Surgeries.
5:30-6pm,
Tuesday 2nd May, Isle of Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.
3-3:30pm,
Tuesday 9th May, Northwood Village Hall, Newport Road, Northwood.
5:30-6pm,
Wednesday 10th May, The Portland, Worsley Road, Gurnard.
10:30-11am,
Wednesday 17th May, Benches adj. Watersedge Kiosk, Gurnard. (Weather Permitting)
11:15-11:45am,
Wednesday 17th May, The Woodvale, Princes Esplanade, Gurnard.
11:30-12pm, Thursday 25th May, Eegons, 85 High Street, Cowes.
5:30-6pm,
Wednesday 31th May, The Portland, Worsley Road, Gurnard.
Southern Water: Water
Butts.
Southern Water has called door to door in
eligible roads with their ‘slow the flow’ Water Butts. If you’ve not received yours, and a resident
of Woodvale Road, Woodvale Close, Shore Road, Solent Lawns, Jordan Close,
Gurnard Heights, Baring Road, Solent View Road, Albert Road, Worsley Road,
Church Road, Hilton Road and Gurnard Pines please let me know so I can
chase. Of the 2000 available, there has
only so far been a take up from 186 addresses.
I have been advised that new contractors will
call back, and post a calling card with contacts for residents not at home.
Alternatively, please visit: https://www.gurnardpc.co.uk/free-water-butts-now-available-from-southern-water/
Waste Bins.
Last month I received complaints concerning overfilled
bins at Gurnard Green. If a bin/ bins
are full either please use one nearby that is not full, if you cannot take
rubbish home. The reason for me asking this is due to badger and foxes emptying
full bins before rubbish is collected!
Several waste bins across Cowes and Gurnard
are being used to dispose of household waste. On this, the position is being
monitored, and in some instances homeowners have been contacted and action
taken.
I am ever hopeful that now the summer season
is pending, collections will increase to reflect demand.
Unmade Roads.
I continue to receive enquiries on the
potential disruption to waste and recycle collection provision from unmade
roads. For further details visit: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN00402/SN00402.pdf
No Mow May: Report from Plantlife
#NoMowMay is aimed at the gardens and green spaces away from the roadside.
It aim is to raise awareness and understanding of the biodiversity opportunity
lost by mowing in early season. Plantlife are asking gardeners and green
keepers to encourage people to think again about grassy spaces and how they
could be richer in wildlife.
If you are fortunate to own a garden or green space, please pause for
thought. No Mow May is changing the way people manage their
spaces, the percentage of those not mowing in May has trebled compared to three
years ago. Why not join them and
see what flowers you spot in your lawn or greenspace in 2023?
Highways/ Footpath Matters.
·
I continue to persevere with officers on
flooding issues associated with the new development at The Dottens.
·
A request has been made to increase traffic
restrictions in Egypt Hill. I understand officers have visited the site
to assess the health and safety merits of any scheme. With respect to postings,
I’ve received feedback opposing extra restrictions in the area. Should Island
Roads proceed, (eventually) this will be subject to wider consultation.
·
A request has been made to completely
resurface Worsley Road, the follows
an incident where a cyclist ended up in a pot hole. In response to this short term action has
been taken to infill the pot hole.
·
The Coastal Path between Gurnard Luck and
Sticelett Farm has been closed following a land slip. Officers advise the path should reopen and be
‘rolled back’ before the summer once land stabilises.
·
I was asked to intervene following road
closures at Rolls Hill and
Porchfield. Once it was made clear that
residents could not access the area due to closures, Island Roads intervened
and reopened the road to traffic.
Northwood Recreation Ground.
Both myself and ward Councillor, John
Nicholson have contacted the IW Council regarding the deteriorating condition of
the Northwood Recreation Park pathway
which leads to the Cricket Club. On this, we have been advised re-patching will
take place ‘imminently’. Many thanks to
Chris and Sharon for highlighting this via Nextdoor.
