One year on, the leader of the Isle of Wight council has looked back at the first 12 months of the Alliance administration’s rule to see what has been achieved.
Following the May elections in 2021 — which left the Isle of Wight council with no overall ruling party — Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox, the Cowes Medina representative, and her colleagues in the Alliance administration took control.
Minority ruling
Since then, the minority administration has ruled over County Hall with 17 members, to the Conservatives 18, leaving the four remaining council seats filled by ungrouped members who have the power to sway full council matters.
In a report to full council, Cllr Peacey-Wilcox said the Alliance started its first year with the aim for the council to work together with the Island communities and to support and sustain the economy, environment and people.
Highlights of achievements
Some of the last year’s work highlighted by Cllr Peacey-Wilcox includes:
- Successfully bid for £1 million funding to build housing on three brownfield sites across the Island
- Secured £5.8 million to ‘level up’ East Cowes
- The opening of homeless hub Howard’s House in Newport.
- Approval of both the Isle of Wight Dementia Strategy and Climate and Environment Strategy
- Set up the Island’s first community pantries in East Cowes, Ryde and Ventnor – a foodbank alternative, where members pay £5 a week but get £15 worth of food in return
- A group to develop a clear strategy for dealing with fly tipping
- Work started on the £10 million Ryde Interchange
- Supported Southampton in its City of Culture Bid
- The children’s social work team were judged to be ‘good’ in all areas by Ofsted
- Started work with health partners to shape an Isle of Wight Carers’ Strategy
- Started work on the Innovation Wight Project — refurbishing a building in Northwood to provide a co-working space
Thanks to previous administration
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox acknowledged some achievements were started by the previous Conservative administration and offered her thanks to them for doing so while the Alliance worked to ensure they were completed.
She also thanked council staff, cabinet members and councillors for their dedication.
Determined to tackle issues
Going forward, Cllr Peacey-Wilcox said they knew the Island had many challenges, but the Alliance remained determined to tackle them and make a real difference to Islanders’ lives.
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox will present her report to members today, 18th May, at the full Isle of Wight Council meeting.
You can read the full list and report on the Website.
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
