As the Alliance Group of Councillors moves into its 4th week in charge of the Isle of Wight Council, it is working with senior management to set the new political direction and strategy for the Council and deliver on its policies.
The aims of the group show a determination ‘to restore democracy and public engagement to the way the Council operates’ as well as taking forward key issues that are of prime concern to Island residents, including finding a permanent solution to the Floating Bridge which may mean scrapping and replacing it.
Councillors say other key issues include:
- Spending and investing as much Council money on the Island as is possible
- Gaining greater control of the planning system and prioritising truly affordable housing for Island residents, meaning housing that is not just affordable to rent or buy but affordable to live in and maintain
- Placing the Health and Wellbeing of residents at the centre of all activity and prioritising dealing with health inequalities and the resulting poverty which has been highlighted during the pandemic
- Working with local communities to maintain and ensure appropriate local school provision
- Treating COVID recovery as integral to everything, including supporting the regeneration of town centres and aiming to ensure there is free parking provision in all towns
The Group also states that all decisions made by the new Council must have regard to support of the Council’s Climate Change Strategy and the impact of decisions on young people and future generations.
Leader of the Council, Lora Peacey Wilcox, has said:
“Our Group has produced a clear set of policies and principles that show our commitment to the Island and its residents, as well as showing that we work well together and share that commitment as well as the ability to work together productively to bring forward sound ideas about how we can achieve the best for our Island.
“We have now met with senior management to set out our aims and direction so that their total focus now will be on working to achieve the new Administration’s policies”.
The group will provide more detail in the coming months about its aims, which will form the basis of a new Corporate Strategy for the Council.
You all so need to sort out the vast amount of roadworks and get island roads to stop putting lights up then no workforce there or if they do get there to crack on and do the work as quickly as possible. Standing or sitting about do a lot of nothing.
Don’t forget all the temp lights for Whitefibre, electric, gas and water companies.
Barking mad, left-wing, tree-hugging policies which will put up Council Tax and achieve nothing of value.
Time will tell if it does benefit the Island people.
Looking forward to new direction. Hopefully council tax rises will be minimal, after years of huge increases.
Running a shop few years ago in Ventnor things were slow..there were many roadworks, over zealous traffic warden (singular) and crazy carpark fees making it a ghost town..crippled in part by the no parking and shoppers having to check the time before tickets expire…
I also did beach rescue and the council did not insure us, lets hope this council does provide free parking in all carparks, maybe lift yellow lines but also support our lifeguards by at least insuring them and financing the lifeguards huts and training island wide..
It was a dream of Dave Gray, Ventnor Surf lifeguard, rip Baby Jesus..
Let’s hope all these new incentives work in the islands and it’s residents best interests. On the Floating Bridge issue, surely the company who designed it, could they not be sued? This vessel has shown many, many times it is not fit for purpose. The council need to be reimbursed. Millions of our council tax money has been wasted.