Also of concern is the overfilled dog bins. Again, it has been noted that a regular has
been seen arriving by car and disposing of copious volumes of animal waste. In light of this, I’ve requested this is monitored and action
taken.
Wightcare Consultation.
The IW Council are consulting on packages of
services provided by Wightcare. For
details please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Wightcare2023 The
survey continues until 18th
May.
Jet Ski (Personal
Watercraft): New Legislation.
New
legislation is being introduced to crack down on the dangerous misuse of
watercraft such as jet skis, with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency being
granted more powers to prosecute perpetrators of accidents.
The
new law came into force on 31 March 2023, before the busy summer period and
will enable watercraft users to be prosecuted and bound by the same laws that
apply to ships in order to help to prevent accidents.
This
follows a boom in the watercraft industry during the pandemic, with the number,
size, power and availability of watercraft like jet skis increasing, and their
use in UK waters rising significantly. New Powers mean that:
·
Anyone riding a jet ski recklessly or causing harm to others could now face
up to 2 years in prison and an unlimited fine, thanks to a change in the law
·
Maritime and Coastguard Agency to be granted more powers to prosecute,
as government works to ensure the UK’s waters continue to be some of the safest
in the world.
·
In addition the Maritime Police Unit also has powers under local the
local bye-law.
Hedgehog Corner: Hedgehog Awareness Week 30th
April-6th May- Think Hedgehog!
There are lots of
hedgehog-friendly features that can be added to make areas more welcoming for hedgehogs:
·
Hedgehog highways are really important to allow
access to more habitat; they are just 13cm x 13cm square gaps in the bottom of
boundary walls and fences to ensure hedgehogs can get in and out easily; once
these are made you can log your Hedgehog Highway at www.bighedgehogmap.org.
·
Feeding stations – offer water and meaty cat or dog
food for hedgehogs in a feeding station to help keep the food safe for
hedgehogs (see plans for a feeding station on BHPS website (https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/) or contact
BHPS for a paper copy).
·
Log piles, leaf piles or wild corners and edges will
attract natural food and offer shelter for hedgehogs.
·
Ponds or pools are great for wildlife but do ensure
there are escape routes – a sloping edge, ramp or half-submerged rock for
hedgehogs to scramble out on.
·
Hedgehog homes – make or buy a hedgehog home (plans
for building homes can be found on the BHPS website or
contact BHPS for a paper copy).
Local Access Forum.
·
An update was provided on completion of Phase 1 (hopefully within 12
months) of the West Wight Greenway. Following negotiation with landowners this
will offer a through route between Wellow and Freshwater Bay.
·
Dialogue continues between landowners and Natural England on Chapter 1 (East
Cowes- Wootton) of the English Coastal
Path. There has been a number of
amendments following winter landslips at Appley Steps, Shanklin and at
Brighstone Holiday Centre. Chapters 8 and 9 (Thorness-Cowes) are imminent to be
opened, when offered the Green light by the Secretary of State. Natural England reported the creation of a
shadow National Trail Partnership to oversee opening of the Trail.
·
Local By-ways are due to remain closed due to the
adverse impact of wet weather and potential damage.
·
An approach was made to upgrade footpath N66 at Carisbrooke. Dialogue continues with English Heritage.
·
New Bridleway links are intended for Dunsbury Farm,
Brook and to Marks Corner from Whitehouse Road.
·
The Isle of Wight (cycling) Randonee
takes place on 30th April.
·
It was reported that the first prosecution took place for ‘Sheep
Worrying’, following an incident involving dogs off leads. It was noted that prior to this, uncontrolled
dogs can and have been shot at.
·
Concern was raised by Farmers on Beaver
control, should this be licensed for the Isle of Wight. This was
highlighted following ongoing damage to Rights of Way in areas where Beaver
releases have occurred.
Scams Update from Trading Standards.
Local scams to look out for include:
Loft insulation.
