SCARY PHOTO !

Returned from a mainland trip last night to find my photo on the front page of the County Press publicising their inside coverage of the education furore! They keep using the scary photo - right - from when I was speaking as Labour Agent at the GKN jobs rally in Church Litten in Feb 2003. Just behind me is our Tory MP, though he has been cropped out. I must get them to use a less fearsome photo.

Anyway I am back now after my Xmas break and will be fully in the swing from Tuesday 3rd.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone

NO INTEREST IN SCRUTINY ?

Well I went to the Scrutiny Committee last night for an hour. The County Press probably had the right idea - they didn't turn up ! Apart from me the 'public' consisted of one other councillor and one officer. The Committee really isn't setting the Island alight.

They spent the hour I was there looking at the Government's grant settlement for the next 2 years, which isn't really their role. However, despite a good settlement that would have reduced the planned budget savings by £1.7m, the Council will still have to save £9m to deliver an inflationary increase of 2.5% next year, due to some health recharges of £1.7m. It was reported that efficiency savings and changes in political priorities will secure the £9m of savings, but we won't know what they are until next month. There was also some report of 'consultation' on this process, which sounded like anything but.

I noticed from the minutes of the last meeting that they should have had a work programme before them at this meeting. There wasn't one, and no one asked why not. So I have no idea what they will be doing in the future. If indeed anything.

Finally in the time I was there there was no mention of last night's Cabinet decision to prevent them calling-in the education privatisation decision, which I would have thought was of some significance for a Scrutiny Committee !

All in all a very poor meeting. No opportunity for non-members of the committee to ask questions, but at least the Cabinet Secretaries weren't supervising this time !

SO IT IS DONE

So last night the Cabinet agreed to hand £200k to Mouchel Parkman & Outcomes UK (trading as Children First) to lead Children's Services for the next year without regard to due process. The consortium will be headed up by a former Director of Children's Services for Southampton Council. I need to check out their records in educational achievment....

There were a good number of primary school Heads there with many questions, all of which were batted away with an air of disdain. The Council Leader then tried to move to a vote on this privatisation without allowing questions from other councillors present. However, I protested quickly and was graciously allowed to make my numerous comments about the underhand and undemocratic way this has all been rushed through - all of which were dismissed. Deborah also made some excellent remarks about how other Tory Councils have gone about this sort of contracting, involving proper consultation and involvment. All of course to no avail.

After the meeting I secured the necessary number of signatures from those LibDem and Independent councillors present to force an extraordinary Full Council meeting in the first week of the new year to democratically debate this whole issue.

MERRY XMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR

To all my readers - my very best wishes for Christmas and hopes for a peaceful new year.

Keep reading and start contributing !

LAST LEG BEFORE XMAS

Well its the Cabinet tomorrow for the education privatisation, which I will be at. Recorded a radio interview at weekend detailing why we oppose it. Of course it will still go through, so we should be busy in new year pursuing alternative opposition strategies.

Thursday is the so-called Scrutiny Committee, which of course isn't scutinising the education privatisation and indeed doesn't seem to scrutinise much at all. It now has the Liberal election agent co-opted onto it representing town & parish councils (?), which is a real reflection of how relevant it is. I will try to get to it for a while, though I have a work social event that clashes. Should I be sad or human ?

After that it is time for a break. I have no work for 12 days, which will allow me to re-charge my batteries for next year...............

May post during the break depending on how I feel.

PRESS RELEASE - LABOUR EXPRESSES DISGUST AT UNDERHAND PRIVATISATION

The Labour councillors at County Hall are expressing their disgust at the underhand and unconstitutional manner in which the proposed privatisation of the role of Director of Children’s Services is being handled.

Next week there will be a special Council Cabinet meeting - to which it is recommended by the Deputy Leader of the Council that a preferred private company be appointed to replace outgoing Director, David Pettitt - initially on a daily basis, but with a view to a longer-term contract – costing £200k per annum.

Labour Councillor’s Deborah Gardiner & Geoff Lumley said,

“The way this is being handled is disgusting. We were told at the November Council meeting that there was ‘no business’ to trouble a December Council meeting, so they had cancelled it. And yet we now have a major decision about the future direction of education and children’s services about to be bounced through a Cabinet on the same date. Clearly more a case of ‘none of your business’ rather than no business.

Our main concerns are:

1. This privatisation was not mentioned in the Tories manifesto and there has been no consultation whatsoever with opposition Councillors, schools, governors, parents or the general public;
2. The privatisation is being rushed through out of claimed necessity, purely due to the unseemly haste with which the Conservatives are getting rid of David Pettitt and Kim Johnson;
3. This was not publicised in the Cabinet’s ‘Forward Plan’ even though they have known about Mr Pettitt’s departure for at least four weeks;
4. It is constitutionally for the Full Council to appoint senior officers through a politically balanced appointment panel, but the Tories are bouncing this through their Cabinet;
5. Council standing orders for private contracts have been ignored and will only be waived retrospectively by next week’s Cabinet. Appropriate advertising has not been placed to secure the preferred contractor and it makes you wonder what connections there might be with whoever gets the contract;
6. The Tory-appointed Scrutiny Committee will be banned from blocking this decision for 6 weeks by the Cabinet, which is the very body making this disgusting decision;
7. £200k seems to be an inordinate amount of money compared to the joint salaries of those officers who are leaving. A huge sum of money in relation to the way this contract is being let.
   

We have sought clarification from the Council’s legal advisor, but have effectively been fobbed off.

If the Cabinet proceeds with this decision next Wednesday, then the Labour Group and (we are sure) councillors from other groups will do everything they can to ensure that this dictatorial and arrogant Tory Council is held to account."

OLD FRIEND, OLD COMRADE

Spent Monday evening at a meeting organised by my own local councillor regarding parking, disorder and traffic problems around where I live. Issues that are also relavant to Pan and other Newport wards.

Also at the meeting was my old friend and former Labour councillor for Newport North ward Tony Tiltman. First time we have been at a meeting together for nearly 3 years. Wish he was still on the Council ! At least the people of Newport North would have an effective councillor.......and somone who speaks common sense on behalf of ordinary people.

That's the problem with this Council. It excludes working people, other than public service workers like Deborah and I, through the way it works.

EDUCATION PRIVATISATION NEXT WEEK

The Council will make the decision to privatise education and children's services management at a special Cabinet meeting next Wednesday.

The whole process they have adopted stinks ! There has been no consultation, it is all hurried due to the rushed and unseemly departure of the existing Director, it is usurping the role of the Full Council for senior appointments, advertising for potential contractors was highly limited, the Cabinet will unilaterally waive Council rules for contracting, and it cannot be 'called in' for scrutiny beforehand by decreee of the Cabinet.

For Cabinet now read Politbureau ! Josef Stalin would be proud.

Fortunately there are other ways in which opposition members can challenge this disgraceful example of decision-making................

SELL OFF DEFERRED

Next week's education management privatisation has been deferred due to the death of the existing Director's wife. Will now happen soon after that.

Seems like the Council has got £2 million more than expected from government for next year, but they will still be cutting the budget by around £7 million. In particular for vulnerable adults. Shame on them ! Deborah and I will be briefed this week in preparation for our own budget submission.

Spent the last couple of days getting my third Newsletter since May out on Pan - which of course prompts people to phone me more often. Lots of casework to be getting on with next week.

Next week's Cabinet will hear a progress report on the mad integration with the Health trusts and will decide what sort of resident's parking permit they will introduce from April. Likely to be a 24 hour one. Unfortunately I will miss most of the meeting due to a Medina High governors meeting.

