Surgeries.
10:30-11am,
Thursday 1st October, Gurnard Press Bistro, Worsley Road, Gurnard.
4:30-5pm,
Monday 5th October: Cowes Library, Beckford Road, Cowes
5:30-6pm,
Monday 5th October: Isle of Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes.
7-7:30pm,
Monday 5th October: The Horseshoe, Newport Road, Northwood.
11:30am-12:15pm,
Tuesday 13th October: Phoenix Café, Gurnard Pines, Gurnard.
5:30-6pm,
Wednesday 14th October: The Portland, Worsley Road, Gurnard.
10:30-11am,
Wednesday 21st October, Benches adj. Watersedge Kiosk, Shore Road,
Gurnard.
11-11:30am,
Wednesday 21st October, The Woodvale, Princes Esplanade, Gurnard
10:30-11am,
Thursday 22nd October: Coffee & Chat, All Saints Church, Tuttons
Hill, Gurnard.
5:30-6pm,
Wednesday 28th October: The Portland, Worsley Road, Gurnard.
11:45-12:15pm,
Thursday 29th October; Eegon’s Café, High Street, Cowes.
Bonfires.
In my first local election
campaign back in 2001, local residents complained to me of this individual
resident who was a nuisance, due to his passion for lighting bonfires. When
asked, why this was never reported back to the neighbour concerned or
Environmental Health the residents affected told me that the individual responsible
was lovely and they didn’t want to upset this elderly gentleman…
In fairness, the
gentleman concerned stuck to what he believed was the golden rule of mastering bonfires,
by not lighting up until after 6pm. He would then leave his bonfire to smoulder
for the next three days and think nothing more.
Without naming
names, but for the sake of openness, we’ll call him ‘Gramps’. When I told my
Grandad how far reaching and infamous his bonfires were, he was devasted to
find out and promptly ended his monthly legacy on the clean washing of
Northwood and began a new hobby growing a compost heap
Please note, if you
are considering having a bonfire, please let your neighbours know. This is particularly relevant to those living
in the direction of prevailing winds and where smoke can sink in valleys. It is worthwhile that for every person who
complains there are many, many more that suffers from claggy washing as well as
health concerns.
Asian
Hornets. See It, Snap It, App It.
August saw the
first Asian Hornet nest identified in Cowes. As a result the Island is on high alert
as queens will seek locations to nest in preparation for next year. With your smart phone please download the
Asian Hornet Watch app. For details
visit nonnativespecies.org/asianhornet or email iow@asianhornetalert.org.uk; or
call: 07833 394730
Asian
hornets, are smaller than native species to the UK, have yellow legs and an
orange face, and prey on insects including honey bees. The Isle of Wight Asian Hornet Team is a
charity set up by island beekeepers to help combat the threat of Asian hornets
and the risk they pose to honey bees and pollinating insects. It said early
detection of nests was "crucial" and urged people to download the app. to
report sightings.
At
Cowes, “the nest had gone unnoticed for much of the summer, demonstrating how
easily a yellow-legged Asian hornet colony can develop without being
detected," it said. "If a nest reaches the reproductive stage, it can
produce numerous new queens. Those that successfully mate and survive
hibernation have the potential to establish new nests the following spring. Earlier
this month, the NBU reported there have been 53
Asian hornet nests found and 167 sightings in the United Kingdom
this year, compared to 93 and 389 respectively last year.
Gurnard to Thorness
Bay Coastal Path.
It was a pleasure to attend the official
opening of the Gurnard to Thorness Bay section of the King Charles III Coastal
Path. At the opening, myself and Parish Council Chair Cllr. Penny Acton were joined
by residents, ramblers, officers, landowners and contractors.
For those who haven’t had the opportunity to
walk this section, this is well worth doing given that the surfacing and
accessibility has been greatly improved. At high tide the path crossing the Thorness
stream will flood due to marine reclamation, when this occurs follow alternate footpath
CB24 running inland on the other side of the field.
Removal of Parking
Concessions?
With next years’ budget looming, without any
doubt it follows that once more the prospect of charging in areas that are free
will be considered now officers, rather than Councillors are recycling proposals
to create ‘savings for the Isle of Wight Council. For this reason, it remains
important for residents to support any fight against such tomfoolery.
Waste
Services: Disposal of DIY Waste.
Earlier last month a resident brought to my
attention the issue of the cost of disposal of DIY waste. Making the point that the elderly and
mobility impaired would be disadvantaged by these newly introduced charges.
Since raising my concerns the Council has now
allowed for two 50 litre rubble sacks to be disposed of free of charge.
Tree Preservation Orders and Heritage Assets.
Following the
recent loss of trees, I have been asked for support in establishing Tree
Preservation Orders for trees that are important to the local character of
Cowes, Northwood and Gurnard.
In addition, there
are also a number of local buildings and heritage assets that I am seeking to
recognise as heritage assets. The best
known of these is the Ward Wall, which though important from an heritage aspect
has currently no protected status.
Please let me know of any local trees or buildings that you consider to
be important to the character of our environment.
