Town council to buy Ryde Harbour from Isle of Wight Council

Ryde Society had said it feared the harbour could be redeveloped for housing

A harbour is to be sold to a town council which has promised "substantial" investment in it.

Isle of Wight Council said in 2019 it would sell Ryde Harbour, saying it could not afford "major dredging" and repairs.

Ryde Town Council has been granted "special purchaser" status to stop the harbour falling into private ownership.

Preservation group Ryde Society had feared the 27-year-old harbour could be redeveloped for housing.

In its business case, Ryde Town Council said it would "invest substantially" in the 150-berth harbour over the next three years.

It said it would improve facilities and build a new Harbour Master's office on the site, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The special purchaser status was agreed at a meeting of Isle of Wight Council on Thursday.

'Pleased' with outcome

Ryde town councillor Phil Jordan said: "I'm really pleased with the outcome and it has been worth all the work involved by myself and staff at Ryde Town Council to bring this matter to a successful conclusion."

Isle of Wight Council previously said it could not spend £1.3m on Ryde Harbour at a time of pressure on essential services.

The council also agreed in 2019 to outsource the management of Ventnor Harbour, on the south of the island, which it said was operating at a net annual deficit of £65,000.

The future of that harbour is yet to be decided.