Island Magazines June 2021 Ryde & Wootton Area

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June 2021

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Ryde & Wootton Area

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W

elcome to the June issue and near enough the halfway point of the year... and what a year it’s been!

Do you feel life is slowly returning to normal with the easing of lockdown? Or are you finding it hard to remember exactly what ‘normal’ life was? There is no doubt that many things have changed in our lives over the last 15 months, some good and some bad. Many people have embraced the time by learning new skills and have seen life through different lenses but how many of these changes are we going to continue with when we completely move out of lockdown. Many of us our re-evaluating what is really important and what isn’t.

Local elections are over and congratulations to all those that were elected and re-elected. I would like to welcome Cllr Phil Jordan, Cllr Michael Lilley and Cllr Daryll Pitcher who have kindly agreed to supply monthly reports enabling readers to keep up to date with news for their area.

We have some great local businesses advertising with us who will appreciate you using their services and please let them know you saw their advert here.

The weather hasn’t been brilliant so far but let’s hope that is destined to change.

Whether you are sitting indoors while it rains or sitting on the beach soaking up the sun you can enjoy our puzzle section on pages 12 and 13.

I hope you have a great June and I look forward to catching up with you again next month.

Debbie 07880 587 931 islandmagazines@gmail.com www.islandmagazines.co.uk facebook.com/islandmagazines twitter.com/islandmagazines Island Magazines Mailbox No 4, Unit B1 Whitecross Business Centre Whitecross Lane Shanklin, IOW, PO37 7EJ All information is correct at time of printing.

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Our home from home environment is a priority to ensure your dog feels relaxed, happy and enjoys the experience of being pampered.

FREE parking available. If you are unable to bring your dog to us we can offer a collection and return service within the local area for a small charge.

Call Maria Hodges on 07885 384828 or email doggiestylezgrooming53@gmail.com for prices, to book appointments or discuss further.

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News Report from Cllr Phil Jordan - Ryde North West.

Tel: 07929 376375 | Email: phil.jordan@iow.gov.uk The election period is finally over, and I want to thank all our Ryde residents that voted, especially those in Ryde North West that placed their confidence in me to represent their views at the Isle of Wight Council for the next four years. Thank you.

For Ryde, generally, the Our Ryde group of nine candidates were all elected to Ryde Town Council and their journey begins in earnest to carry on the great work started 18 months ago in Ryde. I am sure they will make a great success of the job at hand and in their new roles.

So, with a renewed vigour, we are starting to develop further community projects such as Greening Ryde which is going to provide a community led engagement to improve our plants, shrubs and trees in spaces around Ryde with ambitious eventual plans to grow our own plants/shrubs and turn back unused and unloved places and pieces of land into beautiful areas to be seen and enjoyed. Early days but we are in the very capable hands of local resident Mike Fitt who comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience from a Royal Parks career and background. A great example of a new approach where the community-based skill, experience and knowledge comes together with the Town Council in partnership to improve our Town and Community for everyone.

A Government Transport grant has seen £10m given to the Ryde Interchange project which will see the Station upgraded, the Pier upgraded to create a separate walkway/cycleway on the current central 4

open gap and in turn, keeping that separate from existing vehicular traffic.

A new entrance to the pier is being proposed with road modifications and a change to the bus station layout and it is hoped a far larger public space area will be created with a design that includes new seating, planters and better surfacing. A public consultation period is imminent and whilst the options for change to the plans are limited, please do engage, and give your views and ideas to the Interchange project which will be an online consultation. Details to follow.

On another note, there is need to resolve the problem of the Skate Park which has served our youth so very well over recent years. RTC are currently in an impasse with IWC over a sustainable Lease for the park – it belongs to the IWC and is leased to RTC – but have not been forthcoming about granting a new lease for a period of at least 25 years. Instead, we are working on a potential lease of around 8 years but one that can be forfeited at any moment in time. As the skate park requires upgrading, a lease of this nature makes grant funding impossible and seriously impedes the Town Council from investing public money into the park if it could be closed at any moment in time by the IWC. This requires a determined approach to the Lease problem, or we must find another solution for the site of the skate park. Either way, this is a very pressing issue that RTC are determined to resolve urgently. I will update shortly as we progress this important issue.

