A decision on whether the Isle of Wight Council should support a tourism funding scheme that could cost the authority an additional £340,000 over 5 years has been made behind closed doors, despite concerns being raised about transparency and governance.
Councillors on the Council’s Economy, Regeneration, Transport and Infrastructure Committee (ERTIC) considered whether to back the Wight BID 3 proposal for Visit Isle of Wight (VIOW) during a private session on Tuesday (6th October).
The decision to exclude the public came just 1 day after an anonymous individual raised ‘serious governance concerns’ about the information being presented to councillors ahead of the vote.
The scheme, which would provide funding for tourism promotion and development over the next 5 years, could see the Isle of Wight Council paying around £340,000 more than it currently does during that period.
Council officers had recommended that the authority support the proposal by voting in favour across all 40 of its eligible properties.
However, members of the public were excluded from the discussion, with committee chair Councillor Julie Jones-Evans explaining that revealing the Council’s position before the ballot closes could influence other businesses.
Councillor Jones-Evans, of the Island First Network, said:
“We have taken advice and this part of the meeting should be held in closed session. The reason for this is that D-BID vote is a private ballot and during the ballot each person voting should maintain the secrecy of the ballot.
Article continues below this advertisement “The council like any other voter and should be treated in the same way. Announcing the council’s decision prior to the close of the ballot on October 29 might have an unfair influence on how other businesses decide to vote.”
Before the meeting moved into private session, Alex Minns, the Council’s Service Director for Culture, Regeneration and Economy, was permitted to give a short presentation.
He warned that voting against the scheme, or abstaining, could put the entire BID at risk.
According to Mr Minns, there was a ‘real risk’ that Wight BID 3 would not proceed without the Council’s support, leaving no immediate alternative mechanism to raise funding for promoting Isle of Wight tourism.
The controversy follows an email sent to the committee on Monday (5th October), which questioned whether councillors had been provided with enough reliable information to make an informed decision.
The partially redacted correspondence, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), came from an individual whose identity has not been disclosed.
The author said:
“I have considerable experience examining BID proposals and local authority involvement in BID ballots across England.
“Having reviewed the papers being presented to the committee on October 6, I am writing to raise serious governance concerns about whether the information presently before members is sufficiently accurate, complete and evidenced to support the recommendation that the council should cast all of its votes in favour of Wight BID 3.”
The decision to move the discussion behind closed doors has also attracted criticism from local business representatives.
Lyn Blackledge, founder of the Wightbuzz business networking organisation, said she was ‘incredibly disappointed’ that the Council had decided to move the item to the end of the meeting and exclude members of the public before councillors reached their decision.
Ms Blackledge said:
“I am aware that they had received a letter from a member of the public raising several issues that needed addressing.
“To hide behind closed doors to avoid answering those questions is simply disgraceful.”
She argued that residents and businesses deserved transparency and accountability over decisions involving public money.
Ms Blackledge added:
“One does wonder who is leading this council and is the tail wagging the dog? I wrote to the leader of the council last night but I’m still awaiting a response.”
A Business Improvement District (BID) is a defined area in which eligible businesses collectively fund activities through a levy, with the arrangement requiring approval through a ballot of those liable to pay.
On the Isle of Wight, the scheme supports Visit Isle of Wight, the organisation established through a partnership between the public and private sectors to promote the Island as a visitor destination.
Council officers have argued that Wight BID 3 would provide a sustainable funding mechanism for destination marketing, tourism development and growth in the visitor economy, while maintaining private sector investment in the industry.
The ballot is due to close on 29th October.
Although councillors considered the Council’s voting position during Tuesday’s private session, the outcome of that discussion has not been publicly disclosed in the information provided.