Tried to have a meeting with the Cabinet member for Care, Health & Housing over my increasing concerns about the local Supporting People (in the community) provision, but she was too busy interviewing. Probably for the the private sector education management company. We can see what the Tories priorities are from that.

First meeting of the new Pan Partnership board last week - with the seven newly elected local residents. Much better meeting than we have had for some time. My predecessor as councillor, Tony Coburn, having been elected as one of the resident board members was elected as Chair of the board. Good news.

EDUCATION SOLD !

Next week the Tory Cabinet will put a private company in charge of Island education, without any consultation with parents or governors. The issue has been sneaked onto the agenda - still no details. Our children's futures should not be subject to profiteering.

Meanwhile, the Director of Children's Services (which covers education) had tragedy to add to the disgraceful treatment he is in receipt of from this Tory Council (see my post of 24.11.05), with the sudden death of his wife. My condolences to him.

Who would work for this lot ? Probably not many by the time they have finished......

GOVERNMENT RUNNING TO AID OF TORY COUNCIL

The Chancellor's Pre-Budget statement today seems like good news overall for local government. Over £300m extra next year and £500m the year after to help keep Council Tax down to inflation level Council tax increases. Will hopefully take some of the pressure and worry off the employees and service users of our Tory council with its service and jobs slashing agenda. Obviously I need to see what it means for the IW Council, with Deborah and I being briefed in the next couple of weeks.

One thing is certain - there will be a Labour budget proposal for the Council next year. Clearly it will be lost, but it will allow a public debate about what the Tories are up to.

GARDEN WAY

For anyone reading this from Garden Way: I have been assured by Council's Environmental Health officers that the risk from any asbestos within the hardcore used when the Garden Way houses were built in the early 70s is very low. It would have constituted no more than 1% of the waste material that was used as hardcore. The Council have publicised the allegation that the asbestos is possibly under your houses and gardens in the interests of openness, which I am pleased about. It will be investigated at some time in the future, along with all the other similar contaminated sites on the Island - over a thousand I understand. Such incidents were not uncommon for house-building at that time.

TORIES TO BREAK PROMISE TO PENSIONERS ?

Went along to the Policy Commission that is dealing with the promised Islanders car park permit tonight. They had finalised a paper for the Cabinet giving options for introducing the long awaited £50 annual permit. It was due in mid-May, then December, and now planned for April.....next year I assume.

The Tories had promised in their manifesto that the pensioner permit would be 50p per week (or 48p in another section), but have now ruled that out as 'unrealistic' and gave no reasons in reponse to my enquiry. So it will be £35 per year, which is an increase of £9, or 35%, on their promise. £9 is a lot for those pensioners on very small fixed incomes running an old car as cheaply as they can, due to generally eratic and expensive public transport.

I also asked questions about - potential conflict of this policy with government expectations for reducing car usage (they will contest that), the projection that parking meter rates will increase by 10% to help pay for this policy (it is only a projection - we shall see), and what the Commission Chair's preference was out of the 4 options they were presenting to Cabinet. To be fair to him he honestly answered all my questions and indicated that he wanted a 24 hour permit, rather than one for shorter periods. However, another Tory member indicated he wanted the permit to be for no more than 3 hours.

Will be interesting to see if the Cabinet also reneges on the promise to pensioners. If they don't I would like to think it will be due to my own vigilance over their manifesto. They must be ruing the day they got manifestorial diarrhoea !

SITTING ON MY BACKSIDE, APPARENTLY !

The Island's Conservative MP was out leafleting Pan yesterday. I knew in advance that he would be out and about and I had a copy of his leaflet within a couple of hours of it hitting the doormats.

Apparently he is 'working for Pan all year round - not just at election time'!!!! The implication being that I have been sat on my backside since May wallowing in the status I have as local councillor.

Of course as anyone who knows me or reads this blog or my regular newsletters - my third one since the election out from next weekend - this is a total nonsense. Indeed the MP contradicts himself in his leaflet by admitting that I have been campaigning successfully against main Ryde bus routes being diverted along Furrlongs. He asks if this is what people actually want, as after all it will only involve noisy double-decker buses running through Pan, but then goes on to to say the streets of Pan should be 'quiet residential roads'. Me thinks he needs to make his mind up!

Other issues he wants views on that I already have in progress at the request of locals are: priority parking for local residents over commuters; support for a Pan by-pass when the new development is started; community wardens in place thanks to Labour government funding and the local partnership; more CCTV in the pipeline for where local people know there is a problem; long-term provision of cheap local milk at Downside Middle School when I was Chair of Governors.

The MP may work for the IW all year round on his generous salary and with all his many support staff. As a local councillor, however, I believe I am achieving far more for local residents despite the fact I still have to earn my living. I do that by being involved in Pan issues all week long - not just when I have a spare Saturday !

SINGULARLY UNIMPRESSIVE !

Went along to the IW School Governors Conference today. Very enjoyable day, all rounded up with an appalling presentation to the assembled governors by the Council cabinet member responsible for Education & Children's Services. Essentially all the standards problems on the IW are the fault of teachers and governors and it is for them to sort it out. No attempt to take people with him or to assure them he is on their side. And this to people who give hours of their own time to what is a voluntary role. A clear example of how not to win friends and influence !

SCRUTINY DEFINITELY NOT IN HANDS OF OPPOSITION

Went along to the new Scrutiny Committee for an hour or so last night. It was chaired by the renegade Liberal Garry Price who was accompanied by three of the Tory members (with the fourth member waiting in the wings until they get their parish council representative), and two members of the public appointed by the Tories, all supervised for the first 45 minutes by the two Tory 'Cabinet Secretaries'. Who knows what their role was ???? Given this committee is supposed to be in 'opposition control' even I almost felt a little sorry for Cllr Price all on his lonesome. There were no members of the public present, with just me and two other Tories observing. Mind you there was no agenda item for either public or members questions, so there is not a lot of point in turning up unless you are really interested - like me !

Main item they were looking at was the Budget process for next year. They had invited Cllr Wood, Cabinet member for Resources, along but she did not turn up. So much for accountability! The Asst Chief Exec (Finance) told them he would not be in a position to give them real information until mid/late-December when he knew the government settlement and the Tory political priorities. Price tried to pursue a line of questioning about the whole shortened budget-setting process, but was hi-jacked by one of the Tories - Mosdell - who was more interested in a line of - we can help retain funding for vulnerable adults by reneging on at least part of our parking permit manifesto commitment.......

The budget for vulnerable adults, Adult Services, is to be cutback by the Tories by 13% or £4m next year, but so far the cabinet member for Care, Health & Housing (Cousins) has only identified less than £1m. Mosdell clearly comprehends how badly this is going to go down on an Island with so many vulnerable adults. But does his leadership ? Cllr Cousins was invited to make comment to the committee and undertook to 'never do anything that will put people at risk'. We shall see.....

I had to leave at 7.15, but it was clear to me that Price is entirely isolated on this committee. Deborah and I are still happy to be involved, but there is no place for us. We could take the untaken 'independent' place, but that could easily have to be given up at a moments notice. What would be more acceptable would be for the Tories to give up their fourth place to us for the duration of this Council. One thing is for certain - we will never again get the well-structured Scrutiny Committee we had until July before the Tories cleverly wrecked it, as it requires Council unanimity to be re-established. That will never happen now......

