VB is reporting live from the April Cabinet Meeting.
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[18:00] Loads of people in the room. Meeting starting. None of the decisions from last cabinet have been called in.
Public questions:
Q: Becky Coleman – wheelchair tennis player asking about an indoor court.
A: Money has gone to Ventnor Tennis club – which is accessible by wheelchair users.
Q: Indoor courts at Ryde and Medina are not full size.
Q: Susanne Coleman: Wheelchair use of gyms.
A: Cllr Brown: A number of them go, including one with a rowing machine
End of public questions
[18:06] Update 1
Cllr Abrahams: on Dog exclusions.
Proposed area for Ryde: Ryde TC not in favour of what the IWC proposed. (I think it was Ryde TC, possibly people in Ryde)
Blue flag for Ryde would be lost. Election at Ryde TC would get in the way. There’s an amendment, no amendments for Ryde East beach.
Cllr Brown: Blue flag criteria have been further tightened.
No dog bans in Ryde. (Confusion on this)
Decision made this afternoon. (Sounding like Blue flag will be lost)
Local councillor – this is one freedom (dog walking on beach) that shouldn’t be taken away.
Dog on wet sand, but not generally on the dry sand. (He said Ryde hasn’t had Blue Flag for two years)
Cllr Jones-Evans: Do we have figures on the costs of not having a Blue Flag?
Cllr Brown: Nothing solid.
I would have voted for dog bans if Ryde TC hadn’t represented so strongly.
Vote: 7 for
[18:20] Update 2
Paper C – Youth services
People taking part is low considering how much is spent.
Principles: future should be activities not focused on a building. Not to be run just by the IWC, but external organisations.
IWC support isn’t limited to activities – such as Student Rider. There’s a revised recommendation.
Strong representations – paper to agree an implementation plan to bring back to cabinet. As in pre-election period cannot consult.
Cllr Cousins: Young people have told me diversity and choice is important.
Cllr Bingham: My daughter says (off Island), it’s the services not the buildings.
Cllr Abrahams: This is well over due. Doesn’t meet the needs of the young people.
Cllr ???: It’s what the youth want
[18:34] Update 3
Cllr Lumley: Pan has a successful youth club. Packed to capacity two nights a week. Run by the community.
Cllr Pugh: Officers have spoken to them. Community is good, but also want them to do stuff in other area of Newport. The fact that it’s co-located at school is the kind of thing we want to look at.
Cllr Cousins: Isabella Centre is a great example. People speak very highly of it. A lot of our young people have fab ideas.
Cllr Pugh: paper to come back to implement by Sept 2010.
Voted by 7 – passed
2nd part of Delivering Better Services – Service Re-Design – (Paper D)
Cllr Bingham: Internal £8m saving. £4 externally. £1.47m saving in the coming year.
Westminster House: Working group has been setup to examine. £11m in area. Working group doesn’t have anything to report.
Sustainable saving needed from Children’s services. £618k (non sustainable) savings this year.
[18:44] Update 4
Studies underway currently in other areas too: Libraries, health centers, special needs, etc.
Decisions to be made when working group responds.
Monthly Star Chamber meetings have started.
Cllr Cousins: New director is welcome. We did give notice in 2009 that a lot of money was being spent on a small number of beneficiaries.
Cllr Jones-Evans: Want to put a good word in Newport street ENO
Cllr Pugh: Some of the things ENO do won’t be able to continue (not declared what it is).
Cllr Lumley: Is this not the case that you a just putting off the closure of Westminster House? Continuing the anxiety. It says save half the amount to be saved this year.
Cllr Pugh: You’re pre-judging.
Cllr Cousins: I take great objection to be called a Sop for anyone
Many different options – eg Westminster could become the core of other services.
Cllr Lumley: I’ve clearly touched a nerve. Para 17 makes it clear that you will close Westminster House. Will you give a guarantee that Westminster House won’t close?
(Audience : I can’t listen to any more lies – many left)
[18:56] Update 5
Cllr Pugh: I won’t give guarantee, as we won’t pre-judge this before report. This is political posturing of the worst kind
Cllr Lumley: Can I ask another question?
Cllr Pugh: Chairman’s prerogative to not take questions
Cllr Lumley: This is censorship of the worst kind. I want to ask a question about refuse collection – there’s great anger about this on the streets of the Island
Cllr Pugh: No more questions for you
Cllr Lumley: You’re running scared Tory Boy
(Both talking over each other)
Vote: 7 for
Leisure improvement plan
Cllr Brown: We can’t spend all that’s needed at the moment, but it will be phased.
Cllr: Cousins: This will be good for Islanders and visitors
Cllr Brown: It’s encouraging that more people want to use these facilities. Facilities are in a pretty tired and poor state at the moment. Frugally but sensibly gives all the improvements that we can.
Cllr Abraham: Agree this is long, long overdue. It does look like a large sum of money, but worthwhile.
Cllr Jones-Evans: This is the right way forward. The Greenest.
Cllr Scoccia: I’m mad keen on Tennis. Ventnor Tennis is disabled-enabled – and Rew Valley is a great facility as well.
Cllr Brown: Wider use is not just access, but surfaces as well.
Cllr Cousins: Para 48. A number of people on personal budgets and to spend time on the sports facilities.
Cllr Brown: Did a lot of rowing in the past. Shame the Island isn’t taking part in the Island Games.
Vote: 7 passed
[19:13] Update 6
Forward plan:
Autism bill/ act could need some attention in the near future. Cllr Pugh: Out for tender of school transport contracts
Member questions
Cllr Lumley: Refuse collections – causing a lot of calls to the call centre. Placing rubbish on pavements causing concerns. Concerns from people on possible legal action against them.
Rubbish around my ward that hasn’t been collected. Black sacks are getting ripped, becoming a health problem.
I think lessons are being learned quickly.
Cllr Giles: If there is concern on public liability (I’ve had emails), we should be getting that message out.
END
Image: Lazlozian under CC BY-ND 2.0
