The 18-strong Conservative Group at County Hall has unveiled its proposed amendments to the Alliance administration’s plans for the Isle of Wight Council’s 2022/23 budget.
Following the publication of the Alliance’s budget proposals on Wednesday 2nd February – and the subsequent decision of the Cabinet to recommend them to Full Council – the Conservatives are now setting out how they would seek to amend the plans to strengthen and enhance what is currently proposed.
In particular, the Conservatives will be urging Full Council tomorrow (Wednesday 23rd February) to back their plans for further increasing the investment in affordable housing, exploring brownfield site opportunities, improving public rights of way, allocating funds to plant trees and enhancing service levels in key areas which interface with the public.
Councillor Joe Robertson, Leader of the Conservative Group at County Hall, said:
“In overall terms, we welcome the Alliance’s proposed budget. Unlike the approach taken in pre-2017 independent budgets, it does not seek to use general reserves for ongoing expenditure, and is focused on ensuring that the Council lives within its means. I welcome Cllr Jarman’s direct engagement with me and senior Conservative colleagues prior to finalising and publishing his budget. It gave us the opportunity to explain and provide context to previous decisions and promote collaborative working.
“Although this is in many respects a continuity budget, there are some areas which lack ambition and leave scope for improvement. We have looked at this from a constructive perspective, by seeking to build on what the Alliance has put forward. For example, we welcome the proposed £25 million drawdown facility to fund affordable homes, but the Council needs to go further. We would expand this to £40 million, given the increasing housing crisis on the Island.
“We also want to see the aspirational commitment to prioritising brownfield sites translate into reality, and that is why we are proposing to allocate £60,000 for an independent review of available sites. Newport, in particular, has a lot to offer on this front and the Council should be open to looking at its own sites (alongside others in the public sector, including Camp Hill), and how these could be accelerated to bring forward much needed housing for Islanders and drive local regeneration. This should be the priority rather than rehashing plans to put housing on Seaclose Park which should be dropped without further delay.
“We believe that these housing related aspects, along with other elements of our proposed amendments, are worthy of consideration. If these are accepted, we anticipate being in a position to back, rather than oppose, the Alliance budget (as amended).”
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Councillor Chris Quirk, Conservative Group Finance Spokesman, added:
“With some 40% of the savings outlined in the Alliance’s budget emanating from the previous Conservative administration’s preparatory work, this is a budget which provides continuity and stability at a time when it is needed most. But we should not accept these plans as good enough; we can go further, and hope that all 39 councillors will consider our amendments with an open mind.
“In particular, we are keen to ensure that important areas of front-facing council services are improved not diminished. The Alliance’s proposal to reduce staffing in the call centre would be a retrograde step, and would cause the same problems that arose prior to 2017 when the previous independent administration made similar cuts. We must not return to that. Many residents rely on contacting the Council by phone, and we are proposing to remove the £25,000 cut.
“In addition, we are proposing to ringfence £200,000 of the staffing contingency for additional staffing in the Council’s Planning Department, to (a) tackle the growing backlog of applications, (b) more effectively resource enforcement, and (c) support ambitious affordable housebuilding plans. Planning directly affects residents’ lives, and we must do all we can to ensure this service area is as effective as possible.”
Other areas that the Conservatives are focusing on in their budget amendments include:
- Allocating £500,000 to restore access paths to Island beaches, and to restore footpaths, bridleways and rights of way
- Providing £500,000 for planting trees and restoring hedgerows on Council-owned land not suitable for housing. This will also help protect valuable greenfield from speculative development longer-term.
In addition, the Conservatives are proposing that the Policy and Scrutiny Committee for Health & Social Care should be invited to examine the impact of increased charges for Wightcare before any future significant increases are implemented.
Full details of the proposed Conservative budget amendments can be found on the Council’s website at https://iow.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s7261/02%20-%20Final%20Conservative%20Group%20-%20Amendment%20Document.pdf.
You couldn’t make it up.
Robertson and Quirk, dyed-in-the-wool Tories, proposing more affordable housing? Ho, ho, ho, ho … Next they’ll be suggesting we import foreign healthcare workers – oh, hang on a minute …
What ABSOLUTE hypocrisy!
When the CONservatives were in charge it was CUT, CUT, CUT!!
Now they are resorting to a smoke and mirrors policy of ‘we would be nice and spend where it is most needed’!
You really couldn’t make it up as a plot for a bad comedy farce!
No one lies like a tory lies.
No one likes a tory like a Tory likes us.
What?
They don’t even move their lips, that’s how good they are.
Wouldn’t mind if the affordable housing actually benefits island families. But these weesels give them to mainland councils who pay to take their overspill
Tories don’t do anything unless it pays!
Absolute nonsense!
Oh come on you anti-Tory cynics! Please try and be a little more forgiving and sympathetic.
After all, our gallant 18 strong (weak?) Tory Councillors are only faithfully emulating their right-wing, devious and untruthful leader by indulging in wild extravagances which will have an absolute zero chance of ever coming into fruition.
Unless…………..there’s some cash to be made of course? I wonder who owns the land where these houses will be built?
I have seen 2 Council Houses down Great Preston Road in Ryde
that have been empty for months
No.113 and No. 86 Great Preston Road
There must be many more properties like this all over the island.
“MORE HOMES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE BUILT”
Make use of what is empty and available.