£1million pounds in government cash, given to the Isle of Wight Council in recognition of the Island’s unique circumstances, has been slammed as ‘highly unsatisfactory’ and ‘profoundly disappointing’.
The local authority says it is only 1/6 of what it hoped for.
On Monday, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced a £54.1billion funding boost for local authorities – including £1million for the Isle of Wight.
At the council’s corporate scrutiny committee, Councillor Jonathan Bacon, cabinet member for environment and heritage, called it ’empty words from government’ and claimed it made no difference to the underlying problem. He said increasing costs were being acknowledged for councils across the country and the Island’s remoteness was not being recognised.
Conservative members said it was ‘inappropriate’ to make political statements at scrutiny committee and called for optimism.
For decades, Islanders have been chasing a deal from government, to make up for the added extra costs and pressures created by our Solent separation. In recent years, it was pinned as £6million.
Councillor Chris Jarman, cabinet member for strategic finances, told the meeting such a small amount was ‘illogical’, because the authority had provided “copious amounts of rational evidence to secure the future of the Island, but [was] being repeatedly ignored”. He called it a ‘highly unsatisfactory’ ‘token gesture’.
Chief financial officer, Chris Ward, said the council is chasing the rainbow when it comes to an Island Deal. He sees the £1million as a ‘stopgap’, allowing the Isle of Wight to continue its conversation with government. However, he acknowledged it was the first time the Island had received recognition of the unique costs associated with physical separation.
Mr Ward said the ‘fair funding review’ would be more helpful, although it has been delayed.
In October, as part of the government’s Levelling Up Fund, £5.8million was announced for East Cowes and will be spent on improving facilities in the Columbine building and the neighbouring barrack site, as well as creating a new public square along East Cowes Esplanade.
If separation from the mainland is costing us residents £6million per annum aggravated by our lower wages and productivity why not treat the issue at source?
Instead of moaning they should do something genuinely worthwhile with that money to show its impact to level up. And advertise the fact.
And I don’t mean putting some benches on a sea front.
Bacon is just upset because he thought a nice new pile of cash would be arriving for them to get their snouts into and flick the few remaining coins to the populace with great fanfare.
Spend it wisely IOW Council! Not on Floating Bridge repairs!
Must be a old picture above as each day i go past theres a row of electric cars lined up dsy after day after day.
That won’t pay for very many consultants.
I’m sure they have some relatives who can do it for mate rates.