Ryde Town Council has agreed the last-minute purchase of a former school two days before it was due to go to auction.
Vectis Hall, on Melville Street, in Ryde, was due to go to auction tomorrow (4). However, it was agreed at a meeting on Monday, that the building be withdrawn from the auction and sold to the Town Council for the sum of £125,000.
The grade II listed building, built in 1812, was supposedly the first free school in Ryde but has long since fallen into a state of disrepair.
As previously reported, a Ryde resident had also thrown his hat into the ring, vying to purchase the building at auction - with hopes of restoring it to a school of traditional building skills.
Ryde Town Council now plans to work with the Isle of Wight Council’s Conservation Officer and Historic England to safeguard the building from further damage and to obtain grant funding for the restoration.
Due to the poor state of the building and its listed status, work is hoped to commence within the next three to five years.
There are initial plans to tidy up the site and to prevent any further damage from water ingress and vandalism.
Mayor of Ryde, Michael Lilley said:
“Ryde Town Council has seen many of Ryde’s historic buildings decline under absent private owners over many years and now has a proactive approach to purchase them. If we did not act now on Vectis Hall, then it would be too late.
“The Hall was given to the people of Ryde by Princess Diana’s great, great, grandmother as Ryde’s first free school.
“For many years it was a much-loved community dance hall. I remember dance hall scenes from the film ‘That’ll be the day’ being filmed there as a teenager.
“We hope to develop a young people’s employment project around its renovation. It is great to reclaim it for Ryde residents.”
A ‘Friends of Vectis Hall’ group is to be formed and the Council is welcoming anyone who wishes to help with the restoration to register with the Council.
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