IW Councillors Report: December

Surgeries:

5:30-6pm, Tuesday 4^th December, Sports Bar, Isle of Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.

4:30-5pm, Tuesday 11^th  December, Cowes Library, Beckford Road, Cowes. (Re-scheduled from 4^th December)

6-6:6:30pm, Tuesday 11^th December, The Woodvale, Princes Esplanade, Gurnard.

3-3:30pm, Tues. 19^th December, Cowes Enterprise College, Crossfield Avenue, Cowes.

4:30-5pm, Tuesday 8^th January, Cowes Library, Beckford Road, Cowes.

6-6:30pm, Tuesday 8^th January, The Woodvale, Princes Esplanade, Gurnard.

Local Action Group Report.

Councillors will be aware of the Local Action Group report which I circulated to members earlier this month.

·         The Police advised that the East Cowes group has grown in strength, and are undertaking a Crime Prevention initiative in the town.

·         The Police are supporting initiatives to strengthen communication between themselves, the Fire Brigade and Adult Services.

·         The Police have made a number of drug arrests in Cowes, with the aid of ‘Ion Track’ devices.

·         The Police reported that there is an emerging issue in the Cowes area with BB Guns- This will be challenged by liaising closely with education providers.

·         The young people who had become an issue in Cowes, were no longer considered to be an issue for the Police.

·         It was agreed that members would do more to encourage young people to become more involved in the work of the LAG, and contact would be made with Cowes Enterprise College in this regard.

·         Members raised concerns over bad parking, particularly at school collection and drop off times.  

·         Concerns were expressed regarding dog fouling.

The local three policing priorities are as follows:

1.         Drug dealing.

2.         The question of speeding on roads.

3.         Policies to tackle dog fouling.

Meeting with new Independent Police Commissioner, Simon Hayes.

I took advantage of the opportunity to meet with the new Police Commissioner, who was elected to serve for four years from next April.  This offered me the opportunity to raise residents’ concerns with our new Commissioner.

Mr Hayes, has been asked to investigate:

1.    Creating closer liaison with coastguard and other providers, regarding duplication of service provision.

2.    Rethinking the Police Station closure programme, with the potential of creating Emergency service hubs.

3.    Looking into opportunities to liaise closer with youth service providers, whilst developing closer relationships with Schools and Colleges.

4.    To strengthen the relationship between Community representatives and the police. Particularly in close relationship with Neighbourhood Watch schemes and Local Action Groups.

5.       To ensure there is a direct link between the Isle of Wight and the Police Commissioner.

Overnight Parking Restrictions for Princes/ Egypt Esplanade: Let me know your thoughts!

This most recent suggestion came about following a ‘mobile home’ being parked on both Princes Esplanade and Egypt Esplanade, in recent months.

Although, I’m very pleased to report that following my intervention the mobile home and its owner has moved to an alternative location. I understand there are a number of residents which do take advantage of the current provision (i.e anglers etc.), and am very anxious to listen to residents thoughts on this matter.

Ash Trees.

I’ve received several calls concerning chalara, the airborne fungal disease which is as devastating to Ash Trees as Dutch Elm Disease was to Elms.

For the Island this could considerably impact upon wildlife, given almost half the trees within woodland are Ash. The IW Council advises to call the Chalara Helpline for details (open 8am-6pm daily); email plant.health@forestry.gsi.gov.uk;  or visit: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara.

So far all of the investigations which have taken place on the Island, has proved to negative.

Isle of Wight Festival, Regulatory Hearing.

The IW Council’s Regulatory Committee met following a request for a review by GKN, after staff and business was affected by congestion on roads leaving East Cowes.

During the hearing, it was made very clear by Festival Organisers that the single entrance to the car park facility became unusable due to the weather conditions last June.  Because vehicles were unable park, this made roads outside the Festival gridlocked.  Added to this, vehicles were unable to dismount from ferries and normal traffic using the Ryde (and East Cowes) to Newport road were also caught within this gridlock.  According to GKN one of its members of staff alleged that it took 10 hours to drive home from work to Ryde.

GKN based its review on 3 out of 4 of the statutory Licensing Objectives; Those being:

1. Prevention of Crime and Disorder;

2. Public Safety and

3. Public Nuisance.

Because the Police saw no problem with the first objective, and the Fire Service, the ambulance service, the police and the Council saw no issues to the second objective, a judgement would need to be made on the element of Public Nuisance alone.  Because agreements have been planned by Festival organiser to overcome the extent of  Public Nuisance which was caused in June, the Regulatory Panel agreed to support the IW Festival.

