Voluntary redundancies, increases in parking charges and reducing the level of support for patients travelling across the Solent are all areas where the Isle of Wight Council is looking to save and make money.
Pending a final decision, council tax will rise by 4.99 per cent from April — two per cent of which will go specifically to adult social care.
To save nearly £4 million, the council’s cabinet has revealed a host of proposals:
- A council-wide re-organisation through voluntary redundancies and managing vacancies – focusing on discretionary service areas and back-office support — £524,900
- Reduce the level of cross-Solent travel grants to the NHS – providing the level of funding that matches the money actually spent. The council says there would be no direct impact on front-line service users — £30,000
- Removal of falls prevention co-ordinator funding to the NHS Trust — £67,000
- Secure a catering concession to run at Dinosaur Isle from March to October — £10,000
- Increase ticket prices at Dinosaur Isle — an adult from £6 to £8, family group ticket up £2 to £19, but children’s prices will remain the same — £33,000
- Reduce the book replacement fund for libraries by £10,000
- Reduce the maintenance in cemeteries and parks — £15,000
- Increase bereavement services fees due to inflation and energy costs — £300,000
- Increase fees and charges in the registrar’s service by 10 per cent — £15,000
- Increase parking fees by 25p an hour — £195,000
- Increase overnight parking fees — £36,600
- A 20 per cent increase in All Island Parking Permits. Those paying monthly payments will pay £10 more a month and those making a yearly payment, will pay £110 more — £60,000
- Increase the cost of tourist parking permits — £11,000
- Increase the cost of purchasing 200-metre residential parking permits by 20 per cent — £12,000
- Increase enforcement patrols across the Island — £24,000
- Floating Bridge vehicle charges will return to pre-covid levels of £2.50 and £3 — £98,000
- A reduction in the concessionary fares budget which is said to have no direct impact on front-line service users — £100,000
- Removing the role of Assistant Chief Executive role — £150,000
- Stop using external property advice — £50,000
- Leave Jubilee Stores in Newport as the lease has ended — £80,000
- Increase council tax and business rates admin fees to ensure council’s court costs are met, due to the additional activities undertaken to recover unpaid tax — £16,000
- Stop funding Ryde Help Centre — which Ryde Town Council will fund instead — £16,000
The savings will be made from cuts and income-generation schemes to meet extraordinary budget pressures the council has been unable to mitigate or meet through additional government funding.
It also covers the increased cost of raising the level of support of the council’s Local Council Tax Support Scheme, from 65 per cent to 70 per cent.
A final decision about the proposals and increases will be made at the Isle of Wight council’s meeting on 22nd February.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Markus Winkler under CC BY 2.0
