IW Councillors Report: May 2014

Surgeries:

4:30-5pm, Tuesday 6^th May,  Cowes Library, Beckford Road, Cowes

5:30-6pm, Tuesday 6^th May, Sports Bar, Isle of Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.

5:30-6:30pm, Thursday 8^th May, The Little Gloster, Marsh Road, Gurnard. (Coast Protection Issues)

12-12:45pm, Wednesday 14^th May, The Woodvale, Gurnard.

1-1:30pm, Wednesday 14^th May, The  Little Gloster, Marsh Road, Gurnard.

3-3:30pm, Thursday 22^nd May, Cowes Enterprise College, Crossfield Avenue, Cowes.

6-6:30pm, Thursday 29^th May, The Portland, Worsley Road, Gurnard.

4:30-5pm, Tuesday 3^rd June, Cowes Library, Beckford Road, Cowes.

5:30-6pm, Tuesday 3^rd June, Sports Bar, Isle of Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes

Annual Report.

I have circulated my Annual Report to most households in Cowes West and Gurnard.  Please let me know if you have not received yours.

Coastal Protection.

In the last month work has commenced to repair damaged frontages in Shore Path and Solent View Road which was damaged in February by storms. These works have been authorised and consented by the Coastal Protection Officers within the IW Council.  In addition to this, I am advised that the seawall in front of the Beach Huts in Gurnard is due to be reinstated before mid-May.

A special surgery will take place on the 8^th May at the Little Gloster whilst Information Sheets on grants available and how to apply has been circulated to residents affected.  For details please see below:

Dear Councillor Fuller,

I wanted to provide some advice and information notes about, firstly, the Flood Grants now available and, secondly, the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) policies that affect the Gurnard area, and how we will next be looking at coastal risks. 

The email outlines the new specific funds available following the recent flooding (to assist residents and businesses to recover), and concludes with some information about the broader picture of the current funding arrangements for flood and coastal defences, for which the national system changed in 2011. As the coastal defences in the area are privately owned, the IWC can act as a signpost the following information and links, but is unable to undertake any works on these defences themselves. 

I have spoken to colleagues here and am unable currently to commit to a meeting, I’m afraid.  I really hope the following information can help however, and you are very welcome to circulate the attachment and info. to residents and businesses if this is of assistance, I hope. 

Please find further details to answer your queries as follows:

1.    Adverse Weather Events and Flooding Funding:

I have located the following information on flood grants on the IWC’s website, from which the following extract is taken.  Full information and individual contact details for these schemes can be found online, please click here: http://www.iwight.com/Council/OtherServices/Financial-Management/Adverse-Weather-Events-Funding

‘Householders, businesses, farmers and the council itself may have incurred costs as a result of the recent adverse weather events. The various schemes announced by the Government to provide financial support are summarised below along with contact details and links to further documentation’.

·         Business support scheme funding may be available for small and medium sized businesses which were impacted by the floods and which suffered a significant loss of trade and meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme.

·         Repair and Renewal Grants of up to £5000 per household or business are being provided to fund additional flood resilience or resistance measures for homes and businesses that have flooded since 1st December 2013.

·         The Local Assistance Scheme (LAS) for Island residents who are in genuine hardship.

·         Business Rates Flooding Relief,

·         Council Tax discounts of up to 3 months,

·         Farming Recovery Funding

·         Bellwin Scheme (an application from the IWC to government).

Full details: of each of these schemes and the people to contact for further information are provided on this weblink. http://www.iwight.com/Council/OtherServices/Financial-Management/Adverse-Weather-Events-Funding

Questions: If you have any questions about these schemes or the repairs they could apply to, please contact Matthew.Hill@iow,gov.uk for further information.

