Islanders will remember the news last week in relation to those councils who received approval on match-funding bids from the Isle of Wight council’s Economic Improvement Fund.
Ventnor was one of those denied match-funding – on their bid for the one year role of an Economic Development Officer – and along with Gurnard, have been given extra time to submit another bid for funds.
Allocate funds without match-funding restriction
Newport county councillor, Julie Jones-Evans, has a motion on next week’s full council agenda asking council to agree to allocate funding to the three areas who did not submit bids for a slice of the Economic Improvement Fund, Newport, Calbourne and Fishbourne.
She is asking for £36,425, £1,803 and £1,879 respectively to be allocated to support projects in those areas, but unlike the other 29 councils around the Island, without the restriction of the town or parish council having to match-fund them.
That council,
i) Welcomes the decision to allocate funding of £177,000 from the Economic Improvement Fund to 77 projects across the Island, from 28 out of the 33 town and parish councils.ii) Welcomes the further opportunity which has been provided to Ventnor Town Council and Gurnard Parish Council to offer alternative proposals, following the decision to not approve their bids, and hopes that they bring forward suitable proposals.
iii) Notes that three parish councils did not bid for monies from the fund, and expresses particular disappointment that no proposals were put forward for our County Town.
iv) Agrees that Newport, Calbourne and Fishbourne (and their residents and businesses) should not miss out on benefiting from this fund, and the economic vitality of our County Town is of particular interest to the local authority with its responsibility for the Island as a whole.
v) Therefore recommends to Cabinet that the provisional sums allocated to these three areas (£36,425, £1,803 and £1,879 respectively), as agreed by Cabinet on 13 December 2011, be made available to support projects in those areas – without the requirement for match funding from the parish councils.
vi) Invites the relevant local members to submit proposals by 13 April 2012 to the same panel to consider and determine – in line with the criteria used previously (except for the requirement for match funding) – subject to this revised approach being agreed by Cabinet Member delegated decision prior to the final award of funding.
Image: © IWC
