A Council Tax hike of nearly 3% was approved at last night’s Full Council meeting, but in a shock move it was not the ruling Alliance administration’s budget that was passed, but instead an amended version by the opposition Conservative group.
It will see the Isle of Wight Council build £45million of affordable housing, the creation of a council-owned housing company and a fee to live-stream funerals online.
The leading Alliance group says it is turning the ship around from managing decline, moving away from cuts.
Councillor Lora Peacey-Wilcox, leader of the council, said we continue to live in the shadow of a pandemic and great uncertainty at home and abroad, and with only a modest £1million from government recognising the uniqueness of the Island, the council must reinforce its vibrant and resilient Island economy to secure a better future for all residents.
She said it was, in essence, a 1-year budget due to the uncertainty in the world but it committed ‘significantly to regeneration’ and ‘protected and upheld’ the frontline of adult social services and overcome challenges in poverty, homelessness and education
Following calls from Binstead’s Councillor Ian Dore, £170,000 was also committed to prioritising flood mitigation works in the area after flooding devastated families in July last year.
The Isle of Wight Council is also making £3million worth of cuts, savings and income generation schemes as part of a financial strategy.
Through the schemes Islanders will see a 13% increase in Wightcare costs and £30,000 made by charging those families who would like to live-stream funerals to those who cannot attend in person.
An alternative budget had been proposed by the opposition Conservative group which called for £40million to be spent building affordable housing due to the crisis the Island currently faces. They also proposed redundancies in the contact centre were scrapped and £500,000 for planting trees and hedges on council land unsuitable for housing.
Councillor Joe Robertson, leader of the Conservatives at County Hall, said they believed the budget could be more ambitious and go further in a number of areas: housing, planning, and staffing. He said:
“There is nothing wrong with being aspirational … here is the opportunity to work together, let’s do it now.”
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox did not accept the Conservative amendment but once put to the vote, chair of the council, Councillor Geoff Brodie was able to push it through with the casting vote.
When it went to the vote 34 councillors were in favour of the Conservative-amended version, including Cllr Peacey-Wilcox, with only 5 against.
Where do these idiots think we are going to get this extra 3% council tax from? I’d like them to explain in words of 3 syllables.
Hey ” Joe Bloggs “. Have you changed your name recently, as your style of writing and idiotic comments remind me of another poster who I have not heard from for a while. rocket RON. ???
So we are paying more ,so you can make 3Million pounds worth of cuts !!!!!!
Sounds like a normal Council plan !!!!!!
Whatever way you dress it up or play it down ….the only one’s that suffer is Joe public …. your personal cash cow’s…..
Why don’t you listen to your constituents?????.
All Council staff should pay for their own pension….
Get rid of electric cars (they are not that green!)….
Turn off heating and lights etc etc etc…
2 many grievances to mention…..
Affordable housing – affordable to who exactly? Presumably only to the rich. The constant idiotic councils (of all political persuasions) on this island make me despair. Seems there is no hope for us.
As far as I’m aware, and I’m sure to be corrected: the government was to give all council tax payers up to and including band D a £150 subsidy, paid directly to the local authority.
So that figure plus the average increase of £65 is a whopping £215 per house hold in their greedy pockets. Shameful.
No wonder all the council staff are gloating with big juicy payrise, again I make the statement of this being like George Orwells Animal farm.