A row over who cuts the grass at a car park and viewpoint has left a parish council criticising the Isle of Wight Council.
Residents had complained to Shalfleet Parish Council about the overgrown state of Bouldnor Viewpoint, off the main road into Yarmouth, which the Isle of Wight Council puts down to the current coronavirus pandemic.
One resident said they had seen people sitting on the seats at the viewpoint had their view of the sea obscured by the overgrown trees, bushes and other greenery.
The land at the viewpoint car park is owned and maintained by the Isle of Wight Council but following multiple complaints and requests to the local authority, Shalfleet Parish Council took matters into their own hands and got a contractor to cut the grass.
In its newsletter, the parish council said on occasion the bigger authority does not maintain its property, so the smaller council is left to pick up the bill. It also fears the public is being double charged for the same job.
Cllr Steve Cowley, chair of Shalfleet Parish Council, said the Isle of Wight Council only does the health and safety maintenance and it is very difficult to get it to do that. He said:
“We have had the work done and the invoice has been forwarded to the ISle of Wight Council for consideration
“These are not financial assets but assets for the community, like the view from the car park. It is an attractive place where people can stop and look at the view.”
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The parish council has said this issue is not a one-off and has happened at other town and parish councils across the Island.
The grass onto the road is cut under the IW Council’s Highways PFI contract and the land around the car park is managed by the council’s countryside team.
Greenery around the viewpoint is only cut back ‘when it is felt necessary’, said a council spokesperson, and only by volunteers.
The spokesperson also said:
“During the difficult period of the pandemic this grass-cutting hasn’t been commissioned by the Isle of Wight Council, so Shalfleet Parish Council decided to cut this area without informing the Isle of Wight Council.
“The Isle of Wight Council aims to work with town and parish councils, and has agreed to fund these minor works on this occasion but will be discussing a longer-term maintenance plan with the parish council – an agreement similar to other agreements it has with other town and parish councils across the Island.”
Well come on who the Hell has been cutting it for the last 20 years, Pull your head out of your Ass. Pathetic.
Is this another occasion that the main council are washing their hands of their responsibilities and expecting other people to carry out their work without the council picking up the bill.
This scenario is becoming a regular feature of this council that gives itself pay rises for appearing to do less.
The council do as little as they can legally get away with doing now. They will say it is to save money, yet, as we know, they happily award themselves huge rises and expenses claims.
Those at the top are to blame, and they are pushing Parish councils into ‘taking on’ things which the main council once paid for. Similar happened in Bembridge. There the IW council used to maintain and clean all the public WC’s, but due to cut backs, pushed the responsibility onto the Parish council.
Fine so long as the funding for Parish councils remain, but as our council tax grows larger each year, we are then paying twice, once in our Parish precept and still paying the same amount and more for all the ‘assets’ that the I.W council have disposed to others.
So the IW council then have more cash to award themselves rises, ensuring a higher pension pot, and generous expenses, and to keep mates in jobs As we are aware, some councillors are not trusted by the public as both private businesses and other wrong doings are often mentioned and likely not without very good cause.
Best we can do is vote them OUT next given chance.
Likely the next ‘lot’ will be no better, but can hardly be any worse.
Don’t just ‘moan’ get YOURSELF out to vote next time, don’t leave it to ‘others’.
I am afraid that the IoW Council seem to shirk the majority of any their ‘responsibilities’ when it comes to ‘minor’ things…
The pretext of difficulties due to COVID is just a mantra being used by countless businesses and organisations as a convenient excuse to cover up their appalling levels of customer service.
I have lost count of the number of times this excuse has been trotted out as a reason for BAD service.
Well said. How many times have you tried to get through to various companies and their phone lines and e mails don’t reply and the excuse is everyone is busy dealing with Covid. What a load of rubbish. It’s just an excuse for everything now.
Concrete it problem sorted
Why? Then it’ll be as thick as your skull.
Stop you lot keep on whinging saves council money
It is like pass the parcel, the government passes things down to local authorities who in turn pass it cown to town smd parish councils
Then on us
No, the main council have by LAW to provide statutory services. So verge cutting where danger would occur, or hedge cutting alongside roads but ONLY up to six foot, hence the higher overhang now, as that is the land owners responsibility to cut.
Then they have to provide care for all the needy children and adults, sadly including all the low life troublesome, which all costs a fortune.
So views, and ‘pretty’ comes way down their list, and CERTAINLY much lower than their huge wage rises, expense claims, and growing pension pot.
So they are doing the minimum they can get away with, pressuring Parish councils to do more, BUT still forcing up council tax each year.
VOTE THEM OUT at the next given chance. Don’t leave it to others, as ‘other’s often are even lazier than ourselves when it comes to voting.
Do you see what we have to put up with on the IOW….amidst a pandemic….disgusted of Ryde…# protectourviewsfeckers….thanks Island echo for providing the non story of…well ever actually….
Covid excuses like everywhere.council have been given a shut load from gov.stop squandering it and use it u
On really needed things
Come on people how many times have you vented on here about the local council.
I thought you would have got use to this council now.
So the government has given the isle of wight 10 or 11 million over the past 6/7 mouths.
But they still want more in the bank so they are putting parking up and cutting corners by not gutter grass .
They have got to find the money for there pay rise and bonuses.
Don’t forget the embarrassing floating bridge
Do you expect anything better from “Pugwash” Stewarts band of merry councillors. They take the money from central government an do nothing with it, it’s about time they were ALL investigated and audited independently.
VOTE THEM OUT, next time. DON’T expect ‘others’ to do it, YOU vote.
The viewpoint is meant to be visible-an AONB and a strategic, beautiful viewpoint- the sunsets should be easily seen- without having to stand on the bench!- its so overgrown that people often stop and use it as a lavatory – there are rats, there’s antisocial behaviour and it has got worse year on year. There’s also a risk to the bank as the trees, rather than anchoring the bank, are overgrown and too tall, making them vulnerable to the high winds and likely to fall taking the bank with it. The steps down are unsafe, the path down- which is meant to give access to the slipway is overgrown and not passable easily with a paddle board let alone a canoe- come on IOW council encourage people to visit!