FULL COUNCIL LAST NIGHT

Last night was Full Council. Again poorly attended by the Tories - I made seven of them missing, plus as ever the new Scrutiny Chair. Deborah and I have yet to miss one. Main issues from my perspective were:

1. December meeting will be cancelled to save money. I asked if this meant that democracy now has a price rather than a value and would it now be privatised by this administration;

2. Two lay people were appointed to the Scrutiny Committee. Only the Tories supported, with all opposition members voting against or abstaining. Mainly because there was no opportunity to question the Scutiny Chair about the candidates, given he was involved in their appointment. I proposed deferrment until he was present but that went down - predictably. Deborah and I were urged to propose a motion in future that will give us places on this committee as we are so 'talented'. Beware those who would.... etc......The only way we would get that place now would be with unanimous support - which isn't going to happen. Consequently we will persist with our rigorous questioning of them at Full Council;

3. 'Aim High' went through with us and LibDems opposing and independents abstaining. I made a number of points about very low staff morale and the lack of ambition of some of their targets - the former were rubbished by the Leader, the latter he seemed to agree with;

4. I disassociated Labour councillors from the decision to get rid of two senior Council officers in Education and I was assured that press releases in future will not suggest all elected members are in favour of something they did not get consulted about; other opposition members seemed to welcome my remarks;

5. I queried the £2 million in year budget overspend and was assured that this will be addressed;

6. I asked if the Council are still committed to integration with the bankrupt local Health trusts and was told they are ! Astounding. They seem to believe anything they are told....

All in all a most unedifying meeting. Its like sitting in a room of sheep at times there is so little debate in favour of the administration apart from their Cabinet members/secretaries. Deborah and I are having to work very hard at providing real opposition; though that is something we are both comfortable with.

A WASTED TALENT

Learnt of former councillor Bernard Buckle's death today. I got to know Bernard in the late 90s when he was recovering from alcoholism. IW Labour selected him as a Council candidate in early 2001 and he went on to win Cowes Central by 8 votes - much to many people's surprise. From then on things went very badly indeed. He started drinking again and after too many embarrassments the Labour group whip was withdrawn in October 2001 and he was asked to leave the party. After that I had nothing to do with him, but his death just made me feel what a wasted talent. Bernard had many qualities and many drawbacks, but his end is perhaps the inevitable consequence of his own spiral of decline.

Arrived at Cabinet 30 minutes late tonight after a Medina High governors meeting. Meeting was just drawing to a close ! No opportunity to ask questions about the dreadful performance indicators for July-September (over half now being missed, up from a third the previous quarter) and the £2 million in-year budget shortfall without knowing what had gone before. Checked with someone afterwards and no one else attending had questioned these - only one other opposition member there, but he said nothing.

This is becoming quite disgraceful ! With Mazillius back in his tribe, it is down to Deborah and I to hold this Council to account. The LibDems are entirely absent and the independents practically the same. However, if I can't make the Cabinet meetings due to other commitments (pursuing school standards in this instance) Deborah certainly can't as 6pm is just the worst possible time for a parent of a young child. If we are having evening meetings they should be at 7/7.30 if they are to be really inclusive and engaging.

I will pursue my planned questions at Full Council tomorrow evening..........

NEWPORT FORUM TO SEEK TOWN COUNCIL

In the likelihood of the IW Council imposing a local tax on Newport (& Ryde) residents from April as a punishment for not being emparished, to be administered by god knows who, Newport Area Forum decdied tonight to 'actively pursue' the establishment of a Town Council. This will mean collecting about 1500-2000 signatures from residents in the new year, depending on which wards are to be part of it - doubts about Parkhurst and Carisbrooke West. Any Council would not be established until April 2007, so for one year there would be taxation without representation. All the five Newport councillors present supported this - for Pan, Fairlee, Mountjoy, Newport South & Carisbrooke East - with the business members voting against.

On residents parking it was agreed that I should take a proposal to our January meeting, but there was clear support from the other councillors

MANY ISSUES THIS WEEK

This week will be interesting: Monday - Newport Forum where I am going to seek support for residents to have priority parking in their own roads within say half a mile of the centre; two local Tories have already indicated support. Also will be duscussing a possible Newport Town Council again.

Tuesday: First Full Governors meeting at Medina High, followed by Cabinet - where it will be interesting to hear the excuses for the poor performance against standards over the July - Sept quarter. The administration need to start getting good at excuses....

Wednesday: Full Council - Aim High and all that bo***cks. Deborah and I will have some points to make !

Thursday: Full Governors at Barton Primary, followed by the first Scrutiny Committee since July. I have a number of questions for this.

ISLE OF WIGHT - THE NEW ROME !

I watched the first two episodes of BBC's 'Rome' at the weekend whilst recovering from a tooth extraction and stomach virus. Much of it resembled what is seemingly happening down at County Hall. The Romans had something called 'decimation' - take out one in ten of the enemy ringleaders after they won; our local Tories seem to prefer a much more exacting and punitive 'octo-decimation' of anyone who ran services for the previous administration. As I understand it, they will complete this week the removal of four of the five Directors they started with on May 8th, together with another very senior officer. And then there was one.......

How much this is all going to cost the Council Tax paper is of course one question? Another is - where is the principle of non-politicisation of senior local government officers in all of this ? It is just not healthy to cast aside so much experience the way they are doing at a time of great change for staff.

What with Strategic 'noses in the trough' Partnering for central services, PFI (Private Fingers in the till Initiatives) for Highways, proposed integration of our adult social services with the financial mystics from the local heath trusts, and the visit to the Island last week of some organisation called SERCO (Sod Education, lets get Rich Cwik Organisation) to look at privatising education support services, it is beginning to feel like the Roman republic just before Caesar crossed the Rubicon. And we will all learn in the BBC 'Rome' episodes to come what happened to Rome once Caesar and his successors became emperor. It wasn't nice, it wasn't edifying, and it certainly wasn't democratic !

Fortunately it won't be 500 years to this decline and fall........

DELUSIONAL...

With a commitment to keep next years Council Tax rise to a rate of inflation - about 2.5% on the 25% of the Council budget that is raised locally - and a likely 1.5% increase from government for the other 75% of the budget, just about everyone is predicting budget cuts next year of about £10million.

So why does the Council Leader think there will be nothing like that figure to cut ? Does he know something or is he just in dreamland ?

SCHOOL STANDARDS

Went along to the Policy Commission for Children & School Results on Wednesday evening. Interesting information on standards from the LEA's Senior Inspector, much of which will be publicised in 2 weeks time. Still not going as far as I would like, but I will continue to pursue that. I can't seem to get through to people that too many Island schools are coasting, particularly in Years 3/4 and (especially) Years 7/8. What we need to see with GCSE results is the primary/middle route that 16 year old have followed. Only then will schools be truly be held to account - rather than just the High Schools.

Also went to the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Joseph Stalin would feel at home !!!

First governors meeting at Barton Primary last night - seems to be a good group of governors in a good school.

Got a tooth abscess tonight, so feeling lousy

KEEPING BUSY

Friday I did a short IW Radio interview reviewing the first 6 months of a Tory Council. I was as fair as possible, but of course I had criticisms of non-delivery and the fear they have created amongst staff and many Islanders with their cuts and privatisation agenda.

Saturday morning lots of visits to constituents - helping with planning applications and housing association repairs. I do enjoy the personal contact with people in my ward !

Today I will be out with a Labour team in Lake delivering newsletters, warning people of the Tory cuts plans

LABOUR TO RE-JOIN COUNCIL SCRUTINY

With the defection last week of Cllr Roger Mazillius from the opposition side to the Council Conservative Group, the Labour councillors at County Hall have decided to re-engage with the formal Scrutiny functions of opposition members.