Additionally, here is a link to the national government website containing a Guidance Note on the flood support package and eligibility for the schemes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flood-support-package-for-homeowners-and-businesses

  

2.    Isle of Wight Shoreline Management Plan

Summary poster:

I remember that when the SMP underwent consultation in October 2010 I spoke to you when you were developing a mailshot letter for approximately 150 houses and for Gurnard Parish Council, in which we used the Poster attached to this email (PDF file, including a map, and descriptions) to summarise the SMP policies for the Gurnard area. 

This Poster (although produced at the consultation stage) still applies as a good summary of the SMP policies adopted for the area, if you wish to use something to circulate now?

Policy wording, and full information:

In addition to the summary provided in the poster, the full description of the final SMP Policies for the Gurnard areas can be found in Chapter 4.2 of the Final SMP, available online at:

·         http://www.coastalwight.gov.uk/smp/FINAL_SMP_for_web/pdf_MainDoc/Chapter4/Chapter4_PDZ1_Dec10_Final.pdf.  This chapter describes the area, predicts what future risks will be, sets ‘policies’, and gives the reasoning behind the policies.  In particular, please see the discussion on pages 92-96 and the Policies for Gurnard on pages 99-103.

Overview:

As outlined, the defences along Marsh Road and Shore Path are privately owned defences.  The SMP identified that areas of the communities in Gurnard and Gurnard Luck face risks from tidal flooding, fluvial flooding, coastal erosion and slope movement, but also recognised the wishes of the local community to wish to repair and maintain their own private coastal defences (and/or proactively raise the height of their properties etc., acknowledging those flood risks) by setting a ‘Hold the Line’ policy for the first 20 years, whilst making it clear that the area was unlikely to qualify for national funding for the future of these private defences, but residents may wish to do something themselves.

In the medium and long term (50 and 100 years), the SMP policy changes to ‘No Active Intervention’ (also known as -do nothing), recognising the increasing risks the community faces, and that the community will need to adapt to future changes rather than continue to reply on the existing coastal defences in the long term.  Additionally there is the short section of cliff between Marsh Road and Shore Path that is currently undefended and this has a ‘No Active Intervention’ policy from the present day onwards.

What the community can do:

In terms of what the community can do, in addition to the flood grants outlined above, if the landowners wish to fund repairs to their private coastal defences, particularly in the areas with a ‘Hold the Line’ policy, they could develop their own proposals, and we would recommend they discuss these proposals with the IWC Planning Authority (regarding all development above the Mean Low Water Mark -please email development@iow.gov.uk to be allocated the appropriate contact person), and also with the Environment Agency (re. flood risk), with Natural England (re. the offshore international SAC designation, below the Mean Low Water Mark) and with the Marine Management Organisation (re. all areas up to the Mean High Water Mark), to determine if the scale and design of works raises any concerns for them, to identify which permissions would be required, and to begin that process, as needed.

The West Wight Coastal Strategy:

The West Wight Coastal Strategy (including this area) will be undertaken by the Isle of Wight Council and the Environment Agency over two years from 2014 to 2016, and will involve full public Consultation as it is developed.  The Strategy will take the SMP policies a stage further on, to identify future coastal defence requirements.  More specifically, it will seek to determine the methods and timings of future works, and how they could be funded.  If individual schemes are determined to necessary and theoretically achievable, they will then involve seeking partnership funding contributions from those who benefit from future coastal defence schemes, under new arrangements brought in by the national government in May 2011.  You will appreciate however that this is work that is in its infancy and will certainly not be a route through which short term projects can be addressed. 

Partnership funding example:

The following example may also be of interest, where a community at West Wittering worked together to provide a large funding contribution towards a flood defence scheme.  It involved the Parish Council, residents, the landowner and the Environment Agency: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/130590.aspx

Planning Issues: Place Road Proposal for 90 dwellings.

Over 500 comments have been received relating to the above planning application.  The main issues raised by objectors to this planning applications include:

·         Loss of Green strategic gap between Cowes and Gurnard.

·         No justification for housing need/ contrary to Gurnard’s Housing Need Survey.

