Once again Government ministers have said they will take another look at the funding settlement for the Isle of Wight, what’s previously been called the Island Deal. What has emerged is the Government giving the council an extra £1m in the year 2023/24.
Five+ years ago, a study by Portsmouth University revealed that it costs Isle of Wight council £6.4 million more each year to provide services due to being an island. Obviously, given the rise in inflation in recent months, this figure would be substantially higher in 2023.
Long-promised, but never delivered
It’s also three and a half year since Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, and Islanders were promised by the then-Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, that the Island Deal ‘would be going ahead’.
You only have to page through the News OnTheWight archives of Island Deal history to see how many times ministers have alluded to this long-promised, but never delivered deal.
Seely: I’ll be working with ministers
Today, Bob Seely said,
“It’s good news that ministers have agreed to look afresh at the Island’s funding settlement.
“I’ll be working with them, as well as experts on the Island, to ensure that our Island’s case is as strong as possible.”
Extra £1m already accounted for – not new money
Last year the council were awarded an extra £1m for the 2022/23 settlement. Councillors at the time expressed their ‘profound disappointment’ that the settlement figure was so low, given their needs.
The council’s leader, Lora Peacey-Wilcox, said that they’ll receive an extra £1m for the 2023/24 settlement too.
Although any additional money is welcome, she explained that they had already accounted for the extra £1m when preparing their budget – which needs to be approved next month – and therefore this was not new money.
Seely: We need a long-term uplift
The MP added,
“In the past few months, I have written to, and held meetings with, minsters about the Council’s funding. I want more support for the Island. I’ve made very clear that it costs more to provide Council services for Islanders, compared to the mainland.
“We need a long-term uplift.
“I should clarify that getting more money for the Council is not the ‘Island Deal’ alone and never has been. Getting an ‘Island Deal’ means getting a better deal for the Island all the time. An Island deal is not a one-off bag of money.”