Last July Cllr Deborah Gardiner and I decided to support a principled withdrawal from Scrutiny by all but one of the opposition councillors – a withdrawal initiated by Cllr Mazillius around the issue of meeting times.

However, in the light of Cllr Mazillius’ defection the Labour Group has decided to re-commence participation in Scrutiny.

I have told the media, “Our decision is based on both the changed circumstances of Cllr Mazillius’ defection and our increasing worry that the important Scrutiny function is just not being done under the new Chair of Scrutiny, Cllr Garry Price. Last July we felt it was important to have a united front against Conservative diktat over meeting times. However, that front has now been broken by Cllr Mazillius. In the light of the many worrying changes to the way the IW Council operates, and the seeming inability of Cllr Price to either convene a Scrutiny Committee meeting or set a programme of inquiry, we have decided that we need to re-engage. We do this in the hope that dialogue will replace diktat, and in the best interests of representing the many, many Islanders who are concerned at the direction the Council has been taking over the last 3 months”

The Labour councillors have also urged all other opposition group members to join them in this move

AIM HIGH, MISS YOUR TARGET

'Aim High' - the new Council's change management plan, written by a graduate of the Shanklin School of Bull***t. Yes, the Tory administration at County Hall is ready to approve this cobblers at next week's open Cabinet (as opposed to their numerous informal and private meetings), ready for submission to Full Council on 23 November. Of course it is all a fait accompli, but Deborah and I will naturally be opposing.

As an example of how to demotivate your staff in world record time, this Aim High rubbish takes some beating. But I get the feeling they are only practicing........

BACK ON THE IW

Now back from my four days in Birmingham, which was interesting - in parts. Heard about Cllr Mazillius' return to the Tories whilst I was away. Now there's a surprise ! Could of course change the dynamics of the opposition parties at County Hall. Rumours abound of other councillors changing affiliation - but not the Labour councillors, who after all DO have principles. Apart from that everything seems to be fairly quiet.....

ASSURANCES FOR FURRLONGS

A good week for Pan. At Full Council on Wednesday in response to my questioning I received assurances from the Tory Cabinet member for transport that the proposed new junction at the bottom of Furrlongs (opening up Furrlongs to more traffic) will not be included in the Local Transport Plan if it is against the wishes of a majority of local residents. I thanked him for this and I have to say that I am increasingly reassured with the measured way in which this cabinet member deals with his portfolio.

Later in the week I attended a Pan Urban Extension Steering Group with three Cabinet members and key senior officers, chaired by the said cabinet member, Cllr Ian Ward. This Group is reviewing the Masterplan for the Pan development which will take place over the next ten years. There will be nothing definitive to report until the new year, but I have assurances that there will be full consultation with Pan residents about the final outcome of this review.

More good news for Pan. I helped to appoint a new Headteacher for Downside Middle School, who I believe will be excellent for both the children and the community. He is Peter Shaw, currently a Head in Wrexham, but who was Deputy Head (and Acting Head for his last 6 months) at Medina High School prior to 2002. As I am now a governor at Medina and Barton, Mr Shaw's appointment should greatly facilitate the strengthening of relationships between these three schools and others in the Medina cluster.

Less good news for Council staff. The Cabinet on Tuesday appointed a 'change agent' for their strategic partnering agenda. They are PA Consulting, who have a very bad history on the Island, as they helped devastate jobs and services at the old Medina Borough Council in the early 80s. I am told they are a very different company now, but we will see.

At Full Council after the Leader had been extolling the strategic partnering model he had been to see in Suffolk (introduced by a very new Labour administration), I reminded him of the verdict Suffolk voters gave that Council last May - Labour lost - and asked him if he feared a similar outcome for his group in 2009 ! He laughed it off - but I believe my question will come back to haunt the local Tories.........

I met with the Community Support Officers on Tuesday and I am impressed with their keenness. As an aside, the drinking problem on the recreation ground is less problematic now (probably due to the weather) and even the litter is being cleared on a regular basis. I had to point out to fellow councillors that of course these new posts are funded by Government money, as the Tories seem keen to claim the credit. I appreciated the County Press using my comment on the appointments rather than one from the cabinet member for safer communities, who has had absolutely nothing to do with these appointments.

Finally I went along to the Island Plan meeting on Thursday. The planning officers are suggesting six options for future housing and employment development on the IW and are seeking public comments on these by 11 November. Personally I favour future development based on Option 3 - basically Newport and Cowes (as now) together with Ryde - the so-called North East Triangle. However, people should try to look at these options and send their views in. Details can be found at: http://www.iwight.com/living%5Fhere/planning/Planning%5FPolicy/Island%5FPlan/Core%5FStrategy/

As anticipated it has been a busy week, all accomplished with the most appalling tooth abcess ! Thankfully the antibiotics are now kicking in.

Now off to do my monthly surgery. In Birmingham four days next week for a Social Services Conference with three Conservative council colleagues from my Policy Commission. wish me luck......

BUSY, BUSY.....

After a very busy week last week - phone in, Pan Partnership Board meeting, Downside headteacher appointment preparations - this coming week will be even busier.

Apart from the actual appointment process for the Headteacher, which will take 3 days, there is a Cabinet meeting and a Full Council, followed by a public meeting on the new Island Plan, and then a meeting to look at the development plan for the Pan Village scheme.

The Cabinet will be seek to appoint a 'Change Agent' to prepare the ground for privatisation of Council services - Labour opposes. At the Full Council I have tabled three questions relating to Pan and Newport - on Furrlongs plans, the 'red carpet' in Newport, and problems of drinking on Downside Recreation Ground. The Island Plan is about how the IW will be developed over the next 20 years, so important that people have input. Finally I will be seeking a scaled down housing development from what has been talked about so far.

I will update on each of these meetings throughout the week.

WELL THAT'S OVER........

Well I got through the phone-in relatively unscathed. They are quite enjoyable really, but a hell of a drain on your nerves ! Hopefully I did a reasonable job in promoting Pan and managed the few idiot callers well enough. Feedback I have had so far has been good. Any more views out there ?

PAN - MEDIA TARGET

Today's IW Radio phone-in seemed to be dedicated to 'problem Pan'. The Ash Road incident on the front page of last week's County Press was the catalyst for them to start condemning Pan again. I phoned in, had a perfectly reasonable exchange with the presenter on air where I pointed out that these sorts of terrible incidents are rareties in any community and are not typical for Pan, and agreed to do the phone-in next Monday - something they are now billing as a 'Pan Special'. Tony Coburn, my predecessor as councillor, also phoned in and said much the same as me. They then went onto to suggest that both Tony and I were seeking to gag the media over incidents like this ! Far from it. What we were saying is stop targeting Pan for negative coverage; lets have some positive coverage as well - which we never see.

Next Monday will be challenging.........fortunately I am not a novice, having done two phone-ins earlier this year for the No Mayor campaign.

ASH ROAD INCIDENT

Distressing story on front page of County Press regarding a resident being attacked at his home by youths. The police appear to have arrested some of the perpetrators and hopefully justice will be done.

The appointment of the Pan Community Support Officers - starting over the next 2 weeks - should help address these incidents, which are thankfully rare.

As usual the IW Radio phone-in apparently did its usual 'isn't Pan a hell hole' bit. They are dangerously out of touch and do nothing to positively project the IW to listeners. For God's sake this is the Isle of Wight; not some inner city gang zone!

A TOWN COUNCIL FOR NEWPORT ?

Newport Area Forum last Monday. Lots discussed, including possible traffic changes for the town – nothing to change in near future though.

