A proposal to merge three Isle of Wight town and parish councils into one, to cover The Bay area, was met with mixed reactions last night (Monday).
The idea was proposed at Sandown Town Council’s annual public meeting, by resident Bob Blezzard.
He said amalgamating Sandown and Shanklin town councils and Lake Parish Council, creating Sandown Shanklin Urban District Council, would be the best way forward.
Humby: It didn’t work before
It has been done before, but Cllr Heather Humby, who served in the combined authority, said it did not work and Sandown was always treated as a poor relative, so she was totally opposed to the proposal.
Blezzard: ‘A serious injustice’
Mr Blezzard argued it would lower the council tax precept payment for Sandown residents, which is higher than in neighbouring parishes, but for a comparable level of service.
He called that ‘a serious injustice’. Mr Blezzard said the proposal would increase the tax level for those in Lake and Shanklin, which they may not like, but together the single council would be greater than the sum of its parts.
Lightfoot: Areas not comparable
Sandown Mayor, Cllr Paddy Lightfoot, said, in his opinion, the areas had different numbers of public toilets, playgrounds, and skateparks they were responsible for, and they didn’t have a lifeguard service, so it was not comparable.
He feared the reduced precept for Sandown residents would mean the closure of services in the town so it would hardly be a success.
Lightfoot: Prefer to see councils work together
Cllr Lightfoot said he would not support it and would prefer to see the councils continue to work together and strengthen those relationships.
One resident said it seemed to be a reasonable proposal and was surprised at the arguments against it.
“Sandown needs its own pride”
Another said Sandown needed its own pride and to be responsible for its own town, while another questioned whether those in the neighbouring areas would want to pay for improvements in Sandown.
The reality, they said, would be that services would be cut and it would be out of the town’s control when they are just a third of the Bay again.
No decision made
No official decision was made although Mr Blezzard was encouraged to consult with residents and the other areas and to bring it back to the council if he got support.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: © Sandown Hub