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If you would like more information then please contact Susan (Volunteers’ Manager) on 522205 or email: volunteers@iwsb.org.uk 5

News Report from Barry Abraham Well this is it, this is my last report.

As someone once said all political careers end in failure or in my case failure to win at the ballot box. I have been asked am I disappointed. And truly I am not, if you cannot face the thought of defeat do not take part.

My local political career has been long, starting in 1987 and began on Medina Borough Council locally campaigning for a foot path across Wootton Bridge which did come to fruition, in a way I did not expect when a long gone company called Leading Leisure bought Lakeside and the Mill Pond and constructed the existing footpath, unfortunately it did cause problems narrowing the sluices and the pond failed to flood properly. Work was carried out to correct the issues.

When I first stood I was 30 years old and the wife of the sitting councillor I defeated told me I was far too young to be a councillor, how times have changed, last week there were 18 year olds taking part which to me goes to show young people do have an interest in their community and it’s a positive thing for the future.

Another thing I have been asked is how you deal with people you disagree with but to me that is the whole point of politics, you debate the issues and if I have an issue with how council work these days, it is the system which does not encourage enough debate as it used to happen, which does lead to frustration. Outside of the council chamber I can honestly say there have been no councillor that I have disliked, one person I had great affection for was 6

Binstead lad the late Ken Pearson who was a labour councillor and one time parliamentary candidate who had a debating skill second to none, was a great wit and he was a friend.

Anyway it’s now time for me to hang up my rosette and get back to running the farm and campsite with my family. I hope I have not bored you too much with my monthly reports on council issues and observations from around our wonderful village.

Barry Abraham.

Get in touch today

Email: hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk

www.maggiecurrie.co.uk 01983 754 620

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Take a look at the Friends of Ryde Library Facebook page to keep up with all the news!

They do not know what is going to happen from the 21st June, and will let you know if things are going to change.

At the moment they are open (see the hours below) and they would love to see you. You can be reassured they are serious about keeping the library a safe space for you to visit. They have in place strict procedures - limited numbers, regular cleaning all staff masked etc.

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The Friends of St Mary’s Need Your Help

By Lesley Myland Here we are approaching a second summer of challenging circumstances but the Friends of St Mary’s continue to provide a retail service which the staff at the Trust clearly appreciate. They give us a great deal of support and encouragement which helps to keep us going. In spite of being in a rather reduced situation, we are carrying on and planning for opening up a little more widely as soon as we can. We have hopes of re-opening in the Ryde Wellbeing Centre and although it will not be for a while yet, we hope to resume our trolley service to the wards. We know how much this is missed and are working on an ordering service which we hope will bridge the gap in the meantime.

The Charity will soon be preparing to ask hospital staff to consider how we can help them again in 2021 from the ‘Friends Fund`. We are pleased to say that we have many donations from patients who have been cared for at St Mary’s during the pandemic crisis and we have been greatly moved by that, but we do need to get fundraising again, particularly as we do not have the range of retail services that we did have supporting our funds.

Recently we were overwhelmed by a gesture from a member of St Mary’s pathology staff, Jussna Mateen. She arranged for her colleagues to be able to take home curry dishes made by her family’s restaurant, Spice Central in Cowes. Proceeds from the event which amounted to well over £1,000 were donated to the Friends. The occasion marked the end of Ramadan which is regarded as a charitable month and we were honoured to be included in this way. A huge thank you to Jussna and her family who worked hard to make everything go so well and I can personally say that the food was fantastic!

If there is anyone out there who might be able to think of ways to help us like this, please let us know. Our Business Manager, Debs Downer will be pleased to hear from you. You can contact us via email info@fosmiow.co.uk, or telephone 01983 534405 or our website www.fosmiow.co.uk.