More importantly the Forum agreed that next month we will discuss whether to seek to establish a Newport Town Council, in the light of the Council Leader’s assertion in the media that non-parished areas of the Island – Newport and Ryde – will be taxed next April as if they were. Personally I support a town council ONLY if such extra taxation is unavoidable. No taxation without elected representation !

However, I am not convinced that such local taxation is mandatory, as has been suggested, and I have asked that the legal position be clarified at next month’s meeting. If it isn’t mandatory, then it is just a Conservative policy to seemingly punish Newport for voting Tory in 5 of its 8 wards ! If it is mandatory, then it would represent around 65p per week for each Newport household – which would give an annual budget of around £500k for Newport & Carisbrooke. If there is no town council then this budget would be controlled by County Hall. Far better to have elected local representatives deciding how to spend the money – though some will be on services that existing town and parish councils are already expected to provide, but are currently provided by the IW Council in Newport and Ryde.

Lets see what the legal advice is next month…….

TRAFFIC THREAT TO FURRLONGS

Copy of letter from me going out to Furrlongs residents today:

Dear Resident

Despite the assurances made to me last March/April by the Council, there are plans again to turn Furrlongs into a main road into Newport.

In the Provisional Local Transport Plan for 2006-2011, which the Council is currently consulting on, they detail a ‘Major Bid’ to establish a,

“new junction where existing Furrlongs road crosses St Georges Way”

and go on,

“consideration will be given as to whether this route will operate as a bus gate only and what measures should be included to ensure that this route is not used as a short cut or ‘rat run’ through what is primarily a residential area”

Once again it appears that the Council wish to, at the very least, re-route more bus services along Furrlongs, avoiding Coppins Bridge. However, the Plan also implies that a ‘bus gate only’ is not the only option, suggesting that Furrlongs could be used by all traffic.

As you would expect of me, I have responded to the consultation on this Provisional Local Transport Plan, expressing in the strongest terms possible my OPPOSITION to the proposals. Furrlongs is indeed a residential road and I have objected to the proposal on the grounds of:

1. It would damage the Quality of Life of local residents;
   

2. It would compromise the Road Safety of the many young children who both live in Pan and who attend the two local schools.

Last March when the Council started to do alterations to the existing speed ramps on Furrlongs, my predecessor as your councillor, Tony Coburn, and I started a petition against the re-routing of bus services along Furrlongs. This attracted scores of signatures.

However, we withdrew the petition when we received various assurances from the Council that there were no plans in the ‘foreseeable future’ to re-route other bus services along Furrlongs. However, I pledged to be vigilant over any future plans – which I have.

It is clear now that those assurances were worthless and that plans were indeed afoot to change the very nature of Furrlongs. This Local Transport Plan will have been in preparation for quite some time.

As your local Councillor I am determined to oppose these proposals as best I can. I do not want to see Furrlongs become like Fairlee Road or Staplers Road. Believe me I know what that entails !

However, I need you to express your own opposition to these proposals. The Provisional Local Transport Plan is open for consultation until the end of this month. That is not long, so you need to act now.

Please send a short letter expressing your opposition to this proposal for Furrlongs along the lines of,

“Provisional Local Transport Plan - I object to a new junction being created where Furrlongs crosses St Georges Way, as routing buses and other traffic through Pan will threaten our quality of life and the road safety of our young children”

Send you letter to Mr Chris Wells, Team Leader, Transport Policy, Engineering Services, IW Council, Enterprise House, St Cross Business Park, Monks Brook, Newport, IW, PO30 5WB, or email him at chris.wells@iow.gov.uk

If necessary I will organise a public meeting about this proposal if the consultation does not secure the changes in the Local Transport Plan that you would want.

Thanks for your support.

DEPENDENT SCRUTINY

Well the Council now has a new Scrutiny Committee with the Chair being Cllr Garry Price (LD). Our inclusive amendment was ruled out as unconstitutional as the issue was debated last month - it wasn't, our amendment was much broader - so we voted against the new Tory proposals for an opposition-lead Scrutiny Committee, along with two of the LibDems - Cllrs Adams and Bowker. The Independents all abstained on the vote. This meant it was lost as it required unanimous support.

So the Tories tabled another proposal that did not require unanimity, which went through with 5 votes against (this time including Price !?!). This provided for a Chair from the opposition (Price - the only one who will take the money), five Tory councillors, two members of the public (to be selected under criteria that will exclude just about all Islanders except those that the Tories want), and one rep. from the parish/town councils. Price himself was elected the new Chair with just 4 votes against (Deborah, me, Adams and Bowker) and the independents again abstaining.

A few other points from the Full Council meeting (which was sparsely attended - 20% of Tories missing, and only four members of the public there at any time - one Tory activist, 2 Labour activists, and the regular Mr Wortham):

1. The agenda was very thin considering how much the Tories reckon they are doing, with nothing substantive to consider. Its not as if the Cabinet are making loads of delegated decisions;

2. Some bloke was put forward to the Standards Committee. As I had never heard of him and there were no details for new members, I voted against him - the rest of the opposition abstained, none are new like me;

3. I asked a written question expressing concern about the Leader's & Deputy Leader's unfriendly press comments about the role of governors in schools (CP 2.9.05), to which I got a reasonable reply and various assurances;

4. Deborah tried to get the Tories to give some details about cuts in non-statutory services in next year's budget, but they were not forthcoming. We know there is a list circulating, but we don't think they have realised the implications for the quality of life of Islanders;

5. In the absence on other council business of one Cabinet member, we did not get a written report. Deborah got assurances there will be in future.

FULL COUNCIL TOMORROW - LABOUR PRESS RELEASE

LABOUR IN BID TO MAKE COUNCIL SCRUTINY INCLUSIVE

Labour councillors will make another attempt at this Wednesday’s Full Council meeting to gain independence for the Scrutiny Committee over meeting times. They will also endeavour to make meeting times more inclusive and accessible for all members of the public.

After the Conservative leadership at the July Council meeting forced the so-called ‘opposition lead’ Scrutiny Committee to meet at 6pm in the evening, all but one of the opposition members resigned as this was contrary to the principle of ‘opposition control’ – previously much trumpeted by the new Council leadership. A majority of opposition members and the Conservative members of the original committee had preferred to meet at 4pm, but the leadership would not allow this.

This Wednesday Labour Councillors Gardiner & Lumley, will propose an amendment to the proposed new arrangements for a re-established Scrutiny Committee. These new arrangements allow for a smaller committee with membership given to two members of the public and one representative of town & parish councils, as well as Cllr Garry Price (LibDem) and three Conservative councillors. The amendment will call for meeting times to be rotated between 10am, 4pm and 6pm each month.

Labour Group Leader Cllr Deborah Gardiner said, “We are proposing this amendment because we want to make the Scrutiny Committee – which examines the decisions made by the Council leadership – accessible to all Islanders at least once a quarter. 6pm may suit those who work 9-5 and can then easily go along to a Council meeting if interested. However, it does not suit people who do not work the traditional working day, or who may have childcare or other caring responsibilities. 6pm is just the time when parents with young children are either feeding the family, settling them down for the evening, or ensuring that homework is undertaken. A time when vulnerable adults need their carers. We believe that our amendment demonstrates a commitment to inclusiveness not shown by the leadership’s intransigence over meeting times. “

Cllr Geoff Lumley added, “If our eminently reasonable amendment is voted down by the Conservative majority, then we may find that the Council still does not have a Scrutiny Committee, as the new arrangements depend on unanimous all-member support. Although we accept that a Scrutiny Committee can now only be established without most of the opposition members, after the July resignations, we feel that the issues of scrutiny independence and meeting times are still of importance to the effectiveness and relevance of local government here on the Island.”

