The Empowering Islanders group secured a significant victory at the Isle of Wight Council’s Full Council meeting earlier this week, prioritising use of council-owned land for relocatable and social rent housing rather than disposal for other purposes.
Leader of the local authority, Councillor Phil Jordan, had issued a delegated authority to sell off 24 areas of Council-owned land to one of his Cabinet members. That delegation enabled the Cabinet member to dispose of Council land in direct contradiction of the 2024-25 budget passed by Full Council in February 2024.
The details of such disposals are normally not revealed under the guise of ‘commercial confidentiality’ even though it is, in effect, public property.
Empowering Islanders members Councillor Peter Spink proposed, and Councillor Chris Jarman seconded, a motion using a specific legal entitlement called a Policy Framework. That process enables Full Council to take responsibility for approving specific actions – in this case, the disposal of all Isle of Wight Council land assets.
As all disposals must now comply with an adopted policy and there is not yet such an agreed Policy Framework document, no disposals can proceed until those measures are in place and fully complied with.
Well, that’s the deck chairs organised. Now, can anybody see any icebergs?
What makes Councillors think the public will tolerate such poor behaviour. I hope they are not surprised when they are not returned again – or is that why they are so keen to postpone the local elections for 12 months?
This sounds like blatant corruption avoided to me. Abuse of power should be investigated by the police.
I just don’t understand. What’s the point in being a councillor if you can’t get publicly owned land at heavily discounted prices? It’s beyond me.