·         Concerns regarding the single access.

·         Loss of Amenity and Privacy for residents.

·         Concerns regarding Flood Risk.

·         Environmental and Ecological Concerns.

·         Concerns over proximity of Utility Mains.

Planning Officers will continue to receive comments. I am advised that the application may be determined by May or June’s Planning Committee, with a likely recommendation in coming weeks.

Planning News: Edge of Town Retail Units.

A special meeting is to be held this summer to consider the three applications for edge of town retail units.  One of the applications which will be determined is the use of the former Reader’s Site in Place Road.

It is anticipated these applications will be considered in June or July.

Street Lighting.

The IW Council are considering improving lighting in sections of Mounbatten Avenue, Cowes and Albert Road, Gurnard.

In the meantime, lights in Park Road have remained on during daylight hours.  This, Island Roads states was necessary following repairs to faulty lanterns and the need for these to reconnect to the central control system. 

Assisted Area Status Update.

Following the case put by the IW Council in partnership with our MP, the Government has agreed to support the northern half of the Isle of Wight for Assisted Area Status. 

Should the European Parliament support this recommendation (There is no such reason, not to!), the Assisted Area Status map will be altered accordingly to include the northern section of the Island from 1^st July.

This will enable Island Businesses to apply for Grants to expand and create new jobs.  In the meantime, locally Council Leader, Cllr Ian Stephens is seeking opportunities to create a Local Enterprise Zone for the Medina Valley.

Buses.

I continue to receive a great a number of complaints from residents who contact me unable to claim a seat on Southern Vectis buses.

This is a problem for elderly passengers alighting bus services from Roundhouse, and is affected by students during the summer months. 

Despite passenger levels continuing to grow and last year’s consultation Southern Vectis has not provided larger bus or extra services between Cowes & Newport… Yet! 

This is an issue, which I continue to monitor and welcome feedback from passengers.

As yet, as I hoped there remains no drop off for passengers on service 32 wishing to stop adjacent to Aldi.  Once again, I continue to lobby the IW Bus Forum for this! 

Cowes Enterprise College.

The College continues to remain in the limelight following the student protest held last term, and the public meeting called by the IW County Press which focused largely on the ongoing delays in fulfilling this important building project.

The Full Council are due to consider the cost of demolishing, clearing and redevelopment of the old school and putting right shortcomings within the new building.  Hampshire County Council has estimated that this could cost between £5m and £9m.  In the meantime the IW Council are seeking agencies to fund this.

On both the restructuring (to be funded from the school’s budget) and the school building (to be overseen- and potentially funded by the IW Council) a number of parents and residents have asked several questions which require answers.

Car Parking Consultation  

The IW Council are due to undertake a Public Consultation on Parking.  The consultation runs from 2^nd - 30^th May.  For further details, please visit the consultation section of iwight.com

PPI Claims.

I received the following information by a resident who benefitted from this. 

You can reclaim £1,000s on PPI yourself. This service is easy, free and overcomes handing 30% to a no-win, no-fee PPI claims handler. Everyone who's got or had a loan, credit or store card, catalogue, overdraft or car finance should check now if they were mis-sold these policies in the past.

For further information please visit: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/ppi-loan-insurance#steps

Within the website is a step-by-step guide on how to benefit from PPI premiums refunded, including free PPI complaint templates, info on how to deal with an offer, and making a complaint if your payout wasn't as it should have been.

Alternatively please visit the following website, for information from the Citizens Advice Bureau: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/debt_e/debt_insurance_e/payment_protection_insurance.htm

Beaches Recommended.

Both Cowes and Gurnard beaches have been recommended as good beaches by the Marine Conservation Society. This follows 100% positive results for both beaches which were tested on a regular basis during the summer by the Environment Agency.

My grateful thanks to the groups, organisations and individuals, who have been very pro-active in supporting guidance provided to reduce litter and pollutants on our beaches.