Leader of the Isle of Wight Conservative group of councillors Joe Robertson (pictured), presented his group’s budget amendments at tonight’s full council meeting.
He said the Alliance budget was mostly very palatable and prudent and he thanked Cllr Chris Jarman (Cabinet member for resources) for taking the time to listen to the concerns of the Conservative councillors.
19 for and 19 against
When the vote was taken, the amendment attracted 19 votes in favour – including one from Ind Lab Cllr Geoff Brodie (pictured below) – 19 votes against and one abstention, by Cllr Daryll Pitcher (Vectis Party).
The chairman of the council, Cllr Brodie then used his casting vote in favour of the amendment, meaning the changes proposed (see below) would be included in the Alliance Group’s main budget for 2022/23.
Main budget
The vote for the main budget – including the Conservative amendments – was then voted on and passed 34 votes in favour and five against.
The Conservative amendments
The amendments put forward by the Conservative councillors included:
- Increasing the £25 million drawdown facility to fund affordable homes to £40 million
- £60,000 for an independent review of available brownfield sites
- Reverse plans to cut two staff members at call centre
- Ringfence £200,000 of the staffing contingency for additional staffing in the Council’s Planning Department
- Allocate £500,000 to restore access paths to Island beaches, and to restore footpaths, bridleways and rights of way
- Provide £500,000 for planting trees and restoring hedgerows on Council-owned land not suitable for housing
