Surgeries:
4:30-5pm, Tuesday 5th April, Cowes Library,
Beckford Road, Cowes.
5:30-6pm, Tuesday 5th April, Sports Bar, Isle
of Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.
6-6:30pm, Thursday 14th April, The Woodvale,
Princes Esplanade, Gurnard.
6-6:30pm, Thursday 28th April, The Portland,
Worsley Road, Gurnard.
4:30-5pm, Tuesday 3rd May, Cowes Library,
Beckford Road, Cowes.
5:30-6pm, Tuesday 3rd May, Sports Bar, Isle of
Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.
Waste Contract.
New Waste/
Recycling Booklets, 140 litre bins (for general waste) and inserts for the
recycling bins are being distributed to most households in Cowes and Gurnard this
month.
Since this
has occurred, I have received some feedback from some residents who have
expressed concern over the new 140 litre bins being too small for large
families and for residents with medical needs.
If this
applies to your household, please call the Council’s Waste Helpline on 01983 823777.
Locally, it was
found that 30% of items found in black bagged general waste could be recycled,
and diverted from both economically and environmentally costly landfill.
The reason
for why this being pursued at this time, is due to more items (including most
plastics, tetra-packs, cardboard) being recycleable. In other parts of the country 140 litre bins
have been in use for several years, and is seen as the standard sized bin for
general waste. As this is a new waste
contract, it makes sense for the Island to adapt now to be consistent with
these areas.
Planning: Dottens Farm.
Following
the discovery of dormice on site the proposal is likely to be amended and additional
ecology survey work undertaken. Planning Officers have advised me the scheme is
likely to be re-advertised.
Planning:
Place Road.
I’m advised by Planning Officers that diggers
are due to enter the site at Place Road.
The purpose of this is to remove brambles, to locate manhole sites and
to implement testing sites for the new housing development.
Planning
Enforcement.
Planning
Enforcement enquiries are being followed up in six locations currently in three
sites in Cowes (Off Baring Road, Crossfield Avenue and Mornington Road) and three sites in Gurnard
(Off Cockleton Lane, Worsley Road and Shore Road). Because of the
volume of complaints underway at the moment, I am hoping to meet with the
Planning Enforcement Officer to support action being pursued.
Planning Appeals.
The Planning
Inspectorate overturned the Isle of Wight Council’s decision to refuse
revisions to a property in Marsh Road.
Locally this application had no opposition from either myself, Gurnard
Parish Council or residents.
Gurnard Neighbourhood Plan.
Gurnard’s
Neighbourhood Plan is going out to formal public consultation from Friday 8th
April until Friday 20th May.
Proposals can be found at: http://gurnardneighbourhoodplan.org.uk/
Hard copies
of the proposals are available from Parish Clerk, Sue Waters. Please call Sue on 07443 656 480, or email: gurnardparishcouncil@gmail.com
if you require a copy.
Fight
for the Wight Campaign.
This campaign was set up for the purposes of
asking Government to:
•
Acknowledge the Island is unique and needs extra help.
•
Change the way the Island is funded, in recognition of the unique challenges we
face as an Island community.
•
Give us more money.
Please sign the
petition, show and 'share' your support to this campaign, which has cross party
support.
Flytipping.
A large
number of black sacks were removed from Cockleton Lane, following this being
reported. I have requested that rigorous
action is taken against offenders.
In the
meantime, I attended a meeting with the Island’s Rural Policing Team and am advised that alongside Traffic Issues
(i.e fuel theft and theft from vehicles), Dogs being exercised off leads on farmland
and ongoing work with Trading Standards- Fly-tipping remains a priority for the
police.
Gurnard Open Space, Cockleton Lane.
I joined volunteers
planting trees at the former school playing field and orchard site in Cockleton
Lane.
Following
comments raised by Gurnard Parish Council, and issues raised concerning the future
of a Community Growing Scheme, the Open Spaces Group are reprioritising
projects which will be key to an action plan for the area. It is hoped that closer working with youth
groups will open up opportunities to benefit from future grant funding.
Annual
Report: 2016.
My Annual Report to residents has been
circulated to 2100 households in Cowes West and Gurnard. Please let me know if you have not received
yours!
Copies are available on my website, and from
the Annual Parish Meeting for Gurnard, and the Annual Town Meeting for Cowes. In the meantime, I am receiving a large level
of feedback, support and enquiries from residents.
Shore
Road Resurfacing.
I remain in discussions with Island Roads concerning the inclusion
of Shore Road within 2016’s road resurfacing programme. I anticipate there may be issues regarding utility
mains, however I’ve received no confirmation regarding this.
On this matter, I have arranged to meet with Island Roads to agree a way
forward. This follows ongoing complaints
from residents and short term repairs to both the road surface and the utility
mains beneath the road.
Public
Slipway, Re-opened.
With grateful thanks to IW Council Officers the public slipway
adjacent to the former Harbour Lights/ Waterside and Post Office from the High
Street has reopened.
Coastal
strategy consultation.
The IW Council and
the Environment Agency have launched a 3 month public consultation on a draft
coastal strategy for the West Wight shoreline on the northern coastal strip of
the Island from East Cowes to Freshwater Bay.
The consultation will
run to 30th June 2016 and
is an opportunity for people to learn about the proposals that have been put
forward to manage future coastal flood and erosion risks to the shoreline.
Two ‘drop-in’ roadshows will
be held in Yarmouth and Cowes, for the public to attend, view the proposals and
ask questions. Each will be held over an afternoon and early evening. The dates
will be advertised on www.coastalwight.gov.uk.
You can download a copy of
the Strategy and a Summary Report from www.iwight.com/consultations/ and
there is also an online questionnaire for you to submit your comments. Alternatively,
please email:coast@iow.gov.uk.
