We’re reporting live from the Cabinet Meeting at County Hall.
Please refresh / reload your browser to see the latest updates. We will endeavour to report presentations and discussions as accurately as possible. Text surrounded by () signifies VB’s comments.
[17:54] Chamber filling up. 150-200 people outside in the pre-meeting protest
(How lovely, Roger Mazillius is here)
This is the most heavily attended Cabinet meeting I’ve ever seen [18:00] And we’re off. Cllr Pugh opening the meeting
Public questions: Three written
Mr Millar of Cowes: skipped not present
Lady walked into the chamber – criticised the council and walked out
Mrs Joyce Bogoni (President of the Fair Haven Housing Trust): Meadow Brook stay open while personal budgets? Will there be personal budgets at care homes?
Cllr Cousins: Care homes – no. Not how gov want it to work. Meadow Brook – Will be in the hands of the people who run it
Mrs Bogoni: Just want to be assured
Cllr Pugh: We not making final decisions tonight
Naomi Somerville (Supporting People Provider): £1.9m fund currently ring fenced. What’s happened to it and its interest? IWC say Hostel is its highest priority. Von. resident are at risk at losing funding, due to loss of accommodation.
Cllr Cousins: £1.9m We’ve been advised now that there is no restrictions on it now. Being used to deliver services via Adult Services
2nd answer: Floating services – needs to be viewed against all expenditure needs. Hostel + Sheltered
Q: Music service cuts. Low income families will be hit by cuts. A significant number of people won’t be able to afford music lessons. Can you reconsider reinstating music service budget?
A: This is a schools based service. It’s the right time for them to pick up their duty. While the schools are being reorganised, it’s ideal timing.
Cllr Pugh: End of questions
Lady: I’m not going to listen to that. People there have been crying. What are you going to do about it?
(Massive applause from the audience – first of the night)
Cllr Pugh: Thanks for that. No decisions made yet
(On with the meeting)
This is the hardest budget we’ve had to make. Priorities guided us. Statutory restrictions on us. None of the decisions have been made lightly. I want to stress that these are proposals. Full council on 24 Feb will make the decisions. Clearly are different opinions between elected members. Meeting with professional bodies + others. People making representations will be listened to. Last year’s budget we changed things just before the Full Council on the basis of feedback. I understand that we need to explain the rational behind these ideas. Would welcome feedback from union officials. Unison meeting next week. Professional bodies speaking to us too, as well as user groups. Meeting with some of them over the coming weeks. Some of these proposal are unpalatable, so are many that we’ve rejected. We’re planning on increasing spend on Adult services by £2m (is this linked to the £1.9 just released?)
We’re determined to make the right decisions for the Island. Local authorities across the country are having to make cuts too. National cuts will affect services (get the feeling this is speaking about years ahead)
Cllr Bingham: There’s difficulties across the UK. We must produce a balanced budget. There’s £11.4m shortfall (Not sure why this has dropped from the £11.6m as before)
A lot of what he’s saying was noted in the Overview + Scrutiny meeting.
Core services are most vulnerable
Put it forward for acceptance. We are on a journey
Cllr Brown: asked a question about damping
Cllr Lumley: I’ve had no consultation on these proposals. This is a Conservative proposal. I will prepare an alternative budget.
I will not close services with telling them.
(Applause from gallery)
[18:45] Update 1
Cllr Bacon: Speaking as chair of scrutiny. We only had an hour to look at papers before scrutiny. I hope you’ve got a Minute of the notes we made. I’ll highlight only two items now.
1 – Support for tourism. Not cut, but how little is spent on it. Lack of imagination.
2 – Cuts that will affect vulnerable people the biggest concern. The Supporting People funding in particular. Disclose that I’m a trustee of Law Centre.
Cap Gemini report: Big impact beyond cuts. Officers have told me that £3m cut will lead to a loss of £11.5m of impact. CEO Beynon said last Friday that impact would be restricted.
If 1/4 of the (£11.5m) costs come back to the council, the saving would be wiped out.
Floating Services are by their nature, the more vulnerable of the Island. An answer on Westminster House? I urge you to reconsider
[18:50] Update 2
Cllr Pugh: Phased introduction. Those with the greatest need dealt with first. We’ll be listening to people.
Westminster House clarification – will continue to operate normally until the Full Council.
IWC owns the building and there are no covenants restricting the sale of the building.
Cllr Brown: Thanks for raising Tourism. 3.Feb meeting has full presentation. Far from a lack of creativity.
Cllr Mazillius: Welcome comments from Cllr Lumley on budget. Note Independent body working closely with him. Senior officers have been made available.
(Hisses from balcony)
[19:00] Update 3
Cllr Stephens: We will be aligning with Geoff Lumley for independent budget. Parking permits: Voluntary sector needs to be considered separately.
Cllr Churchman: Parking charges. Some older people might give up the car for the bus – bigger impact on concessionary fares.
Cllr Lumley: To Mazillius, These cuts have never been discussed with the opposition. I think you’re trying to distort. My relationship with officers.
(Vote now)
7 votes in favour
(Talk of a shorter list of cuts)
(Suggest looking at meeting notes for tonights meeting)
[19:14] Update 4
Rural school discussions
Cllr Pugh: (Giving background) Withdraw the closure notices and hard federate.
32. Option C – Withdraw the notices for the discontinuance of Chillerton & Rookley Primary School, Godshill Primary School and Wroxall Primary School, the Isle of Wight Council proposal for the new ‘Rural’ Primary School and therefore the Competition for the new ‘Rural’ Primary School and commence a new process to increase the upper age limit of Chillerton & Rookley Primary School, Godshill Primary School and Wroxall Primary School, including a six week consultation and publication of statutory notices, subject to a hard federation between the three schools. This option contains the minimal risk. There is a risk that this option will cause some adverse publicity in areas of the media and amongst other interested parties. There is also a risk that a decision to withdraw the notices may be subject to legal challenge. However, given the outcome of the open discussion with the OSA, following the receipt of their 5 January 2010 letter, and the support of the three schools involved, this possibility is considered to be small. There is sufficient time to complete the process by September 2010. There is a cost attached to the need to re-consult but this will be minimal.
It’s not on Forward Plan as unexpected decision.
Cllr Bingham: Chair of Governors of Chillerton & Rookley – asked me to speak, supporting it.
Cllr Cousins: Accept and Agree.
Cllr Downer: Spoke to Governors at Wroxhall and Godshill. Support it. There’s no space at Godshill. Funding will be made available and property services are looking for space for us.
(Last one Cllr Pugh answer)
[19:20] Update 5
Cllr Welsford: Cllr Pugh, you said you’d taken views into account. Chale might differ with that.
Cllr Pugh: We’ve listened, but we can’t always act.
On Chale: Given a further opportunity to federate. Asked to let us know as of yesterday, but we’ve heard nothing back from them.
Vote: 7 votes in favour.
Consideration of Forward Plan
Written Qs: Percentage of support grant from the government.
Revenue support grant. 5 – 6 % increase first two. Then went down to 3.9%. (Too many figures)
Cllr Barry: Would you not say that we’ve done well against other councils?
Cllr Bingham: Similar figures, but greater damping.
(Ended)
