Surgeries.
5:30-6pm, Tuesday 1st April, Isle of Wight
Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.
10:30-11am, Thursday 3rd April, Gurnard Press
and Bistro, Worsley Road, Gurnard.
4:30-5pm, Monday 7th April, Cowes Library,
Beckford Road, Cowes.
10:30-11am, Wednesday 16th April, Benches adj. to the Watersedge Kiosk, Shore Road, Gurnard.
11-11:30am, Wednesday 16th April, The Woodvale, Princes Esplanade, Gurnard.
10:30-11am, Thursday 24th April, All Saints
Church, Tuttons Hill, Gurnard.
11:30am-12pm, Thursday 24th April, Eegon’s, 85
High Street, Cowes.
10:30-11am, Wednesday 30th April, Gurnard Press & Bistro, Worsley Road, Gurnard.
Local Elections.
Town and
Parish Elections takes place on Thursday 1st May from 7am-10pm. If contested, voting will take place at the
Isle of Wight Community Club in Park Road (for the Cowes West ward of Cowes
Town Council) and Gurnard Village Hall (for Gurnard Parish Council).
In the
meantime, where IW Councillors have stepped down, Isle of Wight Council
Elections are taking place in the Central Rural, Freshwater South and Lake
North wards. I understand that potentially more IW Councillor resignations may
take place in the coming weeks. To note, all seats will be vacated for next
year’s Local Elections taking place on 7th May 2026.
SUD’s scheme: Gurnard.
Weekly meetings
continue to take between myself, Gurnard Parish Council and Southern
Water. In summary the following has been
discussed:
·
Improving signposting for access to emergency
vehicles.
·
Access via The Avenue and Tilbury Road for
the Community Bus and Delivery vehicles.
Traffic Cones in use.
·
Letters delivered to residents of Solent View
Road.
·
A meeting has been requested for Gurnard
Press. Better signage has been called for.
·
Vehicular access plates have been requested
allowing properties with wider frontages to be got to.
Residents
will note that work has stalled. This is
due to an incorrect Section 278 notice being served. A S278 notice was drafted
to maintain the scheme (and provide Island Roads with a bond) once
constructed. However, the notice that
was processed was incorrect. As a result Island Roads revoked permission for
contractors to enter the work’s sites.
Discussions are
ongoing.
Cowes Primary School: School Closure Confirmed.
It was
devastating that Cabinet took the decision to close Cowes Primary School.
On this, I
spoke to a number of stakeholders. For
me, the key to keep Cowes Primary School open was the ongoing issue of the school
deficit, which was a challenge that I and others could find no solutions to
overcome. Under DOE guidance the IW Council didn’t help by naming Cowes in 2023,
there was a growing deficit before this time.
Because of
the ongoing decline in school numbers falling by one third over five years,
inevitably within the next few years up to another ten schools may need to
close. This creates more uncertainty for schools forced to fund surplus places,
where this distracts school leaders focusing on improving the quality of
education and SEND provision.
Gurnard Village Hall.
An
extraordinary Meeting of Gurnard Parish Council took place to discuss the
future of Gurnard Village Hall, to provide certainty for the Hall’s future. At
the meeting it was resolved Gurnard Village Hall Association should become a
Charitable Incorporated Association to protect Trustees. Until then the GVHA may
become a Gurnard Parish Council sub-committee.
Portland
Inn
Following the fire at the Portland Inn, the
building is being made safe following significant fire damage. To allow work to start the tough decision was
taken by Kim and Mark to close the pub.
This is heartbreaking for Gurnard and our
thoughts go out to Mark, Kim, Alice and the lovely team at the Portland.
Local
Highways Matters.
·
Another
request was made for the installation of ‘cyclists dismount’ signs adjacent to
Queens Road.
·
Ongoing
damage was reported regarding the sea wall on Shore Path. This is being monitored.
·
A
request was made to replace a lost litter bin on Princes Esplanade.
·
Action
has been taken to address the ongoing issue of residents/ contractors parking
on grass verges.
·
I’m
liaising with Island Roads concerning vehicles being dumped on private and
adopted roads.