Road Closure: Newport Road.
During Easter, I took a
number of calls concerning the closure of Newport Road- and the disruption this
created at the same time which the Floating Bridge was taken out of service. On this subject, I sought a reply- to which
the Council responded. This response was
circulated to Local Councils and the media in advance of the Easter Holiday.
‘The
annual inspection of the floating bridge was booked in January 2016. As the bridge which is now nearly 40 years
old it is important, in case any issues arise during the inspection, that
sufficient time must be built into the process to ensure that the floating
bridge can continue to operate during the main part of the season.
It is
unfortunate that there have been roadworks on the main Cowes carriageways for
the past few months, which will now continue for another month. If the floating bridge inspection is delayed
until May, it could potentially impact upon the main holiday season.
Figures
have shown in the past that the Easter week is one of the quieter periods for
travel on the floating bridge, so we have keen to get this work done at this
opportunity rather than risk any issues being identified to close to the main
season. Undertaking the works during
school holidays minimises the impact upon school children using this route to
get to school.
The
Southern Water road works will be at the junction of Newport Road and Nodes
Road, with the northern side of Newport road still being closed to
traffic. Two way traffic signals will be
operating across the junction (with the main traffic signals turned off). No works are actually taking place in Nodes
Road. The VMS signs currently in situ
are related to the works on Newport Road.’
Also this Month:
· I have signed up and supported the Fight for the Wight campaign
· Fixed Link campaigners have approached the Solent Local
Enterprise Partnership to fund a feasibility study.
·
I have requested that double yellow lines are repainted.
·
I’ve been asked to provide support to one resident concerning
after care services following leaving hospital.
· I have also given support to a housebound resident requesting
a flu jab, following this not being offered last winter. Cowes Medical Centre, are now aware of this
residents needs and have assured this will not happen again to this resident.
·
I am supporting a Cliff Road resident who has raised concerns
over parking in their street.
·
I’ve been in contact with Licensing and Taxi Operators
concerning taxi’s meeting Red Jets.
·
Pot Holes have been reported in Solent View Road and Noke
Common (and Shore Road!). In the
meantime, I’ve offered support to Pot Hole victims in Whitehouse Road and
Princes Esplanade (and again, Shore Road).
·
I am pursuing a wheelie bin swap for a resident of Albert
Road.
·
Concerns have been raised regarding damage to the sea wall at
Shore Path.
REPORT FROM THE
EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY AND LOCAL ENGAGEMENT TO THE
MEETING OF FULL COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY 16th MARCH 2016.
Since last
Full Council:
·
Briefings
have taken place with Isle of Wight, local Councillors and the media concerning
the roll-out of the new Waste Contract. In the coming weeks there will be
extensive media coverage at the same time that booklets and new bins are
circulated and delivered to householders. For me, this work is of
priority.
·
I’ve worked
with officers and local councillors on Beach Hut consultation with owners at
Puckpool and Appley. Consultation continues until 24th March
and will offer owners a future opportunity to work together collectively
·
A meeting
has taken place at ‘orphaned’ land in Carisbrooke. I am working with officers
to look at both short and long term outcomes for this land.
·
On
Sustainability, I have received briefings on Tranche 3 of the Marine
Conservation Zones consultation, Water efficiency, work place travel and Fuel
Poverty.
·
I am working
with officers to review and see potential improvements to the Authorities
existing food contract for all council services including leisure centres, the
fire service, The Gouldings, The Adelaide and providers of learning disability
services.
·
Rights of
Way are awaiting dry weather to temporarily replace the steps to Compton Bay.
It is hoped that with weather permitting, these can be replaced for May Bank
Holiday. In the meantime discussions are taking place with Natural England,
landowners- The National Trust and Island Roads for a long term solution.
·
Following
winter storms, steps leading to Shepherd’s Chine and Linstone Chine were
damaged. Like the Compton Steps these continue to be monitored.
·
A bid is
underway by Niton and Whitwell Parish Council to improve a section of public
bridleway which connects both villages.
- I chaired the recent Local Access Forum where it was reported the temporary closure order for the Public Footpath adjacent to the IW Festival site is likely to be for 10 days rather than 3 weeks. In addition a new bridleway has been dedicated at Brading, whilst agreement in principle has been reached to extend the duration of a permissive bridleway for a further two years at Westover.
·
Neighbourhood
Plan Training has taken place with Town and Parish Councillors.
·
Following
discussions with officers, I am advised that the Public Slipway adjacent to the
former Harbour Lights/ Waterside Inn site is due to reopen this month. In
addition, I am advised that Red Funnel are taking residents views boards on the
potential to relocate the Public Slipway at East Cowes.
·
I attended a
meeting of the Isle of Wight Local Action Group which awards Local Enterprise
Partnership financial support to Rural Businesses.
·
Alongside,
Cllrs. Bacon, Jones-Evans and Peacey-Wilcox, I attended the Island Chamber
Of Commerce’s Green on Wight Conference and saw this as a positive opportunity
to network with some of our Island’s key ‘Environmental’ stakeholders. As
often arises at such events, I’ve been requested to follow up a number of
issues on attendees behalf.
·
Solent coast dog walkers’ are being asked to
share their likes and dislikes about dog walking in an online survey The
partnership wants to hear from everyone who dog walks on the Solent coast
between Colwell and Bembridge. The questionnaire is available until 31 March
2016 at http://www.solentdogsurvey.co.uk/
·
I am due to
meet with Freshwater Parish Council to discuss progress transferring various
services and responsibilities from the Isle of Wight Council. A site
visit and meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 15th March.
·
At the
Solent Forum meeting scheduled for Wednesday 16th March updates are
due to be provided on Marine Conservation Zones and the upcoming Marine and
Coastal Access Act proposals for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.