A ‘couple of whingers’ have questioned why Sandown Town Council has purchased a strip of land along the seafront, a meeting heard last week
The £100,000 purchase of a ‘strategically important’ strip of land at the front of a derelict hotel has been ‘vociferously’ opposed, Councillor Joan Solomon said.
Hostility has been voiced over the town council’s decision to buy the ‘ransom strip’ next to the former Ocean Hotel at auction, amid a rise in the council tax precept this year, she said.
Cllr Solomon said:
“I’ve had a couple of whingers; you know people who sort of stand on the sidelines. They have noticed that we’ve spent this money on the strip of land outside the Ocean Hotel and they’re quite vociferously against that.
“I said…we can do something for the Esplanade, something for the town – the only comment was you could’ve used that money to stop putting up council tax this year.”
Sandown mayor Alex Lightfoot previously said the land would have a ‘decisive influence’ on any future solution to the derelict hotel and is a valuable space for seafront amenities and services.
Mayor Lightfoot said at the meeting:
“We had the town meeting where we asked members of the public for their ideas on what we might do with that land and we will be launching an online survey to further bolster that.
“I’ll be quite blunt about it, anyone who says we’d rather have not had the tax go up this year because I’ve had an email today from someone saying very much the same thing.
“I don’t think anyone here ran on the basis they were going to cut taxes…and we were all elected to try and effect change. I think most people have started to get that if we don’t put it up by inflation, what are you cutting?
“People want change in Sandown, that doesn’t come without us doing something different and that does need funding.”
I understand what our representatives are saying, but I feel they could be better coached in how to communicate it.
All Sandown town council have done is put up a barrier for someone to purchase and developer this property into housing.
The days of Sandown being a tourist destination are long gone. But people like to live by the sea.
So let’s get some nice expensive apartments built and bring some money into the local economy.
The councillor’s comments need to be backed with action.
Sandown has the highest precept on the island and its residents have had to put up with year after year of increases that, like this year’s 10%, are far in excess of inflation.
We have, however, yet to see any of the promised improvements.
How long should we be expected to pay amongst the highest council tax on the country whilst seeing nothing in return?
It is effectively a ransom strip, they have no ideas what to do with it or the money to do it with in any event, councillors should not be allowed to spend tax payers money over say 5000 unless the voters agree by a majority, not a referendum on every decision but a simple yes or no onlin eit would take no more than 24 hours to get a clear mandate either way.
Money well spent, better than Numpty feral
youths keep trashing it.
Maybe if the council was more upfront with their plans people wouldn’t be so suspicious of their motives. The public trust in the motives of politicians is at an all time low & to call people whingers isn’t respectful to concerned residents
Come on Sandown. Get those CPOs and find developers for this prime site. Hotels, flats, anything to get people coming back into the town. These derelict buildings have to go.