Council gives Northwood House notice

Last week I received an email from County Hall advising all Cowes IW Councillors (Incidentally, I am not the local member!) of the withdrawal of the Council’s Management of the Northwood House Estate:

From Friday, 10 September the IW Council are no longer responsible and are due to close the Toilets (both at the Car Park and by the Tennis Courts), the emptying of litter and dog bins, the grounds maintenance, or management of the play equipment.

The Bowling Green, Putting Green and the Tennis Courts will remain open until Sunday 26 September (when the Leisure assistants contract expires); Bookings for the Community Hall will be honoured until Thursday 30 September, this coincides with the move of The Registrars Office to Seaclose. (I think that the Registrars may later relocate to Ventnor Botanic Gardens)

From 1 September until 31 December, it has been agreed for the IW Council to manage the Park Road Car Park for a fee- However this arrangement could alter if the Trustees can find a more cost effect way of managing the Car Park.

The Car Park is the main source of income for the Northwood House Trustees, so it’s future management holds the key for Trustees to raise revenue. I have spoken to several of the Trustees, and understand that their top priority must be to safeguard the fabric of Northwood House. For this reason the Trustees (who are made up of pro-active volunteers) are restricted to what efforts they can put in to Northwood Park.

From my point of view, it remains so important that all the groups that are involved can work together collectively in their efforts to support Northwood House and Park. Unless this happens, and who does what can be agreed by those parties the people who will lose out are the residents of Cowes. I am in the process of trying to fix a meeting with other the other Cowes Councillors, so that a way forward can be agreed at least by the Isle of Wight Council.

I hold the view that Cowes Town Council, have a much greater an interest in the future of Northwood House and Park than the Isle of Wight Council and I consider that the Town Council is better placed to lead on overseeing (rather than financing) the future of this resource because of its role in the local community. With the support of the Trustees, The new Friends group, and with support from the Isle of Wight Council and the neighbouring Parish Councils of Gurnard and Northwood I feel there is a huge opportunity to move forward.