The full council meeting is now taking place at County Hall. We will endeavour to report live to the best of our ability.
Please refresh your browser to see the latest update. [18:16] Leader of the Council, David Pugh, on his feet
It’s a deliberately thin document. Increasingly limited resource for the time ahead.
Anything not detailed in the document will have to be carefully considered before it’s carried out by the council. This covers the next four years.
We will continue to listen to the public. We will be working closely with partners.
We will look to commission services from others – such as we have with the future of the schools.
Economic Development is a new addition to the corporate plan. Economic strategy coming next year.
[18:21] Update 1
I like to think that for a small unitary authority, it’s an ambition document.
Asking for the council to adopt the corporate plan. Cabinet will note that later.
Sandown Cllr: Good to see Economic development is in there – tourism is central to that.
Cllr Stephens: Question over procedure of it being adopted by council.
[18:26] Update 2
Cllr Pugh: I won’t change it at Cabinet.
Cllr Lumley: Pleasantly relieved that it was so slim. The Conservative are laying out their plans. They aren’t mine.
No one can disagree with the Social Care.
Great that economic development is there with renewable energy, but the recent planning notices doesn’t show that support.
I think there’s a lack of ambition in Local Housing. Pan plan only has 30% affordable housing.
I welcome its brevity – is the overview.
[18.31] Update 3
Cllr Welsford: This is a manifesto. If independents were in power, we’d all have our say rather than a single party manifesto.
Concern over how much it would cost to implement the ideas – Plan alludes to this.
What about education? Not a lot of detail for something so important.
I’ve heard that middle schools are losing money from their budget now. Why?
We should have affordable transport to the Isle of Wight
[18:36] Update 4
Cllr Mazillius: Can we add a word “Members”
*Sighs from some of the other Tories – surprisingly*
Cllr Pugh: Happy to accept that.
Ventnor toilets, we decided that we should have quality over quantity.
Education, it’s had more than it’s fair degree in many places.
Middle school budget, they’ll need less money as they won’t have so many people in them in the next year.
[18:42] Update 5
Thanks to Cllr Lumley for his government funding the PFI money.
Vote:
25 for
3 against
4 abstained
Motion carried
Cllr Pugh: I was going to bring up Cllr Churchman stepping down, but I received an email from her just before this meeting.
[18:48] Update 6
Cllr Pugh: I still do not feel that she fully accepted the seriousness of the issued I raised. Regret that judgement has come about.
There was concern on both sides of the chamber.
Cllr Lumley: Still to allow a name come forward from the other side of the chamber?
Will you undertake to open proper discussions with the British legion re: remembrance Sunday?
Cllr Pugh: The IWC constitution states that it must be from the opposition.
It’s the first time I’ve heard of concerns from the British Legion.
Cllr Welsford: Maroons have stopped being fired as they’ve stopped being made.
Cllr Pugh: personal view is that sanctions taken last week (against Cllr Churchman) were too light.
Cllr Bingham: 16th December 4:00pm in the chamber, ability to raise questions.
Cllr Dawn Cousins: Yesterday we had interest from four bidders to provide the Pan Development.
[18:59] Update 7
Cllr Downer: Toilets in Grove Road, Wroxall not much of a refurbishment.
Cllr Edward Giles: 57 toilets on the Island. 20 closed over the winter. One of the highest in the country.
Other toilets will be complete in 2010.
Cllr Barry: If we don’t get PFI money, have you got a Plan B?
Cllr Giles: If we don’t get it, we’ll have a much reduced level. About £11m that we had this year.
Cllr Welsford: I asked about School transport. Why did it take three weeks to figure out that it wasn’t your responsibility?
Cllr Giles: Cllr Welsford first asked about crossing, he then changed his question
[19:05] Update 8
Cllr Giles: Cllr Welsford first asked about crossing, he then changed his question.
* bit of a small bust up between them both *
* loud muttering on Tory side *
Cllr Bacon: The closure of toilets is a constant source of frustration.
Many toilets are far from acclaimed. Bembridge an example of this.
Why are we doing another assessment, when there is one dated this year (gained under PFI)?
Cllr Giles: We do another review. Should be completed with six months. 71 facilities – sorry!
Arrangement with public house or restaurant for use of toilet – to see if we need all of the 71 toilets.
Cllr Barry Abraham presenting
[19:13] Update 9
Cllr Lumley: Pole dancing club in Newport. Licensing law states that wide consideration is needed for decision. Can he assure me?
Cllr Abraham: I’ve questioned officers is quite some detail. I’m content with it.
The hours it is supposed to open, I’m confident that children won’t be around.
Cllr Lumley: Consultation around licensing – people weren’t aware of it. It might have been a good idea to alert the Head of Nodehill School.
Cllr Abrahams: The Act says you cannot alert people to things coming up. Both sides need to be given a fair hearing.
Cllr Pugh: I think the current licensing act is woefully inadequate.
Cllr Abrahams: It is unfortunate that it is where it is.
[19:25] Update 10
Cllr Tim Hunter-Henderson presents his report.
Cllr Mazillius: One lady contacted me, saying that she had received a call for the survey – she thought it was a con artist. Could we please ensure people that this telephone survey is not a con.
Cllr Hunter-Henderson: I can assure that the company that we use are not “con artists”.
Cllr Peacy-Wilcox: Do you know of another company ringing businesses?
Steve Beynon: This is part of our contract with IWEP replacement.
END
