Surgeries.
5:30-6pm, Tuesday 2nd December,
Sports Bar, Isle of Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.
6-6:30pm, Thursday 11th December,
The Woodvale, Princes Esplanade, Gurnard.
4:30-5pm, Tuesday 6th January,
Cowes Library, Beckford Road, Cowes.
5:30-6pm, Tuesday 6th January,
Sports Bar, Isle of Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes
Christmas
Waste Collection Times.
Waste and Recycling Collections will continue
during Christmas and the New Year. The revised times over the holiday period
are as follows:
Normal Collection
|
Revised Collection
|
Normal Collection
|
Revised Collection
|
Monday 22
December
|
Saturday
20 December
|
Monday 29
December
|
NO CHANGE
|
Tuesday 23
December
|
Monday 22 December
|
Tuesday 30
December
|
NO CHANGE
|
Wednesday
24 December
|
Tuesday 23
December
|
Wed. 31 December
|
NO CHANGE
|
Thursday
25 December
|
NO
COLLECTION
|
Thursday 1
January
|
Friday 2
January
|
Friday 26
December
|
Saturday
27 December
|
Friday 2
January
|
Saturday 3
January
|
Cowes Community Bus: Proposed
reduction in service.
The
Cowes Community Bus, may be withdrawn on Monday’s due to the availability of
volunteer drivers across the Community Bus network.
In addition to this, Southern Vectis have
stated that they are no longer in a position to continue operating the bus for
Saturdays on an ex gratia basis.
Since hearing this, I’ve
enlisted the support of Parish/ Town Councillor colleagues, to explore options
to use Voluntary donations or funds from Local Councils to sustain journeys
that could be lost. An update on this will be given next month
From my perspective communication between The
IW Council, Southern Vectis, The Community Bus Partnership and local councils
has not been as good as it should be, and because of this there is a real need
to strengthen this partnership arrangement.
In the next few weeks, once more is known I hope to hold a ‘surgery’ on
the Community Bus to forewarn bus users about future plans.
Island
Roads Updates.
The ditch clearing work planned for Rew Street in November has still not
occurred. I have chased this up, and am
advised work should be undertaken (weather permitting) for the first week of
December. In the meantime the culvert
north of Cockleton Farm (at the dip of the road) in Cockleton Lane has now been cleared of debris in preparation for
any freezing weather conditions. Also in Cockleton Lane, an explanation was
given for the wonky white lines at Gurnard Farm.
Because of adverse weather(!), there has also
been delays to the road resurfacing programme. In Baring Road, I this work may now be delayed until the New Year. In
the meantime, I’ve asked Island Roads to update residents.
BT/
Isle of Wight Council Rural Broadband Project Update.
With respect to Rural Broadband, I am advised
that in Baring Road the broadband
cabinet is now live and accepting orders. Residents in Baring Road need to
contact their ISP to upgrade their provision. In the meantime I’m advised that
there will shortly be news regarding the cabinet in Woodvale Road.
Log
Cabins.
In recent weeks a number of log cabins have
been removed from Gurnard Pines. This
has resulted is damage to grass verges and disruption for residents. I understand from the IW Council that the
movement of these cabins, as ‘wide loads’ had not been permitted or authorised
by the appropriate authorities. Should residents wish to report further
incidents to the police then this can be done by quoting the reference no.:
14112700424.
In the meantime the grass
verge damaged at the junction of Hilton Road, Cockleton Lane is due to be
reinstated within 10 days.
The IW Council will be supporting the
National ‘Small Business Saturday’, on the 6th December, and will
not be charging in any of its long stay car parks from 12-6pm.
Education
Consultation
For 12 weeks from 10th December,
it is proposed to go to public consultation on future education provision for
11-16 year olds and future provision for post 16 education.
Prior to the Executive Meeting the following
proposals are under consideration:
Secondary Education 11-16.
·
Proposal
1: Retain the current 6 Secondary Schools but adjust their sizes.
