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…….