Surgeries.
6-7pm,
Monday 1st March. Telephone Surgery. Please call me on 01983 289595.
6-7pm,
Monday 8th March. Telephone Surgery. Please call me on 01983
289595.
6-7pm,
Monday 15th March. Telephone Surgery. Please call me on 01983 289595.
6-7pm,
Monday 22nd March. Telephone Surgery. Please call me on 01983
289595.
6-6:30pm,
Monday 29th March.
Telephone Surgery. Please call me on 01983 289595.
6:30-7pm, Monday 29th March. Zoom Surgery. Please follow link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81322051831?pwd=czJza2ZsN1cybjNzT1lFMytaZEs2Zz09
Covid 19: The
Roadmap.
Step 1.
°
Stage 1: 8th March.
·
Schools
start to reopen to all ages.
·
Care
home residents can have one regular visitor
·
2
people can meet outdoors for recreation, not just for exercise.
·
We
are still encouraged to stay at home.
°
Stage 2: 29th March.
·
2
households, or up to 6 people can meet outdoors including in private gardens.
·
Travel
is permitted outside of your local area, although overnight stays are not
permitted.
Step 2: Will take Place
at least 5 weeks after Step 1, meaning no earlier than 12th April.
·
Indoor
Leisure (including gyms) will open for use individually or with household
groups.
·
Outdoor
attractions can open such as zoos, theme parks and drive-in cinemas.
·
Libraries
and Community Centres can re-open.
·
Personal
care premises can reopen, such as hairdressers and beauty salons.
·
All
retail stores can reopen.
Step 3: Will take place
at least 5 weeks after Step 2, meaning no earlier than 17th
May.
·
Indoor
entertainment and attractions can resume, such as museums and cinemas
·
30
person limit outdoors.
·
Rule
of 6 or 2 households can mix indoors (Subject to review)
·
Domestic
Stays overnight permitted.
Step 4: Will take place
at least 5 weeks after Step 3, meaning no earlier than 21st June.
·
No
legal limits on social contact.
·
No
legal limits on all life events.
Vaccination Transport Support For Those Who Cannot
Get To Their Appointments
With second vaccination jabs about to start happening for older and less
mobile members of our community - the Optio Voluntary Car Service is available
Island Wide to support those in need of transport support.
If you, or somebody you know is struggling and in need of transport to
get their appointment, please call the Optio helpline on 01983 522226,
where free return transportation will be provided, subject to availability of
volunteer drivers.
The Optio telephone line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday
Transport availability will cover Monday to Sunday all throughout the
day.
Passengers should be able to walk from their door to the car and be able
to get in and out of it – on their own.
Useful Helplines:
°
If
you are worried about your Fuel Bills call The
Footprint Trust on 01983 822282.
°
Islehelp for
advice and information on benefits, money issues, rent concerns. Telephone:
01983 823859/ 823898; Website: www.islehelp.me;
Email: enquiries@iwcab.org.uk
°
Isle
of Wight Council Covid-19 Support Telephone: 01983 823600
°
Struggling on your pension? You may be
entitled to more money. Pension Credit
helpline 0800 991 234.
IW Council, Town and Parish Council and
Police Commissioner Elections, Thursday 6th May.
These
are now on course to take place. However, restrictions will apply to candidates
canvassing etc., owing to Covid social distancing restrictions. You can register to vote on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote Alternatively,
to vote by post please follow the link: https://www.iow.gov.uk/news/Apply-now-for-a-postal-vote
As a potential candidate for re-election,
I am considering options knowing canvassing will be curtailed. If arrangements between now and the election
change, and you would prefer not to be canvassed from next month please let me
know.
Isle of Wight Council
Budget 2021-2022.
As
has been common practice for the last few years, I have been working with
others to amend the Council’s budget being considered at Full Council.
Unfortunately, unlike the ruling group other Councillors have difficulty
putting forward any alternative budget, as Council resources do not allow
officers to provide the same level of support as they can to the ruling Conservative
group, within the limited timeframe that is available.
Since
last year’s inclusion of Cowes/ Gurnard Seafront Charging within the
Conservative Budget, this is an area that I know is under scrutiny by residents.
The
Independent amendment has proposed:
·
£35,000
To Reinstate proposed reduction in Local Council Tax Support grant for Town
& Parish Councils
·
£20,000
for a New Community Engagement Fund - to facilitate better public engagement in
policy & strategy decisions
·
£300,000
for a New Sustainable Transport Fund - match funding open to Town & Parish
Councils and Community Groups for a range of sustainable transport measures
·
£225,000
for a New Empty Property Regeneration Fund - Interest free "Bounce
Back" loans to enable empty properties to be brought back into use and
made available for a minimum defined period to those on the housing register at
rents in line with Housing Benefits rates.
In
addition to the above I have raised concerns over ‘savings’ accrued from
Council Tax Support for working families (£308,000)- which was also opposed
last month and features in next year’s budget.
Also,
I had concerns regarding £300,000 allocated for new Speed Cameras, Corporate
Expenditure on replacing IWC IT equipment (£100,000), Video Conferencing
(£30,000), Replacement Vehicles (£150,000) and County Hall windows, toilets and
lifts (£500,000)
Areas
that I personally would seek extra revenue from are ‘unnecessary’ car parking
charges, reassessing long stay car parking, one-off waste collections and additional
savings from staffing costs. A monetary value could not be placed on these
items, within timescales provided, so could not be incorporated within the
Independent amendment.
However,
there is some good news! Several years
ago, whilst I was the Executive (Cabinet) Member for Planning and the
Environment, one campaign that was really important to me was Coastal and Flood
Protection. The time spent supporting
residents of Simeon Street and The Strand (as County Councillor in Ryde), as
well as those residents on Gurnard Marsh who were devastated by Flooding
resonated deeply with me.