In order to ensure the same thing does not happen in future years, The Festival organisers have arranged to create a further car park (along the Racecourse), to park vehicles from Wightlink ferries; whilst the existing car park from the old East Cowes Road will be used solely for vehicles coming from Red Funnel ferries in East Cowes. Both car parks will have a number of entrances with several lanes to ensure traffic enters less disruption to traffic flows.  It is intended (subject to Planning) that Car Parks will have a hardstanding at the entrances to ensure traffic can enter the fields to park. Contingency arrangements are also being progressed with Brickfields, Robin Hill and Newport Football Club should the need for additional parking arise.

In addition, Regulatory members also supported there being closer liaison with local IW Councillors and Parish Council’s, and the opportunity to have a public facing document to show travel and transport arrangements prior to future festivals. 

Gurnard Neighbourhood Plan

I continue to be involved in Gurnard’s Neighbourhood Plan, this month I arranged a meeting between the IW Council’s Planning Department and members of the Housing & Building Sub Group to agree how to format the Housing Needs Survey, due for circulation next year.

At the Public meeting, I gave a very short presentation on the Social, Wellbeing and Community Sub group findings from the initial survey- which received an in excess of a 40% response rate. 

The main issues which came forward from the survey was the aspiration from Gurnard residents to preserve the village’s identity whilst ensuring future development compliments this. Residents also felt very strongly about preserving the green gaps which separates Gurnard from Cowes and Northwood.  As Isle of Wight Councillor for the area, this remains very important for me to recognise, in my efforts to support the local community.

There is still very much work that needs to be completed, before the Plan can be adopted towards the end of next year.

For further details on outcomes from the survey etc. please visit: http://gurnardneighbourhoodplan.org.uk/.

Winter Gritting/ Salting Routes.

Gritting and Salting routes remain unaltered from last year, with Newport Road, Nodes Road, Place Road, Park Road and Victoria Road remaining as the Primary Salt Route, whilst Tuttons Hill, Worsley Road, Shore Road, Woodvale Road, Baring Road, Crossfield Avenue and Ward Avenue are local roads continuing as secondary routes.

In the meantime, I’ve persevered on behalf of residents to do more to support keeping Egypt Hill open in Cowes and Cockleton Lane, Rew Street and Solent View Road open in Gurnard.

In the meantime, I welcome residents to let me know if certain roads become hazardous and require additional gritting!

Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel Education Outcomes.

At Scrutiny, I challenged Secondary School leaders over GCSE performance. At some schools the numbers of students receiving 5 GCSE’s including English and Maths fell to an unacceptably low figure at below 30%, (Cowes was 48% whilst the national average is 56%). In some cases these fell short of predictions made by school leaders last year to the Scrutiny Panel.  I also had the opportunity to ask questions of Secondary College Principals about fixed term exclusions.

Within the Primary School sector- Six schools made presentations to the Panel. Gurnard Primary School highlighted challenges the school had relocating to the former Solent Middle School site; but were very positive following receiving the best SAT’s results for the Island this year. At 92% these results easily surpassed the national average which is 78%.

Other schools highlighted issues that had been encountered following school reorganisation.  I asked questions to school leaders at less successful schools about how these schools received necessary support from the Local Authority, and in what form?  I also took up concerns raised by Queensgate School about their need to see their school’s roof fixed! 

Cowes Enterprise College.

At Full Council, members were advised that two members of staff dealing with School Reorganisation, had been suspended as a precautionary measure pending the outcome of an internal investigation into the management of the new Cowes Enterprise College bid.

In the meantime, the Director of the Economy & Environment, Stuart Love will now take a lead on this project.

Health and Well Being Scrutiny Panel.

Scrutiny Panel members received presentations which focused on supporting residents with mental health issues.

Councillors were updated on the NHS mandate, which will focus on the following areas:

§  preventing people from dying prematurely

§  enhancing quality of life for people with long-term conditions

§  helping people to recover from episodes of ill health or following injury

§  ensuring that people have a positive experience of care

§  treating and caring for people in a safe environment and protecting them from avoidable harm.

Within the mandate, we were advised Island residents will be able to contact their GP’s on line, which will ultimately free up doctor’s appointments to deal with vulnerable residents. It is perceived this will be instigated before 2015.

Further action is to take place at St Mary’s Hospital, to tackle speeding vehicles using the hospital as a rat-run to bypass delays on the St Mary’s roundabout.  Over three days 240 vehicles were stopped.

At the Scrutiny Panel, following feedback from residents I have requested more information is supplied to Island residents about the availability of public transport links when receiving appointments on the mainland.

