Residents in Sandown have called a public meeting, inviting their town councillors to attend and explain why it was necessary to impose a 74% rise in the town’s council tax precept.
The meeting will take place on Friday 9th March at The Bay Primary school from 7pm and residents are urged to attend and have their say.
Broadway centre debacle
The rise in the precept is being blamed on a VAT error connected to the Sandown Town Council’s redevelopment of the Broadway Centre, wiping out £100,000 of reserves.
Eric Lawson, the town councillor for Sandown South, was elected in May 2017 after attending the meetings for some months “frustrated by the lack of transparency over the Broadway Centre project during 2016”.
Since the STC budget meeting last week, when the VAT errors were made public, Eric has produced an infographic (see below) setting out a timeline of what happened when.
He said,
“As a member of the public I couldn’t get a single, formal document that outlined the proposal. I had to attend meetings, read minutes six weeks after the event they documented and rely upon emails from a very busy clerk.
“That’s not how you plan an £881,526 project, supposedly agreed by and for the residents of Sandown.”
Public objected to new building
Cllr Lawson’s timeline shows that in December 2007 when residents were surveyed, of the 2,322 residents who responded, 69% voted to retain and repair the Broadway Centre rather than demolish and rebuild.
By 2012, the STC had submitted a planning application to demolish the building and replace with five houses and a new Centre. The application was approved despite the officers recommending refusal.
There were then discussions over whether to sell the plot with planning permission to a developer and reinvest the money into other town assets. In September 2016, Cllr Ian Ward (now Chairman of the Isle of Wight council and Chairman of the Island Conservative Association), tabled an undocumented motion to borrow £600,000 and start the project. This was voted through 7-2.
Lawson: Don’t blame the clerk
Cllr Lawson stressed that residents should not blame the clerk for what has happened.
“I would like to stress that
(a) the current Town Clerk is shining a light on what has happened and was not in office when these decisions were made
(b) the previous town clerk did not have enough hours in her contract to do all the work required
(c) councillors make the decisions, employ and direct the clerk
(d) the clerk advises the council on legal & financial matters.”
“Raging animal”
The call for the town meeting also follows Monday night’s meeting when Cllr Chris Dupre swore at members of the public and according to those attending, laid hands on the Mayor who was trying to calm the situation.
One teenager was driven to tears by Cllr Dupre’s actions with him telling her her to “shut up and sit down” and another councillor has called for his resignation.
Image: okko pyykka under CC BY 2.0