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News Report for Wootton Bridge from Cllr Daryll Pitcher Tel: 07511 045 145 | daryll@planetmail.net First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me during my election campaign. I would also like to offer my thanks to all those who have congratulated me since the result was announced.

There has been a week between the confirmation of the result and my writing this article, so I am afraid there is not much to update people on regarding progress on local issues. What I can say is that several problems were highlighted to me during the campaign and several more have been brought to my attention since. I have started work on all of these and have been briefed on several by Council Officers but still await news on others.

One issue brought to me in the last week has been the situation regarding the pedestrian crossings at the Cedars/ Wootton Lodge. I was aware that something was not quite right, but I have found the problem to be much bigger than I had feared. It seems as though there may be many instances where people have not been able to cross in time before traffic comes around the corner at them. I have had reports of near misses between children and heavy vehicles which is clearly a serious matter. If I am to progress anywhere with this, I am going to need feedback from people who have suffered these occurrences. Without data I have no case as, thankfully, there have been no recently reported collisions which means I have to convince the authorities that there is a problem. If you have had something like this happen to you or someone you know please could you contact me with details?

On a similar note, I have asked Island Roads for an update on when we can expect resurfacing work to commence in Wootton on those roads not yet fixed. It seems strange to me that certain places that were in reasonable condition have been done but other roads, notably New Road beyond St. Edmund’s Walk, Church Road and Footways are in states of disrepair varying from bad to appalling. Some of the highways in the village would shame a farm track! I am also starting my campaign to get a 20mph speed limit that at least covers our residential streets. This will be an important safety advancement for Wootton Bridge helping to calm traffic and making the area more accessible for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

Reducing the speed will also help reduce pollution within our environs.

Another issue that has been mentioned to me several times is the lack of dog mess bins and the proliferation of dog owners who are not clearing up behind their animals. I will be taking up the issue of bins with both the Isle of Wight Council and Wootton Bridge Parish Council with a view to increasing the numbers, improving the locations and increasing the frequency of emptying. On the matter of left mess could I please ask that all dog owners are considerate to others and clear up when needed and not throw the bags into trees and hedges? We all want a clean environment to enjoy particularly for children.

Once again, many thanks to everyone and if you need anything please do get in touch.

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News Report from Michael Lilley for Ryde Appley and Elmfield 07769 551 578 | Michael.lilley@iow.gov.uk | www.michaellilley.uk

Our Ryde, Our Town, Our Place I am overjoyed to be re-elected as an Isle of Wight and Ryde Town Councillor for Ryde Appley and Elmfield with 832 and 911 votes. I wish to thank all the residents that had confidence in me. In Ryde, I am the current Mayor and standing for re-election and at the time of writing I am awaiting this outcome. I have been so proud to be Mayor and oversee massive change in Ryde Town Council over the past 2 years including through Covid 19.

The community spirit and perseverance of Ryde residents has been incredible.

I am part of the new Our Ryde group that was formed by local residents who wanted to see improved representation on Ryde Town Council . Our Ryde had 9 candidates for the 16 Council places and incredibly won 9 seats with 58% of the votes cast. Ryde now has an average of around 50 compared to 74 previously and 6 women compared to 4 previously and with 14 of the Councillor seats being contested by election. In 2017, less than 50% were con-tested. There are 10 new RTC Councillors with 6 from the previous council and all live or work in or close by the Ward they represent. The new Councillors are committed along with me to greater community engagement in decision making in the future of the Town.

West Acre Park Development Planning Application My biggest focus at present is the pending planning application of 465 houses on Westridge Farm and this is scheduled to come to the planning committee on 15th June 2021. I have campaigned for 4 years 10

to prevent this development which will destroy the last working farm and the livelihood of a tenant farming family who are an important part of our community. I am leading the objections to the application with objectors including Ryde Town Council, Nettlestone & Seaview Councils, Bob Seeley MP and 100/1000s of local residents.

Appley Park Sinkhole It is also a priority to make sure Southern Water repair the broken sewage system under Appley Car Park as soon as possible although I have been told this will not be finished until October 2021 which is disastrous. I am seeking compensation for the community and local businesses/ organisations/beach hut owners who are directly affected.