GET SPENDING ON PAN !

I got to the Pan Neighbourhood Partnership (PNP) Board meeting this week, after they changed the meeting schedule for me. This is the body that oversees the £2million that Pan was awarded from April 2005 for 7 years by the LABOUR government, to improve facilities for the community, especially with a view to the new development. Pan got this money partially because it is a longstanding Labour represented ward - the benefits of being in step with government !

A lot is discussed at these meetings and I had a lot to catch up with due to missing the last two monthly meetings due to other Council commitments. I won't report all here, but concentrate on what always matters to people - the money. Of the £360k to be spent this year on pump-priming local initiatives 43% is spent on the salaries of the people employed, inclusing the two new community wardens who start later this month. Of the other 57% for projects, to date only 4% of that has been spent or committed due to the fact that whenever the Partnership tries to spend money on initiatives we seem to get more money thrown at us. We have found the same with the government Extended School money we got at Downside Middle School. Money as ever follows money !

Given the fact that PNP is still well off, I made a number of suggestions for reprofiling the budget that would increase credibilty with the community: further CCTV coverage in key areas of the ward, lighting and dogbins in the well-used backlanes that are like a maze around the area, benefit and pensioner benefit 'take up surgeries' perhaps provided by the Council's successful Welfare Rights service rather than the Dept for Work & Pensions - they each come at it from different perspectives. These were all supported I am pleased to say. I was also successful in insisting that the new Board that will come into place at the end of the year after local partnership elections must a have a resident majority.

It is clear that more must be done by PNP that is visible to local residents if it is to maintain confidence. I hope I have gone someway to help address that ?

PROGRESS ON INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS FRONT

Since the Tories were elected in May, industrial relations have changed dramatically in the Council. Gone are the old days of Councillor/union direct consultations, which with the strategic partnering (aka privatisation) agenda of the Tories has created much concern, anxiety and suspicion amongst union members. Especially when the new culture has even seen union officials being warned off 'lobbying' leading councillors.

However, I attended as an observer my first Cabinet meeting on 30th August - only the third formal Cabinet since the election. One of the items on the agenda was the 'change management plan' and moving that forward. Although I entirely oppose that privatisation agenda - why do we want to use Council Tax monies to line the pockets of private company shareholders, based on the mainland, when any value for money benefits could take up to a decade, with the potential loss of jobs and earnings to the Island economy? - I was very pleased to hear the Council Leader invite the Unison Branch Secretary Mark Chiverton to address the Cabinet about his members' concerns. Of course Mark is a longstanding friend and party comrade - I was his Agent at the recent general election - and I was a member myself of the Councill Unison branch for 9 years up to 1998- but I was very pleased to see this thawing of indistrial relations.

Of course this gesture by the Leader may only be tokenistic in the overall scheme of things, but I am a strong proponent that talk is better than conflict - 'jaw, jaw - not war, war' as Churchill said !

A VERY SINGULAR LIB DEM

As suggested earlier, Garry Price is on his own. His Lib Dem colleagues are not joining him. As I said before personal political promotion came before the personal and principle.

LIBDEM - SINGULAR LACK OF PRINCIPLE

Back in operation today after a break - though I did attend another Care & Health Policy Commission on 24th - to find out that the Tories have got a new Chair for their 'opposition' Scrutiny Committee. It is Cllr Garry Price (Parkhurst ward), a LibDem, who was a member of the previous Scrutiny Committee and was the one opposition member who did not resign or refuse the later offer from the Tories to join - probably because he hasn't attended any Council meetings since 18 May, for 'business reasons'. He gave the same reason when he stood down as LibDem group leader after just one month.

Garry Price is well-known for his ambition - some say he is interested in being the next LibDem IW parliamentary candidate - so clearly personal political promotion is more important than his business or the principle his LibDem Council colleagues were defending back in July - his colleagues Adams and Knowles DID resign and Bowker supported them.

Will be interesting to see if they return to the Scrutiny Committee - Price claims he has their support, but we will see.

It is particularly surprising that the Leader of the Council has claimed that Cllr Price’'s appointment will lead to effective scrutiny, having spent most of the previous four years castigating the way it was undertaken by the former ‘'Island First'’ Select Committee Chair’s, of which Cllr Price was one.

So long as the ruling Tories at County Hall intend to dictate to the opposition how to run the Scrutiny function, neither Cllr Deborah Gardiner nor myself will take part. However, we will continue to hold the Tories to account on behalf of our constituents and all Islanders by effective use of the Full Council meetings and the media.

STILL UNHEALTHY

Excellent Care Trust & Health Scrutiny Commission meeting tonight. Well attended by members of the public and lots of media interest - about 100 there in total. MP also there. Health Trust CX given a fair grilling by councillors and public, but in the main got us not very far - some movement on mental health bed closures. One Tory councillor calling for Trust CX's head, but the Tory commission members had agreed beforehand not to personalise the meeting. The CX gave a fair account of himself, but we have heard it all before. I asked about the sustainability of the financial recovery plan, whether we can trust them to deliver financial balance, the safety of our future health services, future accountability of health to the IW public, absence of delivery alternatives in the recovery plan, and the position of staff threatened with losing their posts. Lots of re-assuring words, which I will remind them of at a later stage if necessary. Leader of Council undertook to deliver a Patient Travel Scheme within lifetime of this Council. My 17.5 year old son observed from the gallery and was unimpressed with his first experience of a public engagement with local government and our health services.

UNHEALTHY BUSINESS contd....

Looks like next Tuesday's Care & Health Scrutiny Commission is going to be very interesting - starts 6pm at County Hall. County Press is full of articles and letters criticising the financial recovery plans announced by the local NHS Trusts 2 weeks ago. Our Tory MP is, as usual, putting himself about on a populist issue. That's how he increased his majority. Of course I am a full member of this Commission, so will have plenty of opportunity to state the obvious - the local health managers couldn't run a booze-up up in a brewery. With record levels of health funding from government, what on earth are they doing ? And the Council Tories want to be integrated with them........almost beyond belief. I thought they were all 'business' minded ? Perhaps in Gate Gourmet !

Have found myself on the organising committee for a 2006 Pan in Bloom competition. Of course it is an excellent community initiative, but there is a certain irony in my involvement.......I can't
tell a weed from a flower !

After Tuesday I am going to be taking a couple of week's break. I will still keep the few pre-booked engagements I have, but apart from that I am going to have a rest. Consequently there may be no posts here until September. Enjoy the rest of the summer.....

KEEP 'WIGHTBUS' PUBLIC

On Wednesday the Policy Commission for Economy, Tourism, Regeneration and Transport will be considering the value for money provided by Wightbus - the Council's in-house fleet of buses and coaches.

Having just read the briefing from the Council's Transport Manager, I am astonished to learn how effective this arm of the Council is. Apart from ensuring comprehensive coverage for school bus journeys (particularly for children with special educational needs) and providing public services that Southern Vectis are not interested in (even with a subsidy) they also have a balanced turnover of £1.5 million per year !

This is a success story in my view, and one that should be retained as a Council provided public service

INTERESTING ? CENSORING ? IMPROVING?

The Newport Business Forum (editor) has described me as ' the most interesting' of Newport's councillors in their weekly web updates ? Don't know whether to be flattered or wary!

