There was claim and counter-claim at Tuesday night’s Isle of Wight council Corporate Scrutiny Committee meeting after Cllr Ian Ward (Con) launched a lengthy criticism of the new administration’s plans to seek a fresh approach to the use of land on Culver Parade, Sandown, which includes Dinosaur Isle and Brown’s Golf Course and Cafe.
As the Cabinet will be discussing the issue at their meeting on Thursday, it came before the Scrutiny Committee last night for members to consider and respond to.
Ward: A lack of transparency and openness
Cllr Ward (pictured on the left above) made a number of points in a long statement he read aloud from a piece of paper. His initial argument was that there was a lack of transparency and openness about what he called plans to “abandon the Dinosaur Isle proposal”, saying it would mean much-needed regeneration investment in Sandown would be lost.
Cllr Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet member for the Environment and Heritage, (pictured on the right above) explained the paper was the start of that process, adding that it would have been good to have advance notice of the “raft of questions”.
Cllr Bacon said Cllr Ward had not approached him in advance of the meeting, but apologised if the paper was not clear enough.
Lilley: Making a farce of the meeting
Some councillors felt the Corporate Scrutiny Committee was not the right place for Cllr Ward’s speech, and Cllr Michael Lilley (Alliance) called on the Chairperson to stop the speech continuing. He wanted it put on record that he objected to it and said it was “totally out of order” and “made a farce of the meeting”.
Cllr Chris Quirk (Con) was standing in as Chairperson of the meeting due to Cllr Steve Hastings (Con) still being too unwell to attend. Cllr Quirk explained that in advance of the meeting he’d confirmed with the interim Monitoring Officer that Cllr Ward would be able to present his points in the way he did.
Ward: Want it to be public
It soon became clear that Cllr Ward hadn’t contacted or spoken to any of the Cabinet members since the proposals were published a week ago, or in advance of the meeting.
When asked by the Leader, Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox, why Cllr Ward was sharing his lengthy concerns at the meeting (she explained that when in opposition she would go to Cabinet members with her concerns before meetings rather than air them in public), Cllr Ward replied that he wanted what he said to be public.
Misconceptions and misinformation
Although Cllr Ward’s address to the meeting read more like a statement, he argued that it contained many questions – referencing the numerous ‘Whys’ that he’d interjected.
Although Cllr Ward’s address to the meeting read more like a statement, he argued that it contained many questions. It was clear from the responses of Cabinet members that it also contained several misconceptions and even some misinformation.
Ian Ward, the councillor for Sandown South, said the Alliance Group “gave no cogent explanation” as to why the plans from Dinosaurier Park International (who run a dinosaur amusement park in a forest in Portugal and had bid to do the same in Sandown) had been abandoned.
Bacon: “Good conversations” with Museum Trust
Cllr Ward claimed the administration had not spoken to the Dinosaur Isle Museum Trust, yet Cllr Bacon explained he had spoken to them.
In addition, Cllr Bacon said he’d been “having very good conversations with them”.
Viability of Brown’s questioned
Cllr Ward claimed that Brown’s Family Golf and Cafe “has lost money for decades and will continue to lose money, that’s why the last leasee gave it up”.
Cllr Bacon said he knew the previous owners of Brown’s and also knew what their position was and why they left, inferring it wasn’t as Cllr Ward suggested.
This was underlined when Cllr Bacon suggested Cllr Ward should apologise to them.
Ward: Alternative “no benefit to Sandown”
Cllr Ward claimed the alternative suggestion – focusing on the heritage and biosphere in the area – would not bring any benefit to Sandown, adding that council officers had told him that the “biosphere designation would bring no benefit to Sandown’s regeneration”.
He said to move the museum away from Sandown is just another blow for Sandown.
He urged the Scrutiny Committee to recommend the cabinet paper be withdrawn until his questions are answered and that the Policy and Neighbourhood Scrutiny Committee be asked to examine “the true facts of the Dino Isle Museum Trust members and Dinosaurus [sic] if possible and report back to the council”.
