On this page you will find our press releases issues during the 2021 Isle of Wight Council election campaign which togther set out our ideas and proposals for the next four years.
THE OUR ISLAND ELECTION CAMPAIGN - VOTE FOR CHANGE
PART FOUR
“We Must Have Regard to Future Generations in Everything We Do”
This is the fourth of our campaign press releases about the proposals of the Our Island group for the aims and priorities of the new Isle of Wight Council that is soon to be elected.
In our previous press releases we have set out our aims for restructuring the Council; improving public engagement and involvement in local democracy; measures to improve what the Council does in relation to the environment, planning and business; and getting the Island recognised as an island and properly funded as such.
All of these steps are tied in with our overarching aim to improve life for Island residents, to support wellbeing for all and, in particular, to ensure that we do whatever we can to support our young people to realise their full potential in education and in their futures.
Restructuring our Council to free up capacity and place the emphasis on supporting our front line workers will mean we can improve our Childrens Services and the provision of Adult Social Care. Cutbacks in recent years have meant these areas have struggled to do what they need to do. A fundamental restructure of the Council and how it works will mean that we can create the ability to address the issues in these areas.
Phil Warren, Our Island Candidate for Ventnor and St Lawrence, said:
“Support for our local businesses will create opportunities for our young people to enter rewarding jobs on leaving school or to start their own businesses and become part of a growing and productive economy. We also support the idea of providing extra assistance to businesses if they provide apprenticeships and training opportunities for school and care leavers
“We know that we have a long-standing issue with aspiration on the Island. Education suffers when the future looks bleak. However, if we support creation of opportunity we will support the development of aspiration. We can also do this by facilitating greater access to Further and Higher education, as well as vocational training, so as to help our young people develop further skills and knowledge to benefit them and in turn serve our local economy.”
Jonathan Bacon, Our Island Candidate for Brading and St Helens, said:
“We must address these issues in the widest way possible. Every decision taken by the Council must formally take account of and have regard to how our young people and future generations will be affected. If we have this in mind in relation to all Council business that is conducted we can better serve our young community and help build a positive future for them and the whole Island.
“With this in mind, wherever possible we must give young people a role and a voice in Council decisions that affect them. We can have representatives of our young community on Council Committees and draw more on our Youth Council to help guide decision making in light of our undertaking to have regard to future generations wherever relevant.
“These proposals add to our aim to create a new Council, in every sense of the word.
PRESS RELEASE
THE OUR ISLAND ELECTION CAMPAIGN - VOTE FOR CHANGE
PART THREE - 21st April 2021
Rebuild our Local Businesses by taking Creative Decisions, and giving Direct Support, including Business Rate Holidays, Free Parking and involving the Business Community in Decisions
This is the third of our campaign press releases about the proposals of the Our Island group for the aims and priorities of the new Isle of Wight Council that will come into being on 7th May.
A key aim for the next Council will be to reinvigorate our economy and get business up and running again. This is talked about as being a key aim arising out of the pandemic but what needs to be recognised is the fact that the decline in our high streets and lack of support for our local businesses was something happening long before the pandemic struck. The problem is deeply rooted in a failure to properly support our economy for many years, so fundamental steps are necessary.
Key to any plans that are developed must be the recognition that the Island economy is based on small businesses. We have some amazing world class businesses on the Island and the potential to create many more. We must build on our strengths rather than concentrating on attracting large firms that are self contained and do not interact with the local economy. Such firms have their place but should not be the key focus. We should also build on our strengths in the Arts and our amazing local produce as well as our surroundings, both for those whose work is environment related and those who simply want to work in an attractive location.
Mike Hailston, Our Island Candidate for Shanklin South said:
There are many creative steps that can and should be taken to help our local economy.