·
I
am also liaising with Island Roads concerning ‘switchboard issues’ where street
lights have not been lit.
·
Discussions
have taken place with the Environment Officer on rubbish originating from
building sites.
·
I
continue to lobby for improvements for pedestrian accessibility to Park Road
and Mill Hill Road, Cowes.
·
Complaints
were forwarded concerning unsafe manhole covers.
·
This
month, I aim to convene a meeting to progress action points from the
consultation on the Cowes LCWIP.
Meetings
with Residents.
I am holding specialist surgeries. The next takes place on 7th April
to discuss the IW Council, its relationship with how it invests its money and
the impact this may or may not have upon other bodies.
In the last few months, I’ve offered
opportunities to meet with residents to better understand issues ranging from
school closures to improving sporting opportunities. Surgeries, offer extra support through meeting
face to face.
Update
from the Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.
·
This
month I had the opportunity to meet with stakeholders in conservation and
fisheries at an event hosted by SIFCA’s national umbrella organisation, held at
the Houses of Parliament in London. The
event focused on securing sustainable inshore fisheries in the UK, and afforded
the opportunity to speak to stakeholders and representatives of the fishing
community on national challenges facing the industry. I also met with Fisheries Minister, Daniel
Zeichner and a number of MP’s committed to the future of the fishing industry.
·
Government’s
IFCA’s Conduct and Operations Report 2018-2022 was circulated to Southern IFCA,
see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inshore-fisheries-and-conservation-authorities-conduct-and-operations-2018-to-2022#:~:text=This%20report%20describes%20how%20the,baselines%20and%206%20nautical%20miles. This report was delayed due to
parliamentary elections and highlights some of the issues the Conservation
Authority has dealt with.
·
The
pot fishing byelaw is still in the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) QA
process.
·
I
supported enforcement action, following fishing in a restricted spawning area
in Poole Harbour
·
Damage
to a reef west of Portland was reported. It was suggested that this is as a
result of bottom towed fishing gear.
·
The
Bottom Towed Fishing Gear by-law 2023 is with DEFRA awaiting ministerial sign
off.
·
The
authority has made the Shore Gathering byelaw and submitted it to the MMO
·
The
seabream workshop in Poole was well attended by fishermen, charter boat
operators and anglers. Stakeholders made recommendations for district wide
management measures, but opposed the concept of spatial closures within Marine Conservation
Zones. Should SIFCA conclude that closures were necessary they would be located,
so as to cause minimum disruption. Outcomes would be circulated soon.
·
The
review of Poole Harbour Dredge Permit conditions will take place soon.
·
The
Net Fishing permitted fishery is coming up for review after the first year. No
changes are anticipated.
·
The
Solent scallop fishery is underway with consistent catches being reported.
·
SIFCA
is fully engaged in the Fisheries Management Plan process and responding to all
consultations with information on local fisheries.
·
Defra
has funded SIFCA for the 2024/2025 Financial Year. This follows concerns raised given that the
government agency overspent. In addition
funding of £10,000 was received from Defra for aquaculture projects.
Full
Council round-up.
·
Members
voted in support of raising IW Councillors. 31 voted in support. 1 voted (me)
against.
·
Councillors
had a rethink, and now agrees the Leader of the Council to chair the newly
formed Policy, Resources and Finance Committee..
·
It
was also agreed that major decisions being considered by the new committees
would be referred to Full Council.
·
No
decision was taken by Full Council on offering private schools withdrawing rebates.
This was due to the lack of time, and the likelihood for this decision to be
taken by Government.
·
All
nine district councils in Hampshire endorsed the position that the IW Council
remained as is. My view is to remove district and borough councils within
Hampshire will be unpopular and unlikely within government’s timescales.
·
At
Full Council there was cross-party criticism made of the two child benefit cap,
and the fact this had not been withdrawn by the new Government.
·
Cross
party support was given for support to be provided by the IW Council for the
newly termed Care Experienced (formerly young people in care) People.
Apart from increasing Councillors Allowances,
I supported all other IWC resolutions.
Gurnard
Groyne.
The works to the new groyne opposite the
pumping station next to the beach huts has been completed.
