in Ryde. RTC is fast becoming a can-do council and I am delighted we continue to serve the community and our town in a very positive and proactive way."
Built in 1830 and restored after a fire in 1933 the Town Hall has seen many uses over the years, but is perhaps more widely remembered in recent history for the theatre and the famous acts that have appeared there alongside the Islands home grown bands.
Ryde Town Council are creating a ‘Friends of Ryde Theatre’ group which will engage, help and assist in the overall project of restoring the theatre.
The Town Hall agreement follows on from Ryde Council’s other recent moves to acquire Ryde Harbour, St Thomas’ Church, Vectis Hall, £1m of High Street improvements over four years to Ryde town centre and provide the government Kickstarter scheme for Ryde with 30+ job opportunities for the young people of Ryde.
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