They also wonder why third-party comments to my posts on this blog are not displayed and suggests that I may be 'monitoring' them - for which read censoring. Well I'm no expert in information technology (just someone not afraid to try things in an attempt to make good communication central to what I do) , but when I click 'comments' under each of my blog posts I can read them (where they exist) and friends tell me they can too. I can assure everyone who may look at this blog - and it is publicised in my ward newsletters, on my headed paper, and on my official Council webpage - that nothing will ever be censored, unless really offensive to readers. What I am more concerned about is increasing awareness of my site, so that all can participate. So thanks to NBP for the plug anyway ! Hope to see more comment soon......

Finally last night the Policy Commission for Children & School Results agreed to recommend to the Cabinet the delayed School Improvement Programme, for implementation from 1st September. This was promised by the new administration to address widespread concerns about student attainment in IW schools - which the last Council was going to address by abolishing middle schools. The programme that has been agreed is entirely practical and they do seem to have listened to various interested parties. The actual delivery of the programme is what needs to be watched now. I will certainly do that........

SHUTDOWN

It seems as if the Council will be shutting down for August ! The Full Council meeting has been cancelled, as have the two scheduled Cabinet meetings. So much for democratic accountability. Policy Commissions seem to be going ahead at present and I will attend the Children & School results one on Wednesday, which will be putting together the long-awaited School Improvement Programme. I am still awaiting a date for a special Health Scrutiny Policy Commission meeting to review the financial recovery plan.........

Talking about Scrutiny - there has been no compromise from the leadership over the Scutiny Committee. So overall scrutiny on this Council is dead for the present. It won't look good for them when outside inspectors discover this.

Have spent the time chasing Highways about loads of outstanding issues - speed of traffic on Furrlongs and Robin Hood Street being just one - and Planning matters. You seem to have to keep chasing everything !

Really enjoyed the Pan 'Well Fun Day' on Saturday. I was there all morning and was very impressed by the hard work that had been put into it, especially by locals. I have decided to join the Pan Samba band in September.........

UNHEALTHY BUSINESS

I attended the first Policy Commission of which I am a member last night - the Care, Health Scrutiny & Housing one.

On arrival I learnt that the IW NHS Healthcare Trust Board had that day - and without advising their Council 'partners' - revealed their financial recovery plan. In this plan were (just a taste) - 241 jobs to be lost, an end to all financial help with fares to mainland hospitals, and the sale for capital gain of a number of properties, including Shackleton House and The Kestrels. There was much more in the paper I got brief access to.

Their was outrage ! And from all parties. This Policy Commission also fulfils the statutory role of Health Scrutiny Committee and not to have been consulted in advance was a real bullet in the foot by the so-called managers in the local NHS.

Of course, I pointed out that this was just typical of the way IW health services have been run throughout my 16 years here, and reminded my councillor colleagues that only I and two others had spoken and voted against the proposed health and social care merger at the June Full Council meeting. And for exactly the sort of reason we were now hearing about. I proposed that we call in the Trust's Chief Executive to a special Commission meeting within 10 working days so that we can scrutinise this so-called recovery plan and its potential effects on our Island's health. This was unanimously agreed.

Later there was discussion about a future meeting to consider the provision of housing services - privatisation (euphemistically called strategic partnering) once again on the agenda. Of course this will be considered. However, both myself and the Independent member of the Commission were able to raise the need for more affordable housing for Islanders if we are to avoid a future social problem. I also pressed my wish to see at least 50% of homes in any future Pan development being affordable to Islanders. I was told this is existing policy for the Council, but it certainly does not feature in the Pan Masterplan to my recollection, where 30% is mentioned. Ideally I would like to see it as 100% !

Special Full Council on Friday to approve last year's accounts. These should have been done by the Scrutiny Committee today, but as that committee hasn't got any opposition members after last week's walkouts and resignations it can't meet. Compromises over meeting times have been suggested by one pragmatic leading councillor, which would be accepted by the opposition (former) members of the committee, but I understand the beloved Leader won't have it ! Could be fun again.......

PROPOSED TRAFFIC CHANGES FOR NEWPORT

Went along to the Newport Area Forum last evening to consider proposed traffic changes in central Newport - mainly reversal of the one way system in Trafalgar Road and re-introduction of two-way traffic outside Nodehill Middle School, but with a plethora of new regulations for adjacent streets. Although this is not in my ward, or indeed any other Newport councillor's ward apart from Cllr Mike Cunningham (four of us were present), such changes can effect the whole of Newport; hence, the consideration at the Forum.

As ever in these situations, there were lots of concerns and almost a bewiderment as to why some of the changes are proposed - although all support the Trafalgar Road reversal to get traffic off Whitepit Lane. Apparently the Council Cabinet member for transport issues - Cllr Ian Ward (Sandown South) had been invited along to the meeting, but could not make it. All agreed that we needed to understand the rationale behind the proposals and in the meantime would submit a list of objections. Cllr Ward then to be asked along to our next meeting in September to enlighten us to the reasons for some of the proposed changes.

A good example of Newport councillors working together for the whole town.

OPPOSITION WALKOUT - SCRUTINY CHAIR TO RESIGN

Full Council tonight. Motion from Tories to force the opposition-lead Scrutiny Committee to meet at 6pm in future, instead of the agreed 4pm (see my blog post yesterday). I and others made the point that it should be the decision of the opposition, not diktat by the leadership, if overview and scrutiny is to be independent of the leadership - as they claim they want it to be. Personally I prefer evening meetings, but the principle of opposition control of scrutiny must be defended. Evening meetings won't necessarily be attractive to all members of the public with young children and other caring responsibilities

An amendment from Cllr Mazillius to allow the Scutiny Committee freedom to decide start times was then defeated by 25 votes to 12 - all opposition members present in favour, plus Tory councillors Peacey-Wilcox and Churchman - with two further Tories abstaining (Scoccia and Cabinet member Hunter-Henderson). Before the main Tory motion was then approved, Deputy Leader Cllr Joyce made a speech supporting the opposition's right to decide and then promptly voted for the Tory motion. Two cabinet members all over the place ! Watch your back Cllr Sutton....

At that point Cllrs Mazillius (Chair of the Scutiny Committee), Stephens (Vice Chair), Adams, Bowker, Deborah Gardiner and myself walked out of the meeting in protest. On the way out of County Hall Cllr Mazillius told the CP reporter that he, Stephens and Cllr Hancock (absent ill tonight) would all be withdrawing from membership of the Scrutiny Committee, as did Cllrs Gardiner and Adams. Neither John Bowker or myself - neither of us members of this committee - will take their places. Interestingly the two remaining members of the Independent Group - Miller and Humby - stayed in the meeting..........

So where does this leave scrutiny being in the hands of the opposition ?

TORY DIDDUMS

The first meeting of the new Scrutiny Committee yesterday afternoon - which is basically the only Council forum where opposition members have a majority. Purpose is to examine decisions of the new Council leadership and make contrary recommendations to Cabinet. We have one place, which is Deborah Gardiner this year and then we will rotate each May.

Only five of the 11 members turned up ! Deborah, 2 of the 3 independents, one of the 3 LibDems, and one of the 4 Tories. Three of the Tories refused to arrive until 6pm as they objected to a public meeting starting at 4pm in line with their manifesto pledge, even though they had agreed this in a 'development' session a few weeks earlier. Interestingly two of the four Policy Commissions that they control were originally scheduled for 4pm and were only recently changed to 6pm. At 6pm sharp two of the absentees ostentatiously joined the meeting. It was just like the school playground used to be !

The committee looked at the recent decision to abandon a move to a 2-tier school system, with Cabinet member for education Cllr Joyce saying it would make 'no iota of difference' if the committee found the decision to be disproportionate and not based on evidence.