Other areas in the country give clear and tangible incentives to businesses to set up, whether they are local or established firms looking for a new base. We must do the same. Business rate reductions and holidays as well as start up support is key. Once businesses become established such investment will be repaid
Giving such support will also help our High Streets to live again. Shop spaces, often abandoned by mainland retailers, can be occupied by local shops and businesses. Key to supporting the rebirth of our high streets will be the provision of free parking in our town centres so that people are drawn back to local businesses in our towns. More widely we must improve the appearance of our town centres to make them attractive to both businesses and their customers. Where they cannot readily re-enter commercial use they can fulfil other productive functions, such as providing gallery space or hosting workshops and training events.
Pauline Evans, Our island Candidate for Sandown South, said:
Discussions about the way forward and policy development need to involve our local businesses and business organisations, such as the Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses, as well as our town based local business groups. They have the knowledge and skill to know how businesses can be supported and developed. Council Committees making decisions about support for businesses should have representatives from these groups and other business experts as part of their membership. Councillors do not have a monopoly on good ideas to get us back on track. It would be ridiculous to suggest they do. We must draw ideas from every potential source to maximise our chances of moving forward.
Further, we must invest locally. Failed investments in mainland commercial property must be sold off and the money brought back to the Island. Rather than giving contracts to mainland businesses we should keep things on Island wherever possible. We should help local businesses develop so they can provide what we need to contract for. In addition we should support Island firms to bid for mainland contracts, for example by assisting them them to get the accreditations and affiliations they need.
If we can free up the funds from failed mainland investments these can also be used to provide financing for businesses which they might otherwise struggle to secure.
Jonathan Bacon. Our island Candidate for Brading and St Helens, added:
If we have to have contracts with mainland businesses then we should require them to employ Island based staff and use local support and service providers. Further it should be a requirement that they should give apprenticeships and training opportunities to youngsters on the island. This will of course be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Such steps, which will lead to the creation of a vibrant local economy, will also help with aspiration and in turn support education on the Island. Many of our problems in the past have come from the fact that young people see little future for themselves when they have looked at the Island economy. We can support the development of aspiration by facilitating access to University level education and vocational training so as to provide further skills and knowledge to help develop our young people and in turn serve our businesses.
Of course, all this needs to be supported by improving and enhancing our digital connectivity and ensuring our transport links, both internally and across the Solent.
In conclusion, Jonathan added:
Our ideas have developed over the last few months from talking to residents and business owners. Our island members do not claim to have all the ideas to resolve the problems on the Island, but we know that we can find those solutions by speaking to those in Community who have that knowledge derived from their experience. We know we need a change in approach and that our residents and businesses are best placed to guide the way forward.
THE OUR ISLAND ELECTION CAMPAIGN - VOTE FOR CHANGE
PART TWO - 16th April 2021
“WE NEED A PLANNING SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR US”
This is the second campaign press release about the proposals of the Our Island group for the aims and priorities of the new Isle of Wight Council that will come into being on 7th May.
A key concern for the Island and its residents is the protection of our environment and the state of our planning system. As things stand the system simply does not properly serve the Island and often appears beyond the control of Councillors.
We have a fragile environment which has many unique features. The special nature of the place where we live is reflected in the fact that more than three quarters of the Island is subject to some form of environmental designation. Roughly 50% of the Island is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and in 2019 the whole Island was accorded the status of a UNESCO Biosphere. Moves continue to have parts of the Island formally recognised for their Dark Skies and it is also possible we could attain the status of being a UNESCO Geopark.
As such we need a local planning system that recognises these designations and protects and sustains them. Time and again it becomes clear that the standard planning rules that we are governed by simply do not work to adequately protect our environment and that they fail to recognise that we are in fact an island
Alasdair Steane, the Our Island Candidate for Bembridge, said:
“We need a planning system that works for us. Our Island has set out a number of aims to achieve this”.
“Firstly we must ensure that there is true local representation and involvement in the consideration of development proposals. In particular there must be meaningful consultation with local communities over development proposals, whereby local views are actually listened to and respected. This must be supported and given force by the involvement of community representatives from Town and Parish Councils in the decision making process.
“We must also combine the Planning system with Transport and Highways to create a cohesive and holistic approach to place-shaping and create an Island Plan which sets out a local approach to planning. Such an approach must be one that works for the Island. It needs to be driven by local housing needs and not by inappropriate Government targets.”