Isle of Wight NHS Trust consults on becoming an NHS Foundation Trust

Islanders and NHS staff on the Isle of Wight are to be given the opportunity to be more involved in the way in which healthcare is provided on the Island through the proposed creation of an Island based NHS Foundation Trust.      Isle of Wight NHS Trust is consulting on its proposals to become an NHS Foundation Trust by April 2014 in line with national policy and guidance.  The consultation asks questions which cover three main areas:

·         The Trust’s vision and future plans

• Arrangements for membership of the Trust

·         Arrangements for the Council of Governors

Chief Executive Karen Baker said: “We believe that becoming an NHS Foundation Trust will bring important benefits to the Island and the patients we serve. We will be able to be more innovative, efficient and improve quality to provide even better services.   As an NHS Foundation Trust, we will have a membership and a Council of Governors. This means that the public, people who use our services, carers and staff will be able to shape the organisation and have even more of an influence in the way it is run.

For further information please visit: http://www.iow.nhs.uk/index.asp?record=2100. The consultation runs until 11^th January 2013.

PFI ‘Road’ Show, comes to Cowes!!

If you wish to find out more about the Private Finance Initiative for the Island’s Highways, there is due to be an information sharing event at Cowes Enterprise College 6pm, Wednesday 30^th January 2013.

Local Bus Services.

The No. 32 service continues to operate, and thanks go to the regulars who donate to the running of the service.  This money helps the local forum cover associated costs such as driver travelling, medicals, licensing etc, and may be require to fund a service for Saturdays.

Please note: Drivers are still needed on a continuing basis from Cowes, Gurnard and Northwood.  If you are interested, please contact Rusty Adams on 567522.  Without drivers, our bus scheme will stop!  Islandwide, there remains insufficient drivers to cover the six schemes which operate.  

Isle of Wight Council Elections 2013.

I have been approached by a number of residents asking me whether I am likely to be seeking re-election onto the IW Council in May.

At the moment it very much remains my intention to do this and to continue in my role, so long as residents continue supporting me doing this! If you are interested in what I do- I am always very happy for prospective councillors to shadow me and see what I get up to- regardless of any political or non-political persuasion.  What I have always strived for as your representative, is to be nothing less than a good ward councillor and to make sure the views of our communities get heard and acted upon.

In the New Year, I am very much looking forward to knocking on doors, listening to residents’ concerns and dealing with your enquiries as I endeavour to door step each household.  Please let me know over Christmas, if you would personally prefer me not to call!  

In the last month:

·         I’ve approached the Village Hall Committee following complaints made over alleged hall users parking in Worsley Road..

·         I met with the Council’s Environment Officer concerning mud from construction traffic being left on the Highway in Princes Esplanade. 

·         Repairs have now been undertaken to guttering and overflow pipes at the public toilets on Gurnard Green.

·         I supported a resident who received a parking ticket, whilst collecting medication from chemists in Cowes.

·         I attended a Children & Young People Scrutiny Panel, and requested further assurances to see more robust policies regarding child abuse cases in the home environment.  This was brought to my attention by a young person who relayed their experiences to me. 

·         Following the closure of the Gas compound on Egypt Esplanade, I’ve requested the IW Council takes action to remove the hoarding which was put in place to protect the former gas pipeline.

·         I received complaints concerning cold calling from a salesman acting on behalf of broadband supplier Talktalk.  Talktalk have been notified, and have assured Trading Standards there will be no reoccurance of this in Cowes and Gurnard.

·         The behaviour support unit which had been planned for the former Love Lane School site, has been withdrawn following concerns being raised by local residents!

·         Last month a new fence appeared on Gurnard Beach west of Gurnard Sailing Club.  Planners are currently investigating this.

·         I have supported the alteration of the screening conditions put in place for the former Brambles development in Egypt Hill, Cowes.

·         I have supported beach hut owners asked to repaint and maintain huts.  Because of weather conditions at this time of year, I’ve supported this being done on a yearly basis either at the beginning of spring or the end of September.

·         I’ve been approached by users of the Riverside Centre concerning its future use.

·         I attended a training seminar on audit, and have a much better understanding of the work of the IW Council’s Audit Committee and of prospective financial challenges facing local authorities.

·         Following it’s prompt closure and reopening the next day, Gurnard Pines residents advise me the Holiday Centre is operating and remains ‘open for business’.

·         I sat on the Planning Committee which approved upgrading and modernising the facilities used by Island Grain at Arctic Road.  The issue which caused most concern to residents, was that of the proposed biomass generator planned.  Given Environmental Health officers did not share the views of some objectors, members were advised any refusal would not be sustainable. 

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!