The caller identifies himself as Tom, first using a Bournemouth
number, later using 01983 numbers. This is more likely to seem legitimate as it
is a local number. The caller will offer you a free survey to find out if your
loft insulation is causing damp issues. If you agree to the survey, they will
book somebody in to come and have a look and we can almost guarantee they will
find problems and then proceed to do the work for you at in inflated price. The
Footprint Trust have advised us that in most cases, fibre glass loft insulation
does not cause damp issues. If it does, it can easily be fixed by pulling it
back from where it touches the roof which increases airflow. You can do this
yourself. If you are unable to, a handyman should be able to do this for a
reasonable price. Do not engage with these callers and don’t let them into your
property.
Letters from companies
regarding problems with solar panels. These may not be scam companies, it is
highly likely they will find a problem and may cause further problems when
working on your system. If you receive one of these letters and you are unsure
if you have a problem or not, contact a local trusted trader who can advise
you.
Doorstep traders. Be wary of anyone
knocking your door offering to do work for you. We’ve had reports of window
cleaners coming from the mainland along with people offering to buy your gold.
We would advise against any kind of doorstep trading.
Email from a friend
asking for help. We have had reports of peoples email accounts being
hacked which results in scammers sending random emails to all of the contacts
in their address book, asking for money and help. There may be links that they
are asking you to click – DON’T! If you don’t want to ignore the request, check
if its genuine with your friend.
An email from McAfee stating you need
to update your Microsoft Windows version. Be very careful when you see messages
claiming to be support for your device – don’t click on unknown links.
Talk to somebody who is familiar with IT.
Be wary about messages
from Whatsapp updating their settings
Scam texts and emails claiming to be
various difference mail providers. These say you need to pay extra for a
package or ask you click on a link which could install malware onto your
device. The companies all involved state that they would never contact you in
this way (how would they know your phone number?).
National Insurance scam using an 01983 number.
Don’t believe just because it appears to be a local number that it is genuine,
numbers can be purchased and are frequently cloned.
Google message to say that your
phone has viruses and you have to click the link to repair the problem. Don’t
click the link, this is a scam.
Calls about your debit
or credit card being used and large amounts taken, don’t follow the instructions on
the call. Contact your bank and check with them. These calls will ask you to
press for contact with an investigator who will then ask you for all sorts of
banking details.
Banking texts being followed up
by phone calls stating that there is a fraud on your account. They may even
draw your attention to the number they are dialling from. It will be the banks
number. Numbers can be cloned. Hang up do not engage with these criminals and
call your bank on a number you have found yourself to ensure that your account
is secure.
Be wary when receiving emails, texts and
messages. Remember, genuine organisations will never ask you to click
on links in messages or ask for your bank details.
Scam texts can be forwarded to 7726
Scam emails can be forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk
'No cold calling' stickers are available by emailing trading.standards@iow.gov.uk.
For a complete, update to date list of current scams visit:
https://www.iow.gov.uk/business-and-consumer/trading-standards/trading-standards/active-local-scams/
Report from the Cabinet Member for Planning and
Enforcement
·
Government are consulting on the use of short term holiday lets. The issue of Air B&B and similar lets have
had a significant use of dwellings on the Island since the COVID lockdown. For
details please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-a-registration-scheme-for-short-term-lets-in-england/consultation-on-a-registration-scheme-for-short-term-lets-in-england.
This continues until 7th
June.
·
I attended a meeting with Bob Seely, MP to discuss potential proposals that I
hope will materialise in the new NPPF and linked Levelling Up Bill. During the
meeting our MP has urged for the IW Council to support using the Exceptional
Circumstances argument in future Planning Policy strategies. Because of the lag in implementing this
(potentially 3-5 years), I am supportive of a twin track approach whereby the
current Island Planning Strategy is adopted with its policies that can provide
interim protection until new legislation is adopted.
·
A briefing was held with IW Councillors and
reps. from Parish Councils regarding the Island
Planning Strategy.
·
Although there is a frustrating national shortage of planners (and
planning inspectors), the Island Planning Team will soon be near capacity. In recent months there has been a plateauing
of new applications. However, there are
officers still dealing with considerable backlogs.
