TORY CABINET TO VISIT PAN....

The proposed Pan development will be the subject of discussion by the Council’s Cabinet on the evening of Tuesday 3rd April, from 6pm at Downside Middle School.

This will be the first high-level public discussion since March last year, and is intended to move forward the proposed development. The Cabinet is expected to agree a wide-ranging public consultation on what the people who live on Pan would like to see from the new development, including suggestions like the proposed all-purpose recreational facilities attached to Downside school.

This will be a real opportunity for Pan people to tell Council officers what they want, rather than being directed into what they should want—as happened with the Pan Masterplan a few years ago. For example on the subject of a south Pan relief road, and community facilities.

I urge all Pan residents to get involved. Starting with getting along to this Cabinet meeting.

SOD THE POD !

As part of the Pan development there has always been the Council's intention to provide an information point for Islanders once it actually got started. Traditional large scale noticeboards apparently come in at phenomonal costs - £40k for 3 was mentioned last summer. So when we were told about Pods - aka 'Flexible Community Spaces' - last summer, at a cost of £60k, many of us applauded the different thinking. Pods are effectively temporary buildings that you can do whatever you want with. Many of us thought one on Pan would be a great attraction.....and a great information and consultation point.

Sadly costs as originally floated began to spiral before the scheme had even commenced - to anything between £90k and £120k. As the Pan councillor I felt I could no longer support this (I'm not that daft!) and said so repeatedly from the start of this year - particularly at PNP Board meetings where I secured overwhelming support from the Resident Board members.

However, it seems that No is not being understood. PNP Board is now being press-ganged into continuing to consider the Pod proposals. I have called for an urgent Board meeting next week so that we can nail this once and for all. If the Council wants to spend £90k + on this, they can do it without tainting PNP Board members. Better that they did a wider residents consultation.

FERRY PASSENGERS FOR A FAIR DEAL

I am happy to publicise the Link on the left to "Ferry Passengers for a Fair Deal". A competition enquiry is long overdue.

LIB DEMS ABDICATE ALL RESPONSIBILITY

At last night's Budget Council it fell to the Labour Group to propose an opposition budget increase of 3.5% - below the inflation rate for this year - in the absence of any proposals from the two main so-called opposition groups - the Lib Dems and Independents.

Having seen the corpse of Island Lib Demmery twitching in the public gallery during the public question time part of the agenda, their few remaining councillors then proceeded to behave in the most appalling manner for the entire budget debate. The Tory budget proposal of 1.9% had been made by the Leader. This depends on over 7% of 'efficiencies' next year, on top of the similar cuts this year, and worrying raids on Council reserves. By doing this they produce a raft of populist initiatives.

For the Labour Group I then proposed our budget amendment, which sought to reduce efficiencies to 2.5%, in line with government targets, made a number of policy commitments, and was pitched at 3.5%. I asked all the opposition parties to join us in supporting an alternative to the Tory 'slash and raid' fiscal strategy.

When it went to the vote on our amendment only Deborah and I voted for our alternative, with 2 of the 3 Liberals present (Price and Knowles) and 1 independent (Humby) voting against, and the 4 other opposition members present abstaining (Adams, Miller, Stephens, Hancock).

On the main vote on the Tory budget this attracted the support of 1 independent (Humby), 5 against (me, Deborah, Miller, Stephens, and Adams), and 1 independent abstention (Hancock). At this vote only Henry Adams was left from the Lib Dems, as the other two had gone home early.......hopefully to contemplate their total abdication of responsiblity.

This Tory Budget is terrifying. I am prepared to accept that the Tories inherited some slack from the Liberals, which they successfully cut away last year. But to do it again is beyond belief.

That was the main item on the agenda. Two interesting points. Firstly the phalanx - yes, phalanx - of Communications & Media officers present to dish out copies of the Leader's speech when he sat down, though I never got one ! Secondly, when there was vote at the end to extend the meeting by 15 minutes, only Deborah and I from the opposition voted to stay and take our monthly opportunity to ask questions of Cabinet members in public. Why on earth will anyone ever vote for a Lib Dem again ?

BIG NIGHT TOMORROW

It is rumoured that the Leader of the Council will apologise at Full Council tomorrow for the bullying regime that exists in this Council. Personally I am expecting giant green pigs being sighted in the sky above St George's Down.

Full Council tomorrow is primarily about next year's Council Budget, with a no surprises below inflation increase of about 2.5% expected from the Tories. The non-opposing opposition members from the LibDem and Independent groups will do nothing. It will be for Labour to provide the only real opposition - as we have done now for 22 months.

