IW Councillor's Report September 2019

Surgeries.

4:30-5pm, Tuesday 3^rd September, Cowes Library, 12-14 Beckford Road, Cowes.

5:30-6pm, Tuesday 3^rd September, Sports Bar, IW Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.

10:30-11am, Friday 6^th September, Gurnard Press, Worsley Road, Gurnard.

1-1:30pm, Tuesday 10^th September, The Woodvale, Princes Esplanade, Gurnard.

3-3:30pm, Wednesday 18^th September, Cowes Enterprise College, Crossfield Avenue, Cowes.
 Due to a bereavment this Surgery has been cancelled

5-5:30pm, Wednesday 25^th September, The Portland, Worsley Road, Gurnard.

10:30-11am, Thursday 26^th September, Coffee & Chat, All Saints Church, Gurnard.

12-12:30pm, Thursday 26^th September, Eegons Cafe, 72 High Street, Cowes.

4:30-5pm, Tuesday 1^st October, Cowes Library, 12-14 Beckford Road, Cowes.

5:30-6pm, Tuesday 1^st October, Sports Bar, IW Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.

Cowes Traffic Order.

This has now been signed off, and is being ‘processed’

Although the loading restriction at Gurnard Primary School was altered in favour of a no waiting restriction, dialogue continues to ensure the entrances to both the school and nursery is made safer.  Locally, the proposals will extend parking restrictions in Baring Road and Woodvale Road, and remove restrictions in Crossfield Avenue. 

This will continue to be monitored once the restriction comes into force in the coming weeks.

Cowes Week Parking.

Overnight parked vehicles, mobile homes, obstructed driveways, drivers removing traffic cones, lack of enforcement, lack of disabled access and parking, ambiguity of signage and a digger parked in the line of a one way traffic flow all kept me busy this Cowes Week.  In response, I am arranging a meeting with Highways Officers and Officers overseeing events, to take forward lessons learnt for 2020.  From feedback received requesting a restriction to overnight parking is for me a priority on Princes and Egypt Esplanade during Cowes Week.

I am hoping this meeting can take place during October, so if you have not already contacted me and have views to feedback, please let me know before 5^th October.

In response Parking Officers advised that from 8^th-17^th August 418 parking contravention notices were issued.  Although, I personally received none officers advised me that residents complaints about the lack of parking was high, and it was considered that traffic management ‘on the whole’ was much better.  This was reinforced by officers manning traffic flows on the seafront.  

St. Mary’s Roundabout.

I was hoping this month to feedback on the Residents Information Event to be arranged to provide an update on proposals.  If the IW Council could not do this, I remained hopeful to do this myself.  However, I am advised that arrangements have not yet been finalised..

What the IW Council have stated is the following:

·         Construction of the scheme will transform the approaches to, and access across St Mary’s Roundabout.

·         The Scheme is designed to reduce congestion and future-proof the junction given expected traffic growth.

·         Due to its scale, the Council advises motorists to expect delays during the 15 month construction period.

·         A communication strategy has been prepared giving further details of the scheme and its likely impact. 

Details can be found here: https://www.iow.gov.uk/news/St-Marys-roundabout-improvements

Pavement Parking.

I continue to receive complaints from parents/ grandparents with push chairs, and from disabled residents regarding pavement parking in Place Road.  If there is not adequate space to park off road, please can residents and visitors, please be aware of ensuring enough space is allowed for pedestrians.

Road Resurfacing Updates.

Island Roads have advised they will not be resurfacing Crossfield Avenue, Park Road and Worsley Road this year  These roads were removed due to the structural integrity being higher than many other roads across the Island.

Because the core investment period ends in 2020, Island Roads wish to resurface those roads where the score is below 6 as a priority (Crossfield Avenue is between 9 and 11.5).  Once these roads do meet the criteria work has to take place.  In the meantime, particularly with Crossfield Avenue I will continue to lobby. 