Very interesting that when they considered the need to make an estimated £9million of cuts to next year's budget to meet the Tory manifesto commitment, the one Tory councillor present, Cllr Cunningham, was blaming the government ! Clearly he has yet to work out that these cuts are planned because of his parties' promises and before they have any idea what the government grant settlement is for 2006-7. Another example of a Tory who has absolutely no idea of what his party promised the electorate at the elections. Scary !

SOLENT TV Website - 13.07.05

ROBIN HOOD ST PLANS APPROVED – AGAINST LOCAL WISHES

Council planners have given a development in Newport the go-ahead – a decision that goes against the wishes of a number of local residents and the councillor representing the area.

Outline planning permission was granted for seven residential units to be built on a plot of land on Robin Hood Street currently occupied by one property, which will be demolished. The local councillor, Cllr Geoff Lumley, believes the plans represent overdevelopment of the site and loss of privacy for neighbouring properties. Six local residents wrote to the council to object on similar grounds, but members of the Development Control Committee passed the plans at their meeting last night.

PLANNING NONSENSE

I attended the Development Control Sub-Committee tonight to object to a planning re-application on Robin Hood St, along with a local resident. A classic case of infilling to excess, with little amenity for future residents - seven flats where there is currently one house.

After both the resident and I had spoken the committee then voted 5 votes to 4 to reject the officer's recommendation for approval. They then had to come up with planning reasons for refusal other than social and traffic reasons. Two committee members proposed something which was then lost with only 2 votes in favour and four abstentions. A Liberal councillor then proposed acceptance on the basis that we could end up with the original application for 9 flats if the developer appealed to an Inspector. This then went through by 5 votes to 2 !

So despite winning the argument the Kafka-esque rules of Planning meant that refusal was turned into approval within about 10 minutes !!!!!

Planning is indeed not in the interests of local people. I am glad I declined to be a member of this committee.

WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT ?

I attended the first of the new Policy Commissions yesterday evening - the Children & School Results one. I am not a member of this one, but will attend every one that I can.

My colleague Deborah Gardiner is a member of this one, but she was at a conference with the Council Leader and the other opposition member, Garry Price, wasn't there - I have heard that he has stood down as LibDem Group leader after just 2 months. So the Commission had 5 new Tories there, together with the Cabinet member for Childrens Services.

It was bizarre ! There is no public question/contribution time, and no opportunity for other councillors in attendance to make contributions - there were two old hand Tories there observing as well as me. However, the 'Standards not Tiers' invitees were treated like royalty. Conversely I got the feeling that it is 'blame the school governors' time in relation to the poor performance of Island children at GCSE etc. All in all I found the level of discussion dispriting in the extreme.

More importantly I am entirely unclear what the purpose or outcomes of the meeting were. I was later told by the County Press reporter that he had asked the same question at the end, and he was told that the deliberations will be taken on board by the responsible Cabinet member as they deliver their manifesto commitments.

I know it is early days, but this approach to policy development does not bode well for the future. This Commission seems to be purely advisory, with all decisions left to Cabinet - the last two of which's meetings have been cancelled ! As I said - BIZARRE !

PARTY POLITICS ON YOUR COUNCIL TAX

The IW Council's Media Unit yesterday issued a press release that was as party political as anything I have ever seen emanate from County Hall. It claimed delivery of a number of Tory manifesto pledges to timetable. Deborah and I issued a Labour press release last week pointing out the Tories' failure to deliver on some of their timetabled pledges. We did not use the Media Unit and would not have dreamed of doing so. We consider that party politics should be dealt with by the local political parties; not funded by the Council tax payer. We will pursue this further. It is an abuse of Council taxpayers money

A 'Change Management Plan' has been issued to all Council staff by the Directors of the Council. This gives some information to staff on the new administration's plans for delivering a strategic partnership for many local services. This was the first I had seen of this paper; but then that is not unusual in this 'inclusive' Council ! The paper is written in the new gobbledegook favoured by this new regime. We in the Labour Party want to see excellent public services for Islanders, delivered by Islanders, from island bases. Strategic partnering will lead to jobs being undertaken by a company based on the mainland. Is that what Islanders want ?

ALL A BIT QUIET !

Not much to report over the last week. Obviously I continue to deal with individual matters for Pan residents, but County Hall is pretty quiet in terms of Tory initiatives. Indeed they have cancelled the last two Cabinet meetings.

Deborah and I have drawn the media's attention to the failure of the new administration to deliver some of their more sensible manifesto commitments to the timetable they set themselves - residents parking ticket within one week, school improvement action plans within one month, lobbying government for more funding for proposed NHS/Social Services Trust within one month. Some coverage in County Press this week, as well as on Solent TV.

I plan to attend the Children's Services and School Results Policy Commission next week to pursue the school improvement commitments. I am not on this commission, but I still want to have input on a key issue for the IW.

Visited the archaeological team yesterday. They are disapponted at how little they have turned up on the proposed development site - as am I and quite a few local residents. However, was able to reassure myself that the 'dig' has been as comprehensive as we would expect

Today the traffic speed and volume monitoring devices should be on Furrlongs for two weeks. Hopefully this will supply evidence for more traffic calming measures on the estate. Also noticed a similar device on Staplers Road

INTEGRATION APPROVED

Last night's Full Council meeting approved continuing the work to integrate the Island's two NHS Trusts (yes, TWO) with the Council's Adult Social Services by 40 votes to 3. Myself and Labour comrade Deborah Gardiner opposed, together with Cllr Henry Adams (LibDem). There were many speeches stressing caution, but only I had the chance to speak against - in which I expressed our fears - accountability to Islanders, the long-term financial problems of the two NHS trusts, and staff fears and concerns. I believe that Islanders will pay the price of any mereger, if it ever happens. The pre-conditions for merger are tough to meet and will only be met if evaluated by those who want merger at just about all costs. Still Island Labour tried to save Adult Social Services - a taste of the next four years. Thanks to Henry for supporting us.

Deborah and I also challenged their Cabinet members for the non-delivery to date of many of the Tory manifesto pledges (such as an annual £50 parking ticket for Islanders within one month of their election, and commitments on school performance) - all we got was weasel-words and sophistry, but we will get this into the local media. They cannot be allowed to make such dishonest pledges without people knowing what they are now not doing.

Apart from Henry Adams' voting support, we heard nothing from the three LibDems present and only words of 'gently critical friendship' from the 'Independent Scrutiny Group' lead by Cllr Mazillius - or the 'Condependents' as they are becoming known. The only opposition will be Deborah and I - so much for scrutiny functions being in the hands of opposition members...........

Finally was the only male councillor NOT wearing a tie ! In temperatures more like downtown Madras, sane people know when not to wear a tie. But then I don't have an ex-military leader !!!!!!

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE INTEGRATION

Interestingly, the Tories are now proposing a revised motion on integration tomorrow that has five pre-conditions that will be almost impossible to meet under any impartial assessment. In which case, why go ahead with the intention ?

NEWPORT AREA FORUM

Attended my first Newport Area Forum last night, as a full voting 'core member'. The Forum is one of many across the IW set up under the Community Partnership initiatives. Consists of 6 of the 8 Newport & Carisbrooke IW Councillors (Parkhurst and Carisbrooke West have opted out), and reps. from business and the voluntary and community sectors. It is a sort of informal town council committed to improving the Newport /Carisbrooke area, with an annual budget from the IW Council of about £15k - £20k if all 8 Councillors were involved. I had some doubts about being involved myself as there is so much more happening on Pan through the neighbourhood partnership monies, but after listening to its purpose and plans I have decided to stay on board. I will now seek suggestions from Pan residents as to what they would like from the Forum