Our Alternative Budget

Proposal One

We should cancel the poorly performing mainland investments in Commercial property and invest locally. Use that money to bring back life to our High Streets by helping new local business start ups and giving business rate holidays to help them get established. Buy up empty properties which could provide shop floor premises for businesses and upstairs office space for the Council, which would allow us to convert County Hall into affordable flats for young people, rather than the ridiculous proposal to spend £198,000 doing it up!

Proposal Two

Sort out the derelict buildings in some of our towns and iconic locations. Pursue compulsory purchase orders to bring these sites back into use. By taking the initiative we could make our towns places that people want to come to and thereby attract new investors and businesses

Proposal Three

Scrap the idea of spending £300,000 on new speed cameras, particularly as any fines that might be generated would not go the Council. Instead buy three new Dotto Trains, at a cost of £150,000 which will help bring life back to our seafronts, as well as provide an income generating business for the Council.

Proposal Four

Actively work with the local community by investing in a process of seeking ideas and proposals from residents and local businesses to develop income generating schemes and projects which support and enhance the local community and environment.

Proposal Five

Launch a full restructure of the Isle of Wight Council. The current structure is not sustainable. The ongoing process of cuts which has taken £19million from services and added 20% to Council Tax in the last four years has to stop. We need to arrive at a new model of Council which can properly operate the services residents expect and pay for. Let Town and Parish Councils take on and operate the local services which they can provide better than the Isle of Wight Council.