·
Proposal
2: Merge Medina College & Carisbrooke College and retain other secondary
schools with adjusted sizes.
·
Proposal
3: Alternative proposals.
Post 16 Sixth Form Education.
·
Proposal
1: Retain the current pattern of sixth form provision.
·
Proposal
2: Establish a single Sixth Form College to replace the sixth form provision at
5 out of 6 Island Secondary Schools and the IW College.
·
Proposal
3: Establish a new Sixth Form College to replace the current Sixth Form
provision at 5 out of 6 Island Secondary Schools and the IW College.
·
Proposal
4: Establish a new Sixth Form College to replace the current Sixth Form
provision at 4 out of the 6 secondary schools and the IW College.
·
Proposal
5: Alternative proposals.
Toilet
Closures?
A number of residents have expressed concern
to me over the public consultation for Community Toilets, and have fears that
this could lead to fewer toilets being available.
The purpose of the Community Toilet Scheme,
is a means to incentivise businesses to offer toilets for use to members of the
public. It is hoped this will create
greater choice and access, as has happened where schemes are working
successfully in Portsmouth and Richmond.
From the perspective of the Council there is
no intention to close any existing public conveniences, and all of my
colleagues are fully aware of how unpopular this has been when suggested in the
past.
Street
Lighting.
As the dark evenings are well and truly with
us, I am receiving a handful of complaints about impeded light from new street
lamps. This is most apparent in roads
where there is a lack of lamps, lamps where some bulbs don’t light (I’ve noted
this to be a problem in Park Road)
and where LED lamps inadequately lights footways (Blackberry Lane).
In some cases (Mountbatten Avenue) this has led to
Island Roads increasing the potency of the lighting.
Beach
Litter.
On a number of occasions in the last few months,
I have requested that litter is collected from Egypt Point to Mornington Road
following, what residents believe are anglers leaving behind their rubbish
after fishing.
In the meantime, I have requested this
continues to be monitored.
In the last Month.
Locally:
·
I
attended remembrance services at both Cowes and Gurnard. At Gurnard, we were unsettled by a parking
enforcement officer arriving to ticket vehicles just prior to the service
commencing. I’ve been advised the
officer was called following a complaint being received. Since this occurred, I see the need to
discuss this prior to further events taking place thus ensuring parking
provision can be extended.
· Southern
Water have advised me they have at the Woodvale Pumping Station installed new
air grills and continue to take action regarding odour. I have asked they look again at tripping
hazards, and am informed the station will be painted after the winter.
·
There
has been no action as yet from the Environment Agency concerning perceived
pollutants, however an officer has been tasked to investigate claims.
·
I’m
in the process of setting up a meeting with Gurnard School following a further
traffic incident occurring last month.
·
I
chaired the inaugural meeting of the Gurnard School Playing Field and Orchard
Working Party. The views of those who attended, and those who expressing an
opinion was that the of Heads Of Term provided by the IW Council be accepted.
This recommendation will be referred to Gurnard Parish Council
Within
my Executive Role:
·
I’ve
attended a very constructive meeting with the Musicians Action Group following
neighbour’s complaints regarding noise nuisance next to pubs. At the meeting it was agreed to make First
Complaint letters, less confrontational; To provide a ‘Guidance Note’ for
publicans, neighbours and ward/parish councillors and also investigate how
mediation could assist within this process.
The MAG are liaising closely with the IW Council on this.
·
I
attended a site meeting with the RSPB and Planners in Brading.
·
I
have met with the Campaign for the Protection Of Rural England, and have
offered to meet the Isle of Wight Society to discuss Planning Issues.
·
I
have attended most of the Budget Roadshows across the Island, and have taken a
number of questions on Planning, the Environment and Economic Development.
·
Within
the Planning Committee, members approved conversion of a Radar Station on St
Boniface Down, Ventnor for Holiday Use, whilst in members agreed to approve
change of use from former public toilets to office use in Wroxall.
