The question asked, was as a result in the perceived less than transparent way the transfer took place between Northwood House from the IW Council to the Northwood House Trustees.
The Question asked was as follows: “How, when and by whom was the decision made to withdraw from Northwood House, where are the minutes of the meeting at which this decision was made and how can elected members of this authority obtain minutes of such meetings?” This was followed by the supplementary question: “By what process can both members of this authority and the wider authority hold such decisions to account?”
Councillor Pugh’s response was as follows:
“Northwood House Trust is a registered charity. The legal position is that the managing trustees are responsible for the maintenance and management of Northwood House and its grounds, not the Council. Discussions between the trustees and the Council about their role have been taking place over the last 2 or 3 years with a view to the Trustees taking on their full responsibilities.
In April a management decision was taken by officers, under their delegated powers and in consultation with me, to seek a new location for the registrars to operate from. There are therefore no meeting minutes. The trustees have been informed that the Council will if they wish, continue to manage the car park and maintain the grounds on their behalf, if they wish us to do so and agree to reimburse us for doing so from the income they receive from Ward Avenue Car Park. This would effectively continue with the previous arrangements for the car park and grounds maintenance, but be clearer and more accountable an arrangement.
The Director of Corporate Services will be meeting with the trustees to discuss this on 23rd June. This meeting was put back from an earlier date at the request of the trustees. Officers have also used their delegated powers, again in consultation with me, to agree to make a 20% £2,500 contribution to the cost of a feasibility study to consider possible future sustainable and self funding uses for the house & grounds. English Heritage are paying 80%. This shows the Council is continuing to support the trustees in seeking to secure a future of the house”.
To the supplementary, Cllr Pugh responded “As you are quite properly doing, by asking these questions”.
My own views on Northwood House and Park is this: To restore this facility to its former glory will cost an absolute fortune and would the Isle of Wight Council be trusted to invest time, resources and finance into this facility? If the Isle of Wight Council isn't prepared, would the residents and Town/Parish Councils of Cowes, Gurnard and Northwood be prepared to? And, if neither are prepared to (at the moment) take responsibility, then it falls upon the 'voluntary' shoulders of the Northwood House Trustees to look into other options, in the hope that the wider community can be engaged. For this reason, I welcome the resurrection of the Friends of Northwood House and Park to enable the Cowes community to enlist its support for future options.
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