Pauline Evans, Our Island Candidate for Sandown South, said
“A particular concern is the failure to deal with derelict buildings that besmirch or towns and seafronts. The Council has plenty of powers that can be used to deal with these. We need to ensure there is a clear strategic direction to use these powers. This will be supported by our previously stated aim to restructure the Council to create the capacity to do what is necessary to support what we need rather than just maintain the existing Council management and bureaucracy.”
Jonathan Bacon, Our Island Candidate for Brading and St Helens added:
“We must promote the increased use of renewable energy in all sectors, including transport, which helps preserve natural habitats and green spaces. We must also ensure that the Declaration of Climate Emergency previously made by the Isle of Wight Council is put into effect in a meaningful way by adopting a feasible strategic plan which must meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents and businesses.
“Lastly we must also support projects across the board to maintain and support our environment for the benefit of both residents and our tourist trade, such as securing Dark Sky status, verge maintenance and maintaining the quality of our beaches.”
THE OUR ISLAND ELECTION CAMPAIGN - VOTE FOR CHANGE
PART ONE - 9th April 2021
“WE NEED TO REDESIGN AND RESHAPE THE COUNCIL”
Over the next four weeks of election campaigning Our Island will be putting forward a series of policy statements setting out our objectives for the new Isle of Wight Council. These will concentrate on what needs to done if the right people are elected on 7th May.
We are conscious that Council finances are at an all-time low, so our proposals are for changes that do not require great expense but which will create financial capacity to enable the Council to do things. We are not making promises based on unrealistic spending.
Our primary aim will be to restructure the Isle of Wight Council to create a new body that is financially sustainable and able to operate in the twenty first century. The Council was established in its present form in 1994 when local authority funding was very different
Jonathan Bacon, Our Island Candidate for Brading and St Helens, said:
“We need to redesign and reshape the Council. The current model simply doesn’t work. In the last four years we have seen Council Tax increase by 20% and charges for Council services increase by 25%. A lot of the money we pay goes to support out of date management structures and unnecessary bureaucracy. Each year we have been required to give more and more money to the Council and have received less and less in return.
“The last year has shown that our front line staff are key to achieving positive progress and supporting our residents and businesses. If we create a new leaner Council structure that keeps frontline staff in place while getting rid of unnecessary management and procedures, then we create capacity to enable the Council to act positively for our local community.
“An analysis of information available on the Council’s website shows that Council officers in the top 40 jobs take home salaries totalling £2,925,848. That is the equivalent of around £75,000 each or 1488 Band D Council Tax payments. We need to ask if this represents value for money or whether that money can be better spent on more pressing needs such as helping young people into employment, supporting mental health and assisting businesses to recover after the pandemic. We will therefore start the restructuring process by undertaking a full cost benefit analysis of our Council structure.”
A key part of restructuring the Council is the need to improve Council decision making. We need a system that can make informed decisions which involve and accord with the wishes of local businesses and residents. Transparency and openness need to mean something and not just be words that are trotted out without any intention of adhering to those principles.
Phil Warren, Our Island Candidate for Ventnor and St Lawrence, said:
“In order to facilitate informed discussion and decision making and to get away from political bickering, Council Committees should bring in experts in the issues they are dealing with as well as bringing in independent people to chair those Committees.
“We will also work much more closely with Parish and Town Councils. These bodies are much better placed to deal with many local issues, so they should be given the responsibility and resources to help them do this, as well as the ability to raise income. We must cease the recent practice of the Isle of Wight Council simply offloading liabilities onto the parishes, but failing to pass over the supporting resources.
“Councils should work with residents and, as such, take on board their views, however current consultation processes are woefully inadequate and fail to engage with people. As a result little or no information of any use is gathered and the Council generally proceeds to do what it wants anyway while claiming public support which did not exist. We will find a better way to engage and involve our residents and businesses, and more effective ways of consulting with them.