All exposed blue slipper was levelled under
sand and the beach is being closely monitored.
It is anticipated the new groyne will assist
build Gurnard beach back up and prevent further slippage of Gurnard Green.
The
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Last month saw the second reading of
Governments Planning and Infrastructure Bill which intends to:
·
Overhauling planning decisions through the
introduction of a national scheme of delegation to set out which applications
should be determined by officers and which should go to committee, speeding up
the approval process for new development.
·
Establishing a Nature Restoration Fund to deliver a
win-win for both the economy and nature ensuring builders can meet their
environmental obligations faster.
·
Strengthening the compulsory purchase process to
acquire land for projects that are in the public interest and ensure
compensation paid to landowners is not excessive.
·
Giving additional powers to development
corporations to make it easier when delivering large-scale developments,
including the next generation of new towns.
·
Reducing the burdensome consultation process when
seeking approval for major infrastructure projects, including reservoirs,
windfarms, roads and railway lines.
·
Prioritising approved clean energy projects, such
as wind and solar, for grid connections with a new ‘first ready, first
connected’ system.
·
Limiting the number of times that government
decisions on major infrastructure projects can be legally challenged, with only
one attempt for meritless cases.
·
People living near new electricity transmission
infrastructure will also receive up to £2,500 over 10 years off their energy
bills, ensuring those hosting vital infrastructure can benefit from supporting
this nationally critical mission.
Hedgehog
Corner
It’s that time of year again; hedgehogs are rousing from
hibernation and snuffling round our gardens once more. That means it’s a
perfect time to give them a helping hand as they replenish their energy stores
after a long winter. Hedgehogs have a generalist diet, mostly making use of
creepy crawlies found in the garden – think beetles, earwigs, caterpillars and
earthworms. Some simple wildlife gardening tricks can ensure that hedgehogs
have a veritable buffet of natural food.
·
Pile ‘em up!
Create a log pile using a mix of different species and log sizes,
and mix some leaves in if you have some to hand. This creates a perfect
environment for garden invertebrates, hedgehogs, frogs and toads can use your
log pile for shelter too. Keep twigs and logs from garden pruning, or ask
neighbours or local tree surgeons for any spare wood.
·
The long and short of
it.
Think of your grass as a mini-meadow and create as much diversity
as possible. Put your feet up and cut back on the mowing to allow areas of long
grass alongside short. Avoid chemicals, and plant wildflowers to maximise the
array of bugs on offer. Check out some tips from the RHS on wildlife friendly
lawns. See: https://www.rhs.org.uk/wildlife/lawn-and-mini-meadow-habitats?utm_campaign=Hedgehog%20Street%20e-news%20April%2024%20(new)&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email
·
A cheeky dip.
One of the best ways to help hedgehogs and other wildlife in the
garden is with a wildlife pond. Big or small, a pond provides a year-round
water source and encourages insects aplenty. Just make sure it has a sloping
side or exit ramp for any hogs that may fall in. Have a look at PTES’ handy
guide to
creating a wildlife pond See: https://ptes.org/my-garden/how-to-make-a-wildlife-pond/?utm_campaign=Hedgehog+Street+e-news+April+24+%28new%29&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email and BHPS' wildlife
garden advice, visit: https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/creating-wildlife-garden/?utm_campaign=Hedgehog+Street+e-news+April+24+%28new%29&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email
This month’s Report as Cabinet Member for
Planning, Coastal Protection and Flooding.
·
This
month’s IWALC meeting featured Cllr Andrew Garratt, Chair of the IW Council’s
Audit and Governance Committee who took questions from local councillors on how
the new Committee system will work. On
particular parish Councillor from Freshwater asked a number of questions..
·
A
discussion took place, looking to ensure that one member of Town and Parish
Councils would be considered to join each of the (five) service committees
appointed to IW Council.
·
I
continued to attend hearings on the Island Planning Strategy. Interestingly questions were raised both from
developers and others on the viability of affordable housing, and the
requirement to meet numbers outlined.
·
I
referred a resident to the Planning drop-in, which continues to be held from
2-5pm on Wednesdays at Seaclose.