For
this reason, I could not support reducing any IW Council contribution (£5.84m) to
the Environment Agencies award of £34.86m for coastal protection schemes. To
note proposals include a future scheme for Cowes and Gurnard Seafront.
Seafront Car Parking
Charges.
As
mentioned last month, the fight against the parking meters continue.
Since
then, Gurnard Parish Council has met with the IW Council; Gurnard Sailing Club
has made a request to meet with IWC Leaders, Legal action continues to be
followed up and a further petition has been set up.
As
yet, no date has been set to install meters and I remain optimistic if there is
a change in leadership, the scheme can be scrapped alongside other less viable
schemes (such as overnight parking). It remains my aim for more cost effective and
sustainable alternatives will be considered. The next meeting of objectors
group meets early March
· Negotiations continue to overcome what is seemingly insurmountable hedgerow issues affecting a Planning Application in Woodvale Drive.
· The proposal to develop 6 new units on Baring Road, north of Greenacres will be considered by the Isle of Wight Planning Committee. This follows a recommendation by Officers for Conditional approval
Census Day: 21st March 2021.
The
census is a once-in-a-decade survey providing the Office for National
Statistics the most accurate estimate of all people and households in England
and Wales. It has been carried out since 1801, with the exception of 1941.
It
will be the first run predominantly online, with households receiving a letter
with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their
computers, phones or tablets.
Census
day will be on 21st March, but households across the country will receive
letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March.
The
census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education,
household size and ethnicity. And, for the first time, there will be a question
asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary
questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Results
will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked
away for 100 years – kept safe for future generations. This means that records
from 1921 will soon be made available.
There’s
lots of information available if you would like to find out more about the
Census in advance at census.gov.uk. Ursula Dowd, census engagement
manager for the Isle of Wight, can also be contacted on 07452 936794 or by
emailing ursula.dowd24@field.census.gov.uk.
Highway Matters.
A
follow up request regarding repairs to the barrier protecting the pavement from
a retaining wall at the Crossfield
Avenue and Baring Road junction. This work is intended to take place this
year, however no date has been set.
At
the other end of Crossfield Avenue, at
the junction with Ward Avenue, pot holes have been filled- as have holes in Park Road.
In
Egypt Hill, a water leak (during icy
conditions) was repaired; Gullies were cleared in Park Road a Cul de Sac was blocked off from pedestrian use on the Crossfield Estate and further repairs and
advice concerning grass verges and highway access in Worsley Road.
I
have been in contact with BT OpenReach regarding new telegraph poles, which are intended for Debourne Close and (Little) Park
Road. After a very positive
discussion with the company, I am positive that at the very least poles will
not be installed in the lower section of Debourne Close (where I have received
complaints from)
Dog Poo.
Thank
you for the feedback (and the photos!) on dog dirt. I am liaising with the Environment Officer
and Island Roads on a number of ‘routes’, where the concentration of dog poo is
high!
Elsewhere,
I have received a number of complaints on discarded
bags tossed into the hedgerow on Cow
Lane. Please can I ask that bags are either emptied in dog or litter bins,
or taken home, as this is not fair on residents living nearby, those who retain
these hedges and walkers who often have to negotiate bags when they biodegrade
or fall from the hedgerows.
In
addition, I took action concerning overflowing
bins in Firestone Copse.
Green Garden Waste.
There are 3,000 additional spaces for the IW Council's
green waste service for this year. New customers are able to join the council's
green garden waste collection service (for the subscription year starting 1st
April at:. https://www.iow.gov.uk/gardenwastesubscriptions/
The subscription window remains open until 20
March and costs £72 per year. This entitles householders to a fortnightly
collection of green garden waste and free collection of your real Christmas
tree each year.
This service was updated in 2020 to offer
users the option of a new direct debit payment service that will automatically
renew your subscription each year.
E-Scooters.
I
continue to receive feedback concerning use of e-scooters by youngsters (who
seemingly would not have a licence), on pavements and of scooters being left in
inappropriate locations. If you witness
anything that causes concern please email myself and Beryl, who are responsible
for the scheme at: support@beryl.cc
Also
this month:
·
I
am supporting a resident in their campaign for ferry companies to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to support
disabled residents.
·
I
continue to receive complaints concerning garden
bonfires in and around Albert Road.
·
I
have countersigned a letter in partnership with the Pesticide Action Network UK
concerning pesticide phase out in
favour of more sustainable (and sometimes more effective) alternatives.
·
I
continue to liaise with officers following advice concerning the ‘Harbour’ at
Gurnard Luck.
·
I
have been working with IWALC on potential support from Local Council’s on ICT support in local schools.
· As the new Chairman, I am currently in the position of ‘opening up’ the Isle of Wight Local Access Forum, who are tasked to oversee use of public rights of way on the Island.
·
I
have been asked to provide feedback on a large grass verge that is for sale in Greenways Close, Northwood.
·
Following
complaints regarding perceived inaction on parking compliance on Highway land at
Cowes Yacht Haven, I understand that
the opposite is true and since 2021 no less than 11 penalty notices have been
served.
·
Advice
was sought concerning an incident which occurred at Northwood Park.
·
I
have been approached by local family members concerned over a vulnerable residents wellbeing and a
resident concerned with a mother in
crisis needing support. In the last
6 weeks, a number of mental health
issues have been relayed, as have concerns over online abuse against teachers
which is causing me concerns.
·
I
attended a Councillors Briefing, with respect to the IW Council’s Parking Strategy.
Details (and why I am outlining why I and others are taking a stand on
sustainable parking) can be found at: https://iow.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s2371/Appendix%204.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment