A modern upgrade to a Ryde train station may not be so modern after all, as councillors ask for a more Victorian feel to the building.
Originally built in 1864 for a horse-drawn tram service, the Ryde Esplanade railway station has been altered heavily since, changing it into the building we know today.
Proposals to adapt the building once again are part of the major £10 million Ryde Interchange works.
They have been put forward by the Isle of Wight Council and would connect the station with the pedestrian tramway pier as well as seeing a glass entrance feature, reopen public toilets and a new cafe provision.
Speaking at the council’s planning committee yesterday (Tuesday), where the application was decided, Stewart Chandler, the council’s highways and transport client manager, said the authority would have liked to have done more with the station, but Government funding would only allow for refurbishments and not a new building.
The work would retain historic elements of the station and make the most of heritage assets.
Cllr Chris Quirk said at the moment, people get off the train and get the impression the Esplanade station is functional rather than historical.
Any work done to the station would make it look better, he said, but the current proposals would not enhance the Ryde Conservation Area.
Council officers said through planning conditions, the authority can approve the type of materials and colour scheme used on the building, so it can reflect the heritage nature and tie it into the wider building.
The majority of changes to the station, officers pointed out, were mainly to the parts built in the 1960s and not the Victorian part of the building.
However, councillors felt the proposed glass entrance feature was not representative of the Victorian building.
Cllr Vanessa Churchman said she thought it was a lovely-looking building, but in the wrong place, and could not see how it sits on a Victorian esplanade. She said the entrance feature looks like a sore thumb sitting up in the air.
Cllr Peter Spink said the council was missing an opportunity to enhance the appearance, and while he appreciated it was a limited budget, he felt it would not necessarily cost more to refurbish the station in a period style.
The application was accepted unanimously by the planning committee, with changes to permission ensuring external materials used paid special regard to the Victorian character of the conservation area.
All works included in the Ryde Interchange scheme have to be completed by April 1, 2023.
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