'It's like a gun to our head' — Ryde Town Council (RTC) is calling for a public meeting with Isle of Wight Council (IWC) officers over plans for Ryde Esplanade as they feel there are too many unknowns.

At a meeting of RTC's planning committee yesterday (Tuesday), councillors criticised the IWC's consultation on the proposed changes to develop the Ryde Interchange as part of a £10m government-funded project for a lack of information, which was making some members of the public more confused.

Cllr Lisa Carter said people were cross because there were few details.

Only following a meeting with the IWC's strategic manager for regeneration infrastructure and transport capital programme, David Newton, earlier in the week did Cllr Carter feel she understood what was happening and 'it was helpful to have that dialogue'.

Mayor of Ryde, Cllr Michael Lilley said the process to get where things stand at the moment, and with only four weeks left to the end of the consultation, had not been helpful with a breakdown in communication apparent between the IWC and the Ryde Regeneration workgroup.

He said: "We are not terribly happy about how we got here, it is a bit like a gun to the head with the way it has been done.

"It is very difficult for us and members of the public to make clear decisions about the cosmetics of it unless we have the tools to visualise it ... There needs to be some kind of event where people can interact."

Cllr Lilley also said it feels as if we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, that if the IWC said no to the money, stopping the scheme, with the way the national government is working at the moment, there could be a ripple effect of getting investment into the town.

He said: "It is not my final answer but I do have reservations ... we are in dangerous territory if we start to object."

Cllr Malcolm Ross shared his thoughts on the scheme and said the council had to think of what the scheme proposes, with the objective of it all to improve pedestrianisation, which the Esplanade 'was crying out for'.

Cllr Ross's 'minor quibble' with the scheme was removing the rose garden, which stretches along the railway track, to become a pathway and asked if there was a way to keep it.

Cllr Georgie Carter said while she felt there were more pros than cons to the scheme, a better public consultation was needed, with visual aids, like 3D drawings and artists' impressions, to help residents reach a decision.

Councillors voted unanimously to write to the IWC with a view to having a public meeting to gather more information as well as more engagement with the travel companies.

Speaking after the meeting, RTC's Cllr Phil Jordan but also the IWC's cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, who had been watching the meeting, said it was interesting to hear the comments.

He said overall it was about trying to do the best for the town and community .

Cllr Jordan said he was not aware if there were any visualisations of the scheme, apart from the map drawings already published, but if they did exist he would make sure people had sight of them.