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23 Comments·1 min read

Island Roads PFI to feature in Live coverage of Isle of Wight council Scrutiny Committee

Sally Perry·

Members of the Isle of Wight scrutiny committee will be gathering at County Hall from 5pm for their monthly meeting tonight (Tuesday).

The agenda (see below) includes:

  • An overview of the delivery of the Highway PFI contract
  • Scrutiny arrangements for the proposed Mayoral Combined Authority (Solent Devolution)
  • Review of adult social care
  • Progress update on 2016/17 revenue budget savings

Live updates
The live updates that appear below from inside the chamber at County Hall will automatically refresh in the page. However, to see latest comments added to the article, you’ll need to refresh the page. Items in double brackets (()) indicate comment from the author.

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The agenda

Isle of Wight Scrutiny Committee October 2016 by OnTheWightNews on Scribd

Image: sskennel under CC BY 2.0

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Jacqueline Bartram
11, October 2016 5:23 pm

Why are there no women on this committee. Surely there should be as we make up more than 50% of the population

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VentnorLad
Reply to  Jacqueline Bartram
11, October 2016 5:50 pm

I agree, the make up of the Councillors and their committees should more closely reflect the demographics of the Island. At the last IWC Election, I had to choose between: Old, white, male, Labour. Old, white, male, Tory. Old, white, male, UKIP. Old, white, male, Indy. I’d be very happy to see younger, ethnically diverse Councillors who reflect the Island’s gender balance. But until they stand, I… Read more »

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phil jordan
11, October 2016 5:53 pm

JB: That’s to do with the fact that there are just five women out of forty councillors. One of those is involved in the civic duties so cannot be involved in scrutiny. A further two women are members of the Executive and cannot sit on scrutiny ( because they are involved in Policy making and have a conflict if they scrutinise Policy making). One other sits on… Read more »

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VentnorLad
Reply to  phil jordan
11, October 2016 5:56 pm

Out of interest, how does the average age of current Councillors compare with the average age of Island residents..?

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Matt Price
Reply to  VentnorLad
11, October 2016 6:57 pm

I am now 45 (41 when elected) male and I am a tory councillor. I have almost begged people younger than me from the community to stand, many of them women.(regardless of their Political persuasion) Younger people are reluctant as I was. It is a huge commitment to take on and a difficult role to learn, especially if you work full time and have young children. But… Read more »

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Julia Baker-Smith
Reply to  VentnorLad
11, October 2016 8:42 pm

I am the youngest councillor at 34, three others are in a similar age bracket and the rest are over 50 or retired (I think. I haven’t asked their ages). Two have disabilities that I know of, none that I am aware of identify themselves as belonging to an ethnic group other than white British. There is definitely a need for a more diverse range of candidates… Read more »

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Matt Price
Reply to  Julia Baker-Smith
11, October 2016 10:36 pm

Well said Julia and I absolutely respect all of our colleagues whatever their age group, as experience is most certainly important within the council. But it would be good in particular to see more Councillors with young children currently at school or pre school. Strong women within politics is hugely important and I really hope there will be many more women in the council in the future.… Read more »

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CB500
11, October 2016 7:21 pm

If PFI started 01/04/13 as I think it did then Island Roads have had about £65 million so far. 170 miles of road done so that’s about £380000 a mile. That’ sounds an awful lot of money for a 2 inch deep tarmac job to me. Bearing in mind this is the heavy expenditure phase then I reckon The Isle of Wight will be making Vinci very… Read more »

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tyke
11, October 2016 8:28 pm

CB500. The PFI does not just pay for the roads to be resurfaced (which is in fact financed by Government grant) but also the ongoing maintenance of the highways network including street cleansing, emptying of bins, winter maintenance, grass cutting, road signs and markings, verges, hedges, parking etc etc.
So, in short, your maths are quite simply misapplied. But I suspect you knew that anyway.

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CB500
Reply to  tyke
12, October 2016 9:09 am

Tyke. You don’t really think it’s all a government grant do you? Did they do that good a job of fooling everybody? The first £7.5 million a year or so comes straight out of the local council coffers. It’s a major contributor towards our budget difficulties. I’m all for good roads but not at the expense of everything else we are losing. PFI sucks!

