The Isle of Wight council ward councillor for East Cowes, who also happens to be a Cabinet member with the Alliance group, says he was kept in the dark about the legal settlement announced on Thursday afternoon by the council following mediation around Floating Bridge 6 (FB6).
Commissioned in March 2016, FB6 has been beset with problems since entering service in May 2017.
Designed by Burness Corlett Three Quays (Southampton) Limited and built by Mainstay Marine Solutions, the bridge has amassed losses for the council into the millions, following a catalogue of failures and issues.
Love: Very concerned that the details are not transparent
Cllr Karl Love, told News OnTheWight,
“I am delighted to hear, through the press, that a settlement has been made to conclude the arbitration negotiations.
“However, as a representative of the people of East Cowes who elected me, I am very concerned that the details are not transparent, for all to see? “
Love: Amounts to a gagging order
The councillor for East Cowes went on to add,
“I do not agree that confidentiality is necessary, as this amounts to a gagging order being placed on the settlement terms and conditions and I find that element totally unacceptable.
“After years of turmoil and impacts for our towns [Cowes and East Cowes] we are entitled to be informed of the settlement details.
“I am committed to being transparent and believe that no such clause should be imposed on the spending of public monies and especially when so much damage has been done to our communities, businesses and reputations. “
Love: Kept in the dark
Cllr Love points out that the settlement payments will eventually show up in the public accounts and finished by saying,
“I am dismayed to learn of this settlement having just attended a Cabinet meeting where, not a word was spoken about it.”
Palin: Disappointment and dismay
Cllr Cameron Palin, East Cowes Town Councillor, has also spoken about his disappointment and dismay at only having learnt about the Floating Bridge legal settlement via the press.
As the Isle of Wight Association of Local Council’s (IWALC) corporate scrutiny committee member, Cllr Palin had, at the most recent meeting, “demanded a meeting with the Cabinet member” saying they had been kept out of the loop and should have received update papers back in January.
Palin: Remedial work funded directly from Islanders’ money
Cllr Palin told News OnTheWight,
“I am extremely disappointed and dismayed to have read in the press yesterday evening that the Isle of Wight Council have agreed a Non-disclosure agreement with the designer and shipbuilder of floating bridge 6.
“The local community of East and West Cowes have suffered greatly for over five years with the floating bridge fiasco and yet we have been kept in the dark about the settlement that has been reached.
“Whilst the bridge and slipways were funded by the Solent LEP, all the remedial work was funded directly from Islanders’ money, all of which is tax payers’ money.”
Palin: Islanders deserve to know is how much IWC have been able to retrieve
He went on to add,
“After all we have put up with and had to deal with over the past five years, the very least Islanders deserve to know is how much have the Isle of Wight council been able to successfully retrieve from these companies.”
Cllr Palin told News OnTheWight that information about the settlement being made public before sharing with Corporate Scrutiny members was “completely bypassing democratic council processes with an apparent attempt to evade democracy”.
He said,
“This news makes me question the Alliance Administration’s post-election pledges to be open and transparent, in fact I would go as far to say this decision makes them look closed and deceptive as an administration.
“Not only that, but once the settlement amount hits the accounts of the Isle of Wight council surely the local authority have a legal duty to show accurate accounts and should not be deceptive and hide this sum of money across a multitude of Council budget headings.”
Damning view of cabinet member
He finished by saying,
“Fundamentally, Cllr Phil Jordan, Cabinet Member for transport and infrastructure has a lot to answer for and needs to be held accountable for his reckless decision making.
“In my view it is clear he has not acted in the Island’s best interests as we deserve to know how much of our money we have retrieved. The cabinet member also needs to come forward with justification for his reckless actions and a plan for the future as we cannot continue with this failed floating bridge.
“Islanders need to hear a commitment that all money received from mediation will go into the cost of a new floating bridge, we need a new floating bridge now and it needs to be build here on the Island.”
Article edit
9.45am 21st Oct 2022 – Comments from CP added
