ISLE of Wight Council has agreed a package of exciting and innovative measures to boost the Island’s green “Eco-Island” vision – as well as an in-line with inflation council tax rise of 3.9%.
Heavy investment in public toilets, cuts in carbon emissions from council buildings, council vehicles set to run on biofuels and a ground-breaking “Eco-Island” conference planned for March this year are just some of the host of measures designed to enhance the Isle of Wight as a green “beacon” for the south of England.
The council is also making an extra £1.75m available to improve the Island’s roads and making available £500,000 for grants to insulate people’s homes.
Council tax for a Band D property is now £1,215.80p – excluding police and parish precepts which are set by their respective bodies separately.
Savings targets of £12.37m over the next three financial years have also been agreed.
The savings will be achieved through greater efficiency in procurement and through modernisation and not by cutting front line services.
The council also agreed to borrow £10m in each of the next three financial years to pay for a number of capital investment programmes.
Isle of Wight Council leader Councillor David Pugh said: “We have agreed an exciting and innovative programme of measures which will dovetail in with our Eco Island vision which plans to make the Isle of Wight a beacon of green excellence in the country.
“We have also put in place measures to tackle resident’s concerns about the public realm and road safety, as well as agreed plans to modernise our council services and make them more responsive to the needs of residents.
“This is in addition to keeping council tax rises pegged to inflation – something which we have achieved every year without cuts in front line services.”