In the meantime resurfacing work is scheduled to take place 8am-5pm on the section of Newport Road between Medham Farm Lane and Coronation Avenue in Northwood from 2^nd-20^th September.  After this date, there will be two dates when the road will be resurfaced at night time.

    

Section 106 (Developer) Contributions.

Isle of Wight members and Town/ Parish Councillors, are being asked for their priorities should planning applications be approved.  Tentative suggestions that I am making are as follows:

·         Improved mobility access to local shops, businesses and bus stops in Worsley Road and Gurnard Green through dropped kerbs and parking for the disabled.

·         Improved dropped kerbs, Park Road, Cowes.

·         Improved access to the Roundhouse Bus Stop serving Cowes and Newport.

·         Increased frequency of the Cowes Circular Bus Service (service 32).

·         Improved access and enhancement of public footpaths, beach and public slipway access.

·         Improvements to public toilets.

·         Enhanced street lighting, Albert Road, Gurnard.

·         To support the extension of the western footway to connect Four Cross with The Range, Place Road.

·         Footway and Play Area Enhancements, Northwood Recreation Ground.

·         Enhancement of Grass Verges, Crossfield Estate.

Please let me know your thoughts concerning these priorities, which will be forwarded to local councils on 28^th September

Planning Enforcement. 

Following complaints, action continues regarding the compliance of conditions on approved schemes in Place Road, Egypt Hill and Westview Road. 

Planning Applications and Appeals.

In Church Road, I have spoken to both an applicant, an objector and the case officer over a minor application to extend a property.  On this, I am hopeful that a compromise can be found.

In Woodvale Road, an application to build a new house has been withdrawn.  This follows concerns raised by neighbours.

In Westview Road, an application was lodged for a revised use of a mobile home.  On this matter concerns have been raised on further residential use in the countryside beyond the building line of the road, located off Rew Street.

Red Funnel

I have contacted Red Funnel concerning their accessibility policy.  In response the company has advised me of the following:

We advise customers through a few different ways that if they require additional assistance to make us aware.

·         If the booking is made over the phone our agents, ask if anybody in the party have any access needs.

·         Throughout the online booking there is a tab at the top right hand side of the screen “Accessibility” this remains static throughout the booking process, so can be clicked on at any point.

·         We send out a pre-trip email along with your confirmation e-ticket that again has a link to our Passenger assistance page.

·         When customers pull up in their vehicles we also have signs on our check in booths to ask customer to tell us if they require lift access.

I am confident that if we are aware, crew will assist any passenger with mobility needs. Every ship and terminal have wheelchairs that we often loan out to customers to use whilst onboard.

During peak times we do have Customer Greeters which are employed to exclusively assist passengers to and from the car decks. If you would like to discuss accessibility or any other matter further, please feel free to contact me, and I will do my best to assist.

Garden Waste Bins.

I have received a complaint that Amey are removing Garden Waste bins in cases where renewals have not taken place.  If this applies to you and you still have not renewed your subscription please call 823777.

Consultation on Concessionary Travel Scheme Changes.

A consultation is taking place on potential changes to the Island’s concessionary travel scheme and use by disabled residents and their companions before 9:30am and after 11pm. The consultation continues until the 8^th October. For details please visit:  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ConcessionaryTravelSchemeConsultation

Food Hygiene Rating.

A number of residents for signposting to those establishments which have achieved a 5* Rating locally these are:

