Ian Stephens has responded to the recently published ‘Housing Paper’ published by Conservative Councillors earlier this week.
His opinion as Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Housing, in his own words. Ed
I read the Conservative Housing Paper with some amusement, although it is nice to hear from the other side of the Council Chamber once in a while, as we rarely see many of the Conservative Members unless there is a public meeting the press are attending.
I have a clear priority to tackle Housing on the Island. I am already doing much of what they have proposed. If they engaged more they might be aware of that.
Dormant Housing Company
The Conservatives say they set up a Housing Company. A Company was registered at Companies House in 2019, but remained dormant with only a council employee as a director.
That company is not robust enough to undertake housing and utilising funds from the public purse.
Inherited a disorganised housing service
In addition to this, when the Alliance Administration came to power in 2021, we inherited a disorganised housing service split over four departments in areas where a cohesive and effective service was ‘difficult’, all of which had been ignored over the four years of the previous Conservative Administration.
Proposals undermined by Conservatives redirecting £500k from housing to plant trees
On inheriting this mess I started the process of moving to create something that can work to achieve what the Island needs.
As part of this process the Alliance put forward proposals in their budget last year, however the Conservatives, possibly unwittingly, undermined those plans by redirecting £500,000 from housing to plant trees.
Proposed tree planting covered by grant funding
They disregarded the warnings that this would undermine getting a Housing Company fit for purpose.
Their ineptitude was underlined by the fact that the proposed tree planting was in any event covered by grant funding available from the Woodland Trust and our late monarchs Green Canopy initiative.
Conservatives seeking to make political capital out of it
Belatedly the Conservatives have alighted on this issue seeking to make political capital out of it.
We can be thankful that they realise this is now a key issue, but can only remain hopeful that they realise what is actually necessary to deal with the issue.
My door is open
I have mentioned that I will work across the chamber and this holds good, even though some seem to arrange meetings elsewhere and then moan that they are not given the information they want and then proceed to write and publish their own misguided thesis.
My door is open, as it has always been.
Conservatives need to grasp an understanding of the situation
The Isle of Wight council has scant resource due to the cutbacks from the period of austerity, which was brought about by the Conservative Government and wasting resource needs to be avoided wherever possible.
I note the effort of the three conservative members however to effect change, but an understanding of the situation needs to be grasped.
