Voting records of the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee are being called into question after 1 councillor said if members were voting against every application to be popular then they were not making a valid contribution to the committee.
The matter was raised by long-time member of the planning committee Councillor Matt Price last week, after the controversial West Acre Park application was passed by a tight vote, 6 to 5 and Cllr Price called on the voting records of committee members to be shared.
He said:
“I feel I, and other councillors, are being put in a position many times where we have to direct the committee, keep you on the straight and narrow, I don’t think it’s fair.
“There are members who I guess have only voted in favour of something once or twice.
“I am not trying to influence how members voted but we have a moral duty as an elected individual and of this committee to sometimes do what is the right thing.”
The planning committee meets to discuss and decide major and sometimes controversial applications which officers feel are out of their hands to determine. On such decisions, councillors on the committee are not supposed to be predetermined on a scheme.
A newer member to the committee, Councillor Debbie Andre said:
“The reason we sit on here is to do the right thing and act in the best interests of residents, even if that means going against seemingly popular opinion.”
Cllr Price was joined by Councillor Geoff Brodie who asked chair of the committee, Councillor John Medland, to speak to political group leaders about who they put on the committee.
Cllr Brodie said:
“It is easy to be populist but that is not what planning is about.”
He suggested having the wrong people on the committee could put the Council in a “very serious financial and reputational situation.”
Councillor Peter Spink argued he did not vote just to be popular and said he did not think looking into the voting history was a good idea as it appeared to be a check to undermine the integrity of those who voted a certain way.
Cllr Price argued that was not the point and Cllr Medland said he would look into the information.
Councillors are elected to act in the best interests of their constituents.
In no reality is building massive estates of housing that is unaffordable for young Islanders in anyone’s best interests apart from those looking to buy second homes or move to the Island to retire,
There are plenty of affordable homes on the island. They might not be in the preferred locations of many or smaller than they want but that is reality. If you can’t afford the home you want, either save up for longer, get a better job (if there are no better jobs, you can leave the island for more money and probably won’t come back), or manage your expectations. Most young people in the UK can’t afford to buy a house until they about 30 nowadays. That is the reality of the housing market and it hasn’t changed much. People who buy second homes on the island or move here to retire are not looking to buy a cheap two-bedroom terraced house in Newport, but that is the island first home for a young couple. Nothing wrong with that.
What justification can anybody have to own a second home in the economic state of our world right now? If there were triple the space etc etc I’d agree but to reserve some homes on the basis of overners coming here to retire is directly attacking any young person who wants to spend their lives here instead of coming here to die, what so I’m born here, raised here and want to live here but I cant because traditionally a bungalow is for old people well like many young I’m breaking a trend that’s harmful I’ll be very happy with a bungalow… I just want a home, not some HMO or hostel where nobody else wants to better themselves…. lol to all of this
What a load of nonsense. You buy the house that you can afford. If you can’t afford any house, then you will have to rent. That is the reality of life. You are not entitled to a lower priced house just because you happened to be born somewhere. Like many people, I left the town where I was born to live somewhere with greater opportunities. Like most, I have worked my way up the housing ladder. This “affordable housing” nonsense is being spouted by entitled freeloaders. Work hard and get the best job you can to afford the house you want. Manage your expectations.
A newer member to the committee, Councillor Debbie Andre said:
truthouts, your so correct.
Best interests of residents is to listen to the residents!, and say no to any more large developments, which are NOT intended for Island people.
Take Newport and East Cowes, both have had large housing estates built in the last few years, and both towns suffer from a rise in anti social behaviour
That’s not due to housing being built, it’s the dramatic paradigm shift in our thinking and culture; the way we communicate, the so many ways we identify as human beings is changing. The music we listen to the people we associate with, it all makes a contribution to how any geographic location shapes its people.
Are you high?? What a load of twaddle.
Well done Councillor Price.
The whole system needs investigating.
Good luck.
If councillors are voting without adhering to guidelines, there is either a problem with the guidelines or councillors must lack the intelligence to follow a logical process to make a sensible and informed decision. Councillors should be expected to provide a written account of how they reached a logical decision. Councillors should then discuss their logical decision processes and identify any failures to adhere to logic, before actually voting.
Maybe it is because they are elected to represent their constituents and their constituents don’t want massive developments of unaffordable housing.
Maybe it is the Government imposed guidelines that are wrong.
IWC need more Cllr Price’s right now there’s too many Cllrs with no moral compass..
Checking voting history,
would undermine the integrity of which way they voted ……
Sorry I thought you had to have integrity before it can be undermined!!!!!
The island planning committee is not a popularity contest , this relates to the whole welfare and infrastructure….
Read the comments, alas we on the island cannot vote till May 2025 !!!!!!!
I likes planning me weekends! Gotta make sure me old mobility scooter got enough juice in her to get round the pubs! The Crispin to The Waverley can drain the batteries, I’m having my own procession up The Mall on Saturday!
Just check their bank balances and you will get your answer.
You should take notice of what councillor price has said just rewind when the he said when the St Marys road works are finished it would cause congestion at coppins bridge he has been proven right so build a fly over so traffic from Cowes to Sandown can miss coppins bridge(think about it councillors)
How dare some Councillors listen to the residents and vote accordingly. By doing so they put at risk the brown envelopes being passed around to other Councillors and Council officials.
Maybe Councillors should no longer be elected by mere residents, but appointed by developers and businesses that are after contracts from the Council.
Councillors which are long-time serving members are more likely the problem. Because they get stuck in a certain type of behaviour and become increasingly subjective in their attitude.
Case in point is the attitudes expressed in this article. They think they know better.
Anything to do with authority or power does have a glimmer of “you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours” it is this mentality that needs to be kicked out and vote for people who actually have the interest of the Island and it’s population at the forefront of any vote they do – not those who shout loudest
Individual applications for extensions, driveways, things for existing homeowners shouldn’t have to justify improvements to a bunch of blinkered morons if they wish to improve their own homes. Time for a change the whole process.
I thought the reason Councillors cannot stand up straight is because they are all
Bent
I think you will find that NIMBY behaviour is equally prevalent for councillors. Check the votes.
Plenty of estates earmarked for Newport opposed by Newport councillors.
‘Councillor Debbie Andre said:“The reason we sit on here is to do the right thing and act in the best interests of residents, even if that means going against seemingly popular opinion’
It’s strange, isn’t it, because I would have thought that their job was TO DO WHAT THE RESIDENTS WANT, not to ignore them and do their own thing.
This is arrogance in the extreme and Councillor Debbie Andre should consider her position if she doesn’t intend to carry out the wishes of the residents.
Not trusting someone who dresses like that
Matt Price is one of the very few Conservatives with any integrity.
this statement is paradoxical on every level
Cllr Price has it spot on, maybe the LA should also be looking into members who currently sit on the committee whilst performing the best case of a “conflict of interest” there’s ever been, they should be barred with immediate effect from all committees
So you require your councillor to vote according to Government imposed guidelines even though most of their constituents don’t want them to?
Kind of makes a mockery of democracy and makes the whole business of voting for people to represent up rather pointless.
Never trust a Tory. Nothing more to say.
So having the wrong people can put the the Council in a serious ” reputational situation”. Well councillors, this already seems to be the case, so how you’ve missed this swell of public opinion beggars belief. It’s already been on National news that planning systems are in dire need of an overhaul, as they are mostly run for the benefit of developers. Here on the island, developers and landowners are getting richer, whilst the Islands young and needy struggle to get proper and affordable homes, owner or rented.