In the meantime,
please let me know of buildings and trees you feel worthy of protection (if not
protected already!)
Planning Matters.
·
Island Planning Strategy.
At its September Meeting Full Council overwhelmingly
agreed to adopt the Island Planning Strategy, whilst it has been classed as an
interim document for use for the next five years, I envisage the Planning
Strategy’s shelf life will be much longer given the national failure to develop
homes at the scale that this, and previous governments aspire for.
·
Annual Planning Tour Visits.
As Planning Chair, I was involved in working
with officers on the IW Council’s Annual Planning Tour. For this year, this allowed all Councillors (not
just those who sit on the Planning Committee) to see themselves the impact of
housing on the Island. Councillors had
the opportunity to see and meet with agents or developers at Meadow View, Place Road, Cowes and Three Oaks, Horsebridge Hill, Newport.
Of interest to me, was that developers of the
Three Oaks site assuring Councillors following speculation, that 100% of the
homes there were transferred to local Island residents. All these homes are classified as ‘affordable’
(i.e below market value).
·
Bouldnor Copse.
Local residents, supported by their Parish
Council in Shalfleet have echoed concerns over proposals by the Forestry England
to allow camping facilities/ glamping sites on their land. Because the
Commission is a ‘non-ministerial’ Government Department, there are powers to allow
this to happen without the need for planning consent.
With
respect to the above confirmation has now been given from the Forestry England’s
CEO, that this will not happen at Bouldnor.
Free Saturday Parking?
Contrary
to popular belief, it is not only the Isle of Wight that charges for Saturday
parking, and there is always an expectation when pleading for extra funding
from Government, it is seen that the Island does all it can to raise
revenue. After Council Tax, Car Parking revenue earns the local authority
in the region of £3-£6m per year.
To
note the proposal agreed by Full Council, was only to investigate the cost of
offering Free Parking on Saturday, not to actually impose free parking, so it is
worthwhile not holding your breath!
As the intended seconder of the motion, the recommendation was to look into
this as part of the Council’s Parking Strategy. The reason for me fully
supporting the motion, was to allow an investigation and discussion as to how
free and lower cost parking could benefit the regeneration of our Town Centres,
which is something I committed myself to support. I have requested
officers research this drawing comparisons as to where reduced parking fees
have been introduced elsewhere
Questions that need to be answered is how much would this cost, which car parks
would be used, where and at what times, and how any shortfall might be
funded? In addition, how might local retailers, parish/ town councils,
business associations wish to support any initiative?
If, following referral to the relevant Committee free Saturday parking (in
whatever guise) was supported, this would be considered for next year’s budget.
If still crossing the relevant hurdles, I would expect this would be preceded
by a consultation.
Red Squirrel Signage.
Gurnard Parish Council has agreed to support
the investigation of Red Squirrel signage, to encourage motorists to slow down
in Rew Street and also Cockleton Lane.
Noise
Nuisance Complaints.
I have been contacted by residents impacted
by noise/ light and odour nuisance from neighbours. Please contact
Environmental Health direct at: ehadmin@iow.gov.uk Whilst, I welcome being copied into any correspondence, often the team
will require details from you! In
the meantime, please ensure that you keep a log with dates and times, as this
can be used by the Team as evidence.
Dog Bins.
I continue to receive complaints from
residents of overfilled dog bins. As a
result, I am seeking to persuade our local Town and Parish Councils to replace
all dog bins with general waste bins.
This will mean that all waste collected can avoid being sent to landfill,
which currently happens to the waste from dog bins.
Because this should provide the Council with
a less expensive option, I’m hoping this will be recoverable at lower cost.
Highway
Matters.
·
Hedgerows.
These have been cut back in Cockleton Lane. A number of residents, as well as John our
Community Bus Driver have highlighted how well this has been done!
·
SGN Works.
An impromptu closure of Rew Street occurred following a Gas leak in September. A big thank you to the crews acting swiftly
to get the road reopened ahead of schedule.
·
Speedwatch, Neighbourhood
Watch and Community Resiliance.
A very big thank you to everybody who has
volunteered to join Speedwatch. Having spoken to Gurnard Parish Council’s
Chair, Cllr Penny Acton we are meeting with co-ordinators to see Speedwatch,
Neighbourhood Watch and Community Resilience to work together given the volunteers
that have come forward share a common interest on all these matters.
·
Pedestrian Access,
Gurnard SANG.
A meeting takes place to discuss improving pedestrian
access from the new Meadow View Estate, I am ever hopeful that this will be the
first step to further improving pedestrian connectivity throughout Cowes and Gurnard.
·
Connectivity to Water
Mains.
I have contacted Island Roads, following
receiving technical support from Southern Water concerning a residents
requirement to properly and safely connect to water mains in Cowes.
·
Road Repairs and
Resurfacing.
Following increased wear, tear and damage
over the summer a renewed request has been made to make good repairs on
Crossfield Avenue, Magdalen Crescent, Shore Road and Worsley Road. In the meantime Shore Road is due to be
closed from Monday 5th- Wednesday 7th October.
