The leader of the Isle of Wight Council has defended his administration’s commitment to housing, describing it as the ‘number one priority’.
Speaking to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Phil Jordan said County Hall had put in place a number of measures demonstrating it was the council’s prime concern.
He told the meeting:
“For a number of years in this administration housing has been our number one priority.
“It’s on the wall upstairs, the chief executive knows that. Getting the houses built is another challenge as we’re all hearing this evening.”
Earlier this week Island Echo reported on Councillor Geoff Brodie’s comments about successive administrations failing when it comes to local housing.
An 11-page report, signed by Laura Gaudion, Director of Adult Social Services and Councillor Ian Stephens, cabinet member for housing and finance, was presented to the committee, laying out policies the council has taken to deliver affordable and social housing.
A total of 6 strategic priorities were set out including new housing supply, defining housing affordability through research, ensuring ‘good quality’ private sector housing and supporting housing associations and other partners build new affordable housing.
Measures also included reducing homelessness and rough sleeping through ‘effective prevention work’ and ensuring specialist accommodation is available for vulnerable people.
The document said:
“This priority (new housing supply) is about ensuring the right supply and mix of new homes is available.
“Including increasing affordable housing delivery through the efficient use of land and capital resources including those the council owns or has control of.
“In 2023/24, over 900 new homes were granted planning permission, with 748 being on large sites (over ten units) that have a policy requirement to deliver 35 per cent affordable housing – this equates to 262 affordable homes being permitted.
“In 2023/24 whilst there were only 19 affordable homes completed (a decrease on the previous three years), there were a further 38 starts on site of affordable homes.”
Councillor Geoff Brodie, representative for Pan and Barton, said:
“Affordable and social housing is one of the main reasons I stood for election to this council nearly 20 years ago.
“The performance of successive administrations over those 20 years has been very poor.”
Councillor Michael Lilley, representative for Ryde Appley and Elmfield, echoed Cllr Brodie’s frustrations:
“We’ve been going round the houses for the last eight years, since I’ve been a councillor, and probably before.”
The presented council report’s figures show 7.3% of homes built on the Island in 2023/24 could be classed as affordable, compared to 18% in 2022/23, 23% in 2021/22, 28% in 2020/21 and 2% in 2019/20.
Perhaps the Council might consider delivering good quality services to charge payers? Re-surfacing roads, sorting out Bath Road in Ventnor, sorting out the derelict buildings despoiling our towns, improving facilities for tourists so the economy flourishes, and coming up with ideas of how to sort out the extortionate costs of the ferries.
Building a bridge would solve the ferry problem
once and for all.
Until there is a maj or accident in the middle of the bridge which wopuld mean there is no alternative crossing available because a bridge would mean the end of the ferrys and an end to the Isle of Wight.
Derelict buildings (unless owned by the council) are not their responsibility!
The ferries and their charges, the council have no powers to intervene.
Road re-surfacing is down to Island Roads.
As for tourist facilities, which ones would you like the council to improve?
More Blah Blah Blah coming from the Council
Housing for who?
because you certainly are not prioritising islanders,we now have immigrants living in social housing when born and bred islanders are living in unfit for habitation hostels,islanders FIRST this council,and others before it clearly have an agenda,and its not for islanders thats for sure!
The whole country is taking immigrants,
why should the Island be any different to any
where else.
Everyone needs an home.
IW Council need to do their bit.
Just read an article on the Mail
300 migrants have been moved to an hotel in
Altrincham, Cheshire.
The island as plenty of empty derelict hotels that
could be done up to house persons.
Everyone needs and home.
Then the crime rate soars,sexual assualts go up,and women and children are not safe,when are you going to take your woke blinkers off and wake up,they are not migrants fleeing war,they are all men,and economic migrants,i just cannot believe how woke and deluded you are!
There is enough crime with the local
Caulkheads, so what makes you think crime will
go up.
Stop recruiting from abroad and making them a priority on the housing list and start housing islanders who are being pushed aside . Islanders should be prioritised. Start doing up and using derelict properties and start bringing affordable housing to match people’s salaries . Otherwise it’s a lot of hot air coming from someone who has the benefit of luxury and has no idea what people are going through
Why should Islanders be prioritised, you could
say the same about persons living on the
Mainland, it doesn’t work like that.
Migrants can fill the vacant positions that are
available on the island, majority of the island is
an older population, so youngsters are needed to
do the jobs.
Build small blocks of flats, Studios and 1 and 2 bedrooms
that way you can build more and there will be enough
for everyone who needs housing.
Also a great way for the council to make more money
from Council taxes.
More homes = more Council taxes.
Wander how many rooms the council offices use in that horrible building,sure they can move things around make 3 or 4 apartments there
Great idea, it could be converted into many rooms
It could become one big H.M.O
Why doesn’t IW Council buy back previously
Sold off Council Homes for their portfolio.
Many homeowners may be interested if the price
is right.
I suggest before he builds any more houses on the Isle of Wight, he ensures that there are jobs for the new owners, that there is sufficient hospital accommodation, there are sufficient Doctors, NHS dentists, schools etc. etc. available because at present they are all in very short supply.
Don’t get me started on the
NHS (No Hope Service)
Try getting a Doctors appointment,
No.1 they don’t answer the phone, then they fob you
off to ring 111, who are also useless.
Since the Plandemic the NHS is not the same,
it never will be, no matter how much money
the Labour Government throw at it.
Majority of the staff are work shy.