·
The reserved matters’ application for Pennyfeathers, Ryde was refused by the
IW Council’s Planning Committee. This was due to concerns raised by Councillors
concerning design, layout and access.
·
I am due to meet this month with Parish Councillors at Gatcombe and
Chillerton and Fishbourne Councils.
Gurnard Parish Council Chairman’s Report.
·
A meeting of the Beach Safety Working Party took place at Gurnard Pines’ Pavilion,
it was reported that Cowes Harbour Commission are intending to install a new
weather buoy at Gurnard NE; also training was imminent to test water quality at
Gurnard.
·
Following rock movement on Gurnard Beach, action was taken by the
Marine Management Organisation (MMO). I
understand there is a strong possibility of legal action being taken against
landowners.
·
I understand from officers the IW Council are
seeking to self-dedicate Gurnard Green
as a village Green.
·
Complaints were received concerning the
condition of boats moored at Gurnard
Luck. An approach has been made
regarding this. However, it is noted
that boat owners have managed the Luck for generations.
·
Bert Jupe has planted the ‘Queen’s Canopy’ Tree on Pond Green in
Lower Church Road.
·
The Old
School Meadow Working Party is due to meet prior to the next Parish
Meeting. Forest Schools will be
discussed with facilitators and Neighbours.
Of key concern is reigniting the fire pit and subsequent public use.
·
As Chairman, I attended IWALC’s last meeting. Following Sue Chilton’s resignation as the
Local Council’s Trainer, training for Councillors continue. Feedback on
Training for Ventnor cluster Councillors was positively received. Also discussed was the cost of bye-elections
for smaller parishes, when called. At
the meeting, Newchurch highlighted that two recent elections had cost the
Parish 10% of its precept. It was agreed
to make representations to Government concerning the impact this had upon
Parishes with less than 2500 electors.
Further
information from IWALC can be found here: http://www.iwalc.org/Bulletin%20-%20April%202023.pdf.
·
I attended a meeting of the Cowes Peninsula Health Group
·
Gurnard Parish Council has increased its
grant to the Gurnard News to
£600. This is due to the importance of
the magazine in sharing information to local residents.
·
A very big thank you to those who attended
(with me for once!) this month’s Village
Tidy Up. Thank you also to lovely Gary and Debbie from Plaza Ice Cream, who
gave a free Mr Whippy and Flake to those who volunteered!
Also this month:
·
If you have a disability, that means you struggle to specify a specific time to
visit Lynnbottom or Afton Tips, call Waste Services on 01983 823777 who will be
happy to work with you to find a solution to dispose of waste.
·
I have received further confirmation that
with a positive response from the landowner, the English Coastal Path will
follow the dog leg (as residents requested) through Spencer’s Copse.
·
My Annual
Report for 2022-2023 can be found on my website. Please visit: http://paulfullercc.blogspot.com/
·
I received calls from two frightened
residents following the Government ‘Severe
Alert’ which took place. At the same time, I know many people did not
receive any alarm..
·
I attended a Marine Management Organisation
meeting called to discuss coastal
protection issues and solutions being implemented across the south.
·
I am persevering in trying to get The Dottens included for Water Butts. Because of ongoing surface water drainage and
Highways matters, and by the fact adjacent Woodvale Road and Baring Road are
included, I am digging in my heals concerning this, as I feel this will be
beneficial in reducing storm water flows. Because the Dottens development have
attenuation tanks, balancing ponds incorporated within the new development to
ease storm water flows the argument for water butts is difficult to make. However, I keep trying on this!
·
I have recently received complaints regarding
noise nuisance. Although I am happy to
assist on this, Environmental Health asks that residents email them direct: environmental.health@iow.gov.uk,
or call 01983 821000. This ensures
officers can fully understand the harm anti-social behaviour impacts upon you. In
the meantime, to assist officers it helps if you can keep a log of incidents and
when they happen.
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