·
The
Planning Committee was also appraised of the recent SHMA (Strategic Housing
Market Assessment) consultation feedback, where it was noted that the housing
figure would remain at 520 new dwellings per year. As anticipated last month
the IW Council are doing less well with respect to Planning Appeals. The
Committee noted that to date 46.2% of appeals were upheld by the Planning
Inspectorate compared to the target set by government of 30%.
REPORT FROM THE EXECUTIVE MEMBER
FOR PLANNING AND LICENSING
TO THE MEETING OF FULL COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY 19th
NOVEMBER 2014.
Building Control.
Statistics for October.
Number of inspections
of Building works carried out 652
Number of Building
Control applications received
69
Number of new
dangerous structures responded to 10
Planning.
·
Grand Hotel
Outline
permission was refused by the Council in October 2013 to redevelop the site
with a new hotel. The reason for
refusing permission related to the scale, mass and height of the proposed new
hotel and whilst weight was given to the benefit of providing a new hotel in a
prime seafront location it was concluded that this would not outweigh concerns
regarding the visual impact caused by such a disproportionately large
structure.
Soon
after, the owner entered discussions with officers. The outcome being a revised scheme of reduced
scale in terms of height and length. In
addition, the submitted drawings provided a more detailed representation of
what the building would look like, paying regard to the Art Deco origins of the
original building. The revised proposal
was considered to be an improvement upon the earlier scheme and permission was
granted under delegated powers on 23rd October 2014. This represents an opportunity to not only
enhance the appearance of the site in a prime location but, in combination with
other development schemes will help contribute towards the economic led
regeneration of Sandown Seafront.
·
Wight City, Culver Parade
This
is another prominent site on Sandown Seafront with history of earlier planning
applications for redevelopment being refused. It was recently resolved to grant
outline permission for 47 apartments, a ground floor restaurant/bar, parking
and landscaping subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement. The completion of the legal agreement, to
secure on site affordable housing in a separate block to the rear of the site,
is imminent so it is hoped that the planning permission can be issued before
Christmas.
·
Savoy Court
An
outline planning application has recently been submitted to redevelop this
contentious site with 19 flats. The
consultation period ended on Friday 14 November 2014. Officers will be considering the proposal in
light of the representations over the forthcoming weeks.
Planning Policy.
Brading Neighbourhood Plan – consultation on
the draft plan closed on Monday 3rd November.
A total of seven (7) responses were received. The responses and all of the neighbourhood
plan documentation will now be forwarded to an Inspector to undertake the
formal examination of the plan.
Within
the Scrutiny Committee, I was put
within the spotlight. I answered a
number of questions relating mainly to Planning Issues, and specifically
whether the 520 dwellings per year figure has, and continues to be met.
The
figures as requested by Scrutiny Committee are as follows:
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
2007/8
|
2008/9
|
2009/10
|
2010/1
|
2011/2
|
2012/3
|
2013/4
|
2014/5
|
316
|
793
|
1645
|
603
|
635
|
440
|
455
|
535
|
437
|
305
|
245*
|
* The 2014/5 figure shows the number of completions for
the first 6 months, of this year.
Please
note the above figures show the completions, rather than permissions granted.
They also demonstrate the volatility of the housing market given the
fluctuating build rates from year to year. The 2012-2014 completions appear to
mirror the position in other parts of the country where the housing industry
was affected by the national recession.
Licensing.
There
are a number of new or revised policies being looked at by the licensing
service:
Taxi
Fare Review: This concerns the table of fares for hackney
carriages. The consultation with the trade has now ended and a report will be
going to the December Licensing Committee for a decision.
Hackney
Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy: This is a review of
an existing policy which is currently in draft and will be going out for a full
public consultation in late November/early December.
Thankyou, as always for reading my report! If you require updates or further details please visit my blog: paulfullercc.blogspot.com
In the meantime, I wish all residents and their families a Happy, Peaceful and Prosperous Christmas and New Year!