Before that I will be meeting with some outside people who are reviewing Ethical Governance in this Council........

FULL HOUSE

With the suspension of three Directors today this Tory Council has now achieved a full house in sweeping away the chief officers they inherited. The whole situation stinks, and begs the question - what have the responsible politicians been doing, given this lot have now been in power for nearly 2 years ?

TORIES DOUBLE UP FOR DEBORAH

My colleague Deborah Gardiner did Extra Extra yesterday. The Tories clearly feel she is so fearsome that they have to oppose her mob-handed. So they sent along TWO Cabinet Members - Wood and Abraham - to cope with her. I've only ever had one Tory each time I have been on, though they were ones who are more than confident in their roles.

PAN DEVELOPMENT TO PROGRESS A LITTLE BIT !

The proposed Pan development will be the subject of discussion by the Council’s Cabinet on the evening of Tuesday 3rd April. This will be the first high-level discussion since March last year, and is intended to move forward the proposed development.

The Cabinet is expected to agree a wide-ranging public consultation on what the people who live on Pan would like to see from the new development, including suggestions like the proposed all-purpose recreational facilities attached to Downside school.

This will be a real opportunity for Pan people to tell Council officers what they want, rather than being directed into what they want—as happened with the Pan Masterplan a few years ago. For example on the subject of a south Pan relief road, and community facilities.

I urge all Pan residents to get involved.

A NUDGE TO THE TORIES

This week saw the 'assassination' of the Council Leader outside County Hall. All part of a fun event for young people, but the pictures taken of his 'demise' ( I would post them, but Blogger is playing up) might just send a visual nudge to the rest of the Tory group on the Council - "Who will rid us of this liability ?" I can think of a couple of credible contenders from their group.

The headlines under his leadership are just going to get worse and worse. For the last two days we have had the bullying at County Hall stories; something that has only appeared under his leadership. His response ? "Sack all the bullies" - showing a singular failure to understand what manifests itself as bullying.

Next story will be the manner in which Members Allowances were recommended for increase last autumn. We had Scrutiny Committee this evening where we agreed a Report by our lay member, which is an indictment of the way things work in this Council. Thankfully the Chief Exec has given an apology to the Independent Remuneration Panel, who were treated with total contempt by the Leader last November. Needless to say there has been no apology from that quarter. Will be interesting to see if this Report gets presented to Full Council, as is its intention.

Of course next Wednesday will see the triumphalism of the next Tory budget, which will require buckets all round if last year is an example of how his group will respond to the Leader's speech - though I genuinely hope they are beginning to see through the bluff. He will then no doubt go on IW Radio to have his ego massaged by the station that today called people with learning disabilities "thick" until I complained.

On a positive note, a real pleasure to have a Cabinet member along to talk about car parking who knew this part of his portfolio very well, who was happy to engage in debate about policies, and who did not need to be chaperoned by his Director. Most Cabinet members are learning well and Scrutiny will hopefully be increasingly seen as an opportunity rather than a threat.

MISSING

Apologies to my regular readers, but things last week seemed to get in the way of me posting. They'll be calling me Joe D* next !

Anyway the 'highlights' of last week were:

* Meeting with Ash Rd residents and the Police and Safer Communites on Monday to talk about the anti-social behaviour in Coppins Bridge car park

* Missed Cabinet on Tuesday as I had a school governors meeting. They then sneaked through a public consultation on their plans for 14-19 Education that will last about 3 weeks ! However, I am hopeful that the possibility of a scrutiny call-in on that will secure a sensible consultation period;

* Was invited at the last minute to make a speech at the IW Law Centre AGM on Wednesday, which I think went down well. An excellent voluntary sector service that I am proud to associate myself with;

* Did Extra Extra on Solent TV again ,which I really enjoyed. LibDem baiting is my favourite sport. They are such an easy target after the last 10 years of failure here;

* PNP board meeting on Thursday, which is always enjoyable and is becoming in the main an increasingly stretegic body.

NO SURPRISE AT BULLYING CULTURE

After a few days away got back yesterday and then read the County Press front page about the early Council staff survey results. No surprise to learn that staff feel the culture of this administration is one of bullying and harassment. If what I have experienced as an opposition councillor at the hands of this Council leadership over the last 5 months is an example, then there is little chance of improving things. Interesting that there appears to be no mention of staff being 'starry eyed' about the Tory administration.