·
The
new post for the Landslide and Coastal Loss Community Co-ordinator has been
advertised. This was a post that
initially I suggested following discussions with the SRFCC Chair last year
following the landslips in Ventnor.
·
Following
the collapse of the iconic overhanging rock in Ventnor, discussions have taken
place on its removal. Island Roads have
advised that due to the rocks owner having no liability, the cost to remove
this from the highway is in excess of £500k.
In response, it is noted that some residents are doing this without cost
in order to keep a souvenir!
·
Following
concerns raised, I have been to Brook and Compton Bay and Afton Down looking at
recent landfalls and the impact this is having on Military Road.
·
I
attended a meeting with Gunville’s Flood Group, and am heartened by progress
being made.
·
Following
clawbacks from Defra, many Flood/ Coastal works across the country have been
delayed, although most for the Island remain in situ. These continue to be monitored through the
SRFCC with a request made for additional money given the impact of climate
change.
·
Navigation
Markers have been upgraded and monitored (with support from Trinity House),
Slipways have and are in the process of being repaired and driftwood have been
cleared from amenity beaches.
·
It
has been advised that Southern Water’s Water Recycling Project has been classed
by Government as a ‘Major Infrastructure Scheme and will be determined by the
Planning Inspectorate.
·
The
Appeal for Brighstone Holiday Park (which was controversial for local
residents) was upheld.
·
In
the meantime the IW Council lost the Judicial Review against the Solar Farm
outside Wootton. This will be subject to
a revised planning application.
·
Following
landfalls, concerns have been raised regarding the emptying of septic
tanks. It is advisable that tanks should
be emptied and serviced annually.
However, it has come to light that some tanks have not been emptied for
15-20 years. This has led to leaks
occurring, which continues to have an impact on land affected.
·
Vandalism
continues to be an issue for parks. New
play equipment has been replaced in Ryde and Ventnor
·
Along
with the Chairman (Cllr Peter Spink), Cllr Brodie and the Head of Planning, I
attended the resurrected Planning Protocol Working Group. Provisionally encourage Planning Committee
members to attend site visits and encourage Local Members who are members of
the Committee to properly define their role.
·
I
met with a resident who was flooded in Shanklin. With a Town Councillor, I have asked that the
resident receives support from both adult services and other agencies.
·
Along
with other members of the Cabinet, I met with key representatives of the
Island’s Farming Community. In the
discussions had was some of the challenges and uncertainties faced by our
farming communities. Following the
meeting, with the transition from the Cabinet System to the Committee system it
was felt concerns should be shared more widely and openly with all Councillors
to ensure our farmers are given the fullest support from the IW Council.
As local Councillor, in a nutshell.
·
New
Conditions concerning a glamping site at Rew Street has been agreed and
accepted by local neighbours.
·
I
successfully chased lawyers dealing with the sale of a beach hut
·
I
continue to chase up four planning enforcement matters in Gurnard, which in
recent weeks have gone quiet.
·
I
have contacted Island Coaches concerning ongoing damage occurring in Hilton
Road, following the coach reversing in this private road dropping off and
collecting children.
·
It
was sad to hear of the resignation of long standing IW Councillor, John Medland
who I worked closely with as chair of the Planning Committee.
·
A
resident contacted me regarding the precept agreed by Cowes Town Council, which
he considers to be untenable. It was explained the increase was required to
ensure that the clerking team are able to fulfil the needs of the Council.
Although I did not vote in support of the increase, I fully recognise the
importance of large Councils to take on services dropped by the IW
council.
·
With
thanks to Richard Gurnard PC’s clerk, doors have been refitted to the toilets
on Gurnard Green.
·
Again
thanks to Gurnard PC, The Pirate Ship has been repaired by the IW Council Parks
Team..
·
Northwood
In Bloom Annual Show is to be resurrected!
·
Cowes
Town Council has renewed its subscription to IWALC. With local elections looming, this has my
full support given the support the Association gives for training and
invaluable advice for new Councillors.
Printed,
Promoted and Published by Paul Fuller of 45 Oxford Street, Cowes, Isle of
Wight. PO31 8PT.