Bliss Ice Cream Parlour	Boudewijns Bakery	Chef De Party	Cowes American Food Bar
Cowes Beverage Company	Cowes Fruitful Yoghurts	Cowes Isle of Wight Honey	Crepe Island
Hannah’s Cakes IOW	Just French	Marzipan Delights and Gifts	Miss Dotty’s Cakes
Oasis Catering	Peter Wilmott	Shuffles Events	The Curiosity Convenience Store
The Fantastic Food Company	The Gingerbread House	Plaza Ices	Tipsy Wight
Abbeyfield Cowes	Aldi Stores	All About Catering	Angel In The Kitchen
Aramark Ltd	BAE Systems	Blackberry Lane PreSchool	Blakes News
Booker Ltd	Caledon Guest House	Caterlink Gurnard Prim. School	Caterlink Lanesend Prim. School
Caterlink Northwood Prim School	Central Stores	Cherry Blossom Care Home	Chip Ahoy
Comforts Farm	Costa	Cowes Club (IOW) Ltd	Cowes CS and Social Club
Cowes Conservative Club	Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club	Cowes Golf Club	Cowes Primary School
Cowes Sports Football Club	Cowes Tandoori	Dack’s Newsagents	Deckers
Duke Of York Inn	Eegons	Endeavour House	Fat Papas
Royal British Legion	Gastronomy	Grace’s Bakery	Gurnard Sailing Club
Halcyone Villa B&B	Haven	Healthy Indulgence	Holly Tree House
Holy Trinity Parish Church	Humbugs (Cowes IOW Ltd)	IOW Care Home	Island Sailing Club
Isle of Wight Community Club	J&J Wilson Shops Ltd	Kensington Health Care Ltd	Kingston Arms
Laura Sadler Catering	Lifecraft	Little French Franks	Lollipops and Gumdrops
Mannys’s Baguettes	Marks And Spencer	Mimosa Lodge B& B	Mojacs Restaurant
Moocow	Nisa Local (Gurnard)	No 10 of Cowes	North House
Northwood Garage	Northwood House Cowes Ltd	Number 3	Onefifty
Painters Arms	Paradice Ice Cream Parlour	Parklands Resource Centre	Paul’s Pitstop
Royal London Yacht Club	Royal Yacht Squadron	Sails Café	Seaforth Chocolate Co.
The Anchor Inn	The Basque Kitchen	The Boat House	The Chippery
The Cigar Box	The Coast Bar & Dining Room	The Globe	The Horseshoe Inn
The Little Gloster	The Methodist Church	The Portland Inn	The Red Duster
The Southern Co-Operative	Toby’s Of Cowes	Toninos Restaurant	UK Sailing Academy
Well Bred

  

In England it is not statutory obligation for businesses to show scores, they can be found at: https://ratings.food.gov.uk/authority-search-landing/en-gb/867

Also this month:

·         I have supported family members in getting the best end of life care for a resident, earlier refused.

·         The spread of Japanese Knotweed has now been dealt with, and is being resolved by neighbours/ land owners working together in Gurnard.

·         An abandoned vehicle has been removed from Parklands Avenue.

·         The resident responsible for Flytipping in Tuttons Hill has been visited by an Environment Officer, with the promise that further incidents will not take place.  

·         An enquiry was received concerning dead animals. For details please visit: http://www.islandroads.com/44-dead-animals.html

·         I have been asked to investigate better signage for villages in Gurnard.  This I am taking up with Island Roads and affected businesses.

·         I have offered advice to a resident who has retained their service charge payment at Gurnard Pines.

·         A manhole cover has been repaired in Park Road.

·         I am looking forward to site meetings due to take this Autumn to address concerns raised over parking availability in Cliff Road and Worsley Road.

·         I am seeking clarity for a resident concerning a shooting event which took place, whilst walking their dog.  Because of the impact this had, I ask that residents keep a lead on hand when walking dogs near farmland.

·         The police have been contacted following damage caused to private steps in Gurnard.  Once again, if you must use a disposable barbecue or insist on lighting fires, please do in a safe manner.  

·         Action has been taken concerning contractors parked vehicles adjacent to Woodvale Road and Baring Road.

·         I’m advised despite the weather (particularly on Friday) that Cowes Week proved to be popular.  With the prestige of Royal Visitors and the Sail GP Event this helped to give Cowes the edge to compete with other sailing venues.  My thanks to the Clubs, the organisers and most importantly to the residents for their support.

·         I was approached by a resident in support of improving cycle access within Cowes.

·         I have attended a meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee, who called in the process for considering the future role of the Public Health Strategic Partnership.