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tyke
Reply to  CB500
12, October 2016 9:41 am

No Its not all government grant. The council makes an annual contribution as you say and this covers the maintenance aspect of the PFI. By the council’s own admission, the cost of providing these services under the PFI is £1m a year less than providing them prior to PFI – so an annual saving. Not really sure what there is to complain about particularly not when you… Read more »

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Cllr Bob Seely
11, October 2016 9:03 pm

Good Evening. Two comments. 1. First, well said Cllr Lumley for rightly pointing out that £175K is not affordable, affordable housing. I wish the Council had the power and desire to be more creative about dealing with the affordable housing situation. It could: 1. Lobby Gov’t. and work with other Councils. 2. Encourage housing associations to buy up housing stock and use for affordable/social housing, rather than… Read more »

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steve stubbings
Reply to  Cllr Bob Seely
11, October 2016 9:17 pm

Addressing your second point, Bob, how many Conservative councillors are there at the moment, and how many of them are women?

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Geoff Lumley
11, October 2016 9:15 pm

Labour offered proportionately far more wonen candidates than any other party last time – just over 40%. But only men were elected. The others all offered about 20% women candidates, with no LibDem women and just one male Green . Result one Tory and 4 Indys. The electorate need to do their bit as well as the parties.

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Cllr Bob Seely
11, October 2016 10:13 pm

Steve,
I am not defending it. I am hoping it improves. Did you not read my comment?
Bob

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steve stubbings
Reply to  Cllr Bob Seely
11, October 2016 10:21 pm

Oh, yes, Bob, I did. I was inviting you to provide us with a reason to believe you.

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Cllr Bob Seely
11, October 2016 10:38 pm

Steve,
Really, it’s a free country (and getting freer!), so your choice.
Yet again, a staggering high level of debate.
Have a good evening.
Bob

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Steve Goodman
Reply to  Cllr Bob Seely
12, October 2016 12:14 am

We’d have a better evening if the country wasn’t free for filthy frackers and not free for those who dared to choose to agree with what the lying fracking friendly government said last November about the folly of further fossil fuel extraction, especially in what remains of our green and pleasant countryside. The country is apparently free to fail (and getting freer?), and our choices are apparently… Read more »

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Caconym
Reply to  Steve Goodman
12, October 2016 8:34 am

***”(and getting freer?)”***

I assume he’s referring to Brexit.

As for fracking?

With Brexit in the offing and the Labour Party unelectable, expect to see an unfettered and unchallenged Tory Government doing much more of whatever it likes to whomever it likes.

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VentnorLad
Reply to  Caconym
12, October 2016 9:10 am

Yes, Brexit will give us new Freedoms…

Freedom to watch our European neighbours trading freely between themselves.

Freedom to wonder why we no longer share intelligence with our European neighbour’s law enforcement and anti-terror agencies.

Freedom to pay full price for healthcare when we have accidents on European holiday.

Freedom to wallow in our delusion that the UK is still a significant world power.

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billy builder
Reply to  Caconym
12, October 2016 10:01 am

Suruk, I’m not so sure that the Tory government will be unchallenged over BRexit. The financial markets have issued their challenge by reducing the value of Stirling by more than 18% since the BRexit vote. The business community has issued their challenge by saying that industries which predominantly trade with the EU will leave if we do not have full access to the single market. Voters in… Read more »

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Caconym
Reply to  billy builder
12, October 2016 5:00 pm

Yes, the predictions are (largely) coming true. But Brexit was the vote, and Brexit is what is happening. However…… I suspect is won’t be the “Brexit” they thought they were voting for. The vote was just whether we should leave the EU, which we shall do. I’m pretty sure that what we will end up with is a deal where we end up paying into the EU… Read more »

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nico
12, October 2016 7:37 am

17.46 “Significant improvements in the senior management since Claire (the interim head ASC) has arrived”. Doubtless Steve Stubbings will have held no-holds barred discussions with ASC staff on the ground, (and perhaps Unison), to have reached a balanced conclusion. The satisfying of certain important indicators says nothing about the means used to achieve them, unfortunately, nor the ongoing consequences, if my reliable contacts are to be believed.… Read more »

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