Bacon: Dinosaurier plans would have placed a “large part of Culver behind a paywall”
Cllr Bacon told members,
“Many of the questions and the assertion that the Dinosaurier investment has been abandoned – that is simply not the case – as the paper makes it clear that this is opening up the possibility for that investment to continue, not necessarily in Sandown.
“This is about opening up an opportunity that had become stagnated and Dinosaurier was, we understand, on the point of walking away because the previous tender process has failed. What was trying to happen in Sandown was to fit a square peg in a round hole.
“What Dinosaurier wanted could not be provided for without serious damage to other heritage assets in the area and placing a large part of Culver behind a paywall.”
Freeing IWC from the previous process
Cllr Bacon told the meeting that plans were to free the council from the previous process and restart the dialogue for a multi-million pound investment.
He added the council can now look at other locations for the large attraction “that simply doesn’t fit in Sandown”, and that they “have the option to continue with a dinosaur-based element of that at Sandown”, whilst considering a more appropriate option for the land at Sandown that protects existing heritage assets.
Bacon: There’s no abandonment of Sandown – quite the opposite
Cllr Bacon argued,
“We have a world-class paleontology and academic potential that has been sitting dormant and has been unable to be used, displayed and have the most made of it for years now. What we are doing is freeing things up so those options and possibilities can now be realised, whilst talking to the Trust and other potential partners.
“There is no abandonment of the investment of Dinosaurier and there is no abandonment of Sandown – quite the opposite.”
Jones-Evans: Not a lost opportunity for Sandown
Against the backdrop of heckling from Cllr Ward, Cllr Julie Jones-Evans (cabinet member for Regeneration, Business Development and Tourism) said they would be looking at what’s possible for the area “through the lens of eco tourism”, whilst looking at regeneration of Sandown as a whole.
She said this is “not a lost opportunity for Sandown” – pointing out that Dinosaurier had not even been to the Island for a site visit and that what they had done in Portugal was in a forest, and not on a flood plain and beach.
Quigley: “Trust the Cabinet”
Cllr Richard Quigley (Lab) said they [the councillors] needed to trust the Cabinet with decisions, and if they are not happy it can return to Scrutiny Committee for every meeting.
Beston: “Radio blackout”
Cllr Michael Beston (Con) spoke of “radio blackout” on the project since the council elections in May.
He said more communication was needed from the Cabinet.
Cllr Bacon replied that the paper that was issued last week and discussion at Scrutiny was the start of the communication of their plans. He said many of the concerns raised at the meeting were “misplaced”, which he could have allayed had the councillors spoken to him prior to the meeting. He agreed to meet them later in the week to explain the plans in full.
Leader: Staff have lived with uncertainty for over four years
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox said she’d given staff at Dinosaur Museum the assurance that they would definitely be there for at least another three years. She said,
“The staff have lived with uncertainty for over four years not knowing whether they were going to keep their jobs. They’ve lived in absolute misery for four years because of that uncertainty.
“I have assured them that for three years they will be in that building so that they can then move on with their lives and come up with creative ways of using the dinosaur facility that is there now, to make extra money and be innovative.”
Peacey-Wilcox: “Want assurances staff aren’t going to be messed around anymore”
She went on to add,
“I wanted that assurance for those staff who have worked their guts out during Covid in order to keep that building open as much as they could and they don’t deserve to have uncertainty placed on them again.
“Even if we were to inherit multi billions of pounds and have the ideal location it would take years to build. I want assurances that those staff aren’t going to be messed around anymore.”
Ward: “Generally, I’m satisfied”
Following the meeting News OnTheWight asked Cllr Ward if he was satisfied in the end with how things came out at the meeting. He responded,
“Generally, I’m satisfied, not quite what I wanted but at least the facts should now be exposed.
“Sandown needs this investment, moving it elsewhere steals it from Sandown.”
Image: jpennycook under CC BY 2.0