Who is in power at local Councils?

Post-elections are always a nervous time as newly elected Councils decide who is doing what and this is the cur-rent case in particular at IW Council. Ryde Town Council has a great new set of Councillors and a fantastic staff team. It has a five-year plan, a charter and vision. IW Council, however, is now in NOC (No Overall Control) with Conservatives with 18 and Non-Conservatives with 21 and this group hopefully will form an administration.

My priority is to make sure Ryde residents get the best deal and support post Covid19 so we can grow and prosper.

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SCAM ALERTS!

IW Trading Standards have a few scams for you to be wary of.

• Reports of scam texts and emails purporting to be various mail providers, claiming that you need to pay extra for a package or asking you click on a link which could install malware onto your device – the companies all involved state that they would never contact you in this way (how would they know your phone number?) and would put a card through the door.

• Reports that the National Insurance scam has been using an 01983 number – please don’t believe that just because it appears to be a local number that it is genuine, numbers can be purchased and are frequently cloned.

• A message purporting to be from Google to say that your phone has viruses and you have to click the link to repair the problem – Don’t – this is a scam.

• There appears to be an increase in reports of banking texts and some residents are reporting that these messages are being followed up by phone calls stating that there is a fraud on your account, they may even draw your attention to the number they are dialling from – it will be the banks number – again these can be cloned. Hang up do not engage with these criminals and call your bank on a number you have found yourself to ensure that your account is secure.

• Lots of reports in the past few weeks about rogue traders. Whether they are looking to carry out work on your property or buy gold or jewellery from you our advice remains the same – Do Not trade on the doorstep you will be conned out of money and if they are carrying out work it is likely to be of poor quality and the price they quote at the beginning will escalate “An excellent team during the process. offering an invaluable service” Remember • Scam texts can be NEW! Book online www.mobilevetsurgery.co.uk forwarded to 7726 Stress-free Islandwide “Friendly & reliable • Scam emails can be professional yet Home Visits & forwarded to report@ very caring” Central Vet Surgery phishing.gov.uk • No cold calling stickers are available by emailing trading. standards@iow.gov.uk Keyhole Surgery

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Ryde in Bloom

Ryde in Bloom is facilitated by the Town Council and delivered

by The Asset & Facilities Committee. Ryde in Bloom is open to all residents in Ryde, and they want to encourage everyone with a garden, patio, allotment, window-box or even a windowsill to get creative and get involved. Ryde in Bloom is an accessible, inclusive event that gives everyone equal opportunity.

Previous entries received have ranged from an 8 year old who has designed a miniature garden in a wheelbarrow to Quarr Abbey Gardens, nothing is too small or too big.

Ryde in Bloom 2021 - Free entry!

This Year Ryde in Bloom is going to be bigger and better than ever before!

The last year has shown our communities how important gardens and outside spaces are for mental health and wellbeing and Ryde Town Council are determined to do their part.

You don’t have to be a seasoned professional to win the competition either because we have two distinct categories – Adults and Under 16.

Judging will take place slightly differently this year, Ryde Town Council are asking for all participants to take photos of their garden, patio, allotment, window-box, pots, whichever way it is you are getting creative and getting involved. They want to see your photos and judging will take place based on your photos. Entry photos need to be emailed to facilities@rydetowncouncil.gov.uk.

If you are unable to take and submit your own photos, RTC can make arrangements for an Officer to do this on your behalf. Please state this on your entry form.

The deadline for entries is 2nd July, final judging will take place on Monday 5th July.

There are some great prizes to be won from Wighlink and Goodleaf Tree Climbing + many more spot prizes.

For more information email facilties@rydetowncouncil. gov.uk or call 01983 811105. Check out their Facebook page for more updates. To download a form go to www. rydetowncouncil.org.uk/town-council-services/in-bloom/ryde-in-bloom Ryde in Bloom 2021 is sponsored by Wightlink, Goodleaf Tree Climbing, Haylands Farm and Ryde Coop.