Sauna
Request.
A request has been lodged to bring forward a
temporary Sauna for location at the bottom of Shore Road. For those
understanding such matters, the unit will be identical to one used throughout
the summer at Freshwater Bay. Please let me know your thoughts?
Emergency Supplies.
Speaking of Saunas and with the prospect of Inclement weather, power and
banking outages as well as warnings from Wes Streeting, I have sought advice
from my good friend from Oulu, Finland, Otsi Hämäläinen ever critical of how myself
and us Brits prepare ourselves..
Otsi
has advised when creating your 72 hour Grab Bag to ensure you have the
following in an emergency supply kit:
·
Water
Containers (clean, fitted with lids)
·
Store
bought bottled water
·
Food
that is easy to prepare and suitable for all family members
·
Pet
Food
Also
suggested is:
|
·
A battery powered radio and spare batteries |
·
Necessary medicines |
·
Duckt Tape |
|
·
A battery powered torch and spare batteries |
·
Iodine Pills |
·
Plastic Bags |
|
·
A powerbank for charging a mobile phone |
·
Hygiene Supplies |
·
Toilet Paper |
|
·
A portable stove and matches/ lighter |
·
A First Aid Kit |
·
Face Masks and Hand Sanitizer |
|
·
A portable extinguisher/ fire blanket |
·
Cash |
·
Pens, Paper and Pen knife |
For
further details visit: https://72tuntia.fi/en/
Southern
Water Update.
Following some negative feedback towards
Southern Water in recent months, the company’s Chief Executive has written to
all IW Councillors advising actions the Water Authority are taking following
concerns being made.
Within Mr Gosden’s letter, we have been
advised that discharge concerns into the River Medina will be investigated.
In addition, Southern Water advises that 450
metres of sewer between Place Road and Tuttons Hill were lined. Locally, Southern Water are investigating
locations where tidal water may be entering the network on Egypt Esplanade, Queens
Road and Cowes Parade.
As yet, However there still is no news
concerning the leaking outfall in Marsh Road.
Footprint
Trust: Winter Help Café:
This takes place 10am-1pm on Thursday 5th
November at 64 High Street Newport (opposite
Correo Lounge)
Get FREE
Hot Drinks & information to cut household bills, maximise your income and
stay warm and well in your home
At this years event you can speak to:
Foodbank, Footprint Trust, IW Council, Southern Water,
Healthwatch,
SSEN, Age UK, Pan Together, Wight Sense, Working Towards
Wellbeing,
Smoke Free Island, SWAY, Isorropia plus much more!
Contact: info@footprint-trust.co.uk; phone:
01983 82 22 82.
Hedgehog Corner.
Hedgehogs
typically hibernate from autumn to spring (October - March), but this can vary depending
on the temperature and food available.
Hibernation is a complicated and often
perilous energy conservation strategy, the hedgehog abandons being warm-blooded
(very costly in terms of energy) and allows its temperature to fall to match
that of the environment, although not below freezing.
The hedgehog can survive with a very low
heart rate, body temperature and respiration rate without using up valuable
energy, until its main food source returns in the spring.
During
autumn, hedgehogs are busy preparing for this important process by:
·
Fattening up on lots of autumn
insects, and food provided by you!
·
Sifting through autumn’s fallen
leaves for some nest building.
·
House hunting to be ready for
winter.
**PLEASE ENSURE
THAT BEFORE HAVING A BONFIRE YOU CHECK ANY GARDEN WASTE FOR HEDGEHOGS!**
Also this
month:
·
I met with residents in West View Road, who are contending with overgrown
hedgerows from neighbouring land.
·
There remains a mystery over land intended to be developed at Northwood
opposite Coronation Avenue. Captiva have
advised that they have no plans to develop the site following rumours and
speculation to the contrary.
·
I have been asked to support a resident living in crisis with their
mental health
·
I
attended two Appeal Hearings for School Transport. Both hearings found in favour of the applicants.
·
I
met with a representative from the IW Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel
·
A
request was made to undo movements of street signs in Cowes.
·
I
have given support to the Little Coffee Bikes most recent licensing application
for Princes Esplanade.
·
Support
has been provided to residents, following storm warnings made for this winter.
·
I
visited residents from Worsley Road who contacted me regarding noise nuisance,
I intervened, spoke to the neighbour and trust that this matter is now fully
resolved.
·
Tree
Felling was reported to the Council’s Tree Team. There was no follow up as the tree not being
protected.
·
Repairs
to the Spencer’s Copse steps have again been reported.
·
I
am taking up concerns raised with me regarding the IW Council increasing costs to
use their amenity spaces.
·
Overfilled
dog bins at Norhwood Recreation Ground were again reported to Island Roads.
·
The
IW Council reported that it has successfully received a £6m grant for Family
Health and Care Support.
·
I
am dealing with the fall out from four neighbourhood disputes. All of which, I consider could have been
prevented from escalating by a cursory discussion.
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