IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR SCRUTINY.....

This week the Council decision on 14-19 Education was deferred by 5 days to April 23 and a lot of guff was spouted about giving more time for consultation - a week. This of course conveniently forgets that if it hadn't been for my Scrutiny Committee threatening to call in the 2nd February Cabinet decision (see below) there would have been no attempt at serious consultation and the decision would have already been made at 21 March Full Council.

"That the work and recommendation of the Policy Commission for Children and School Results be endorsed and that a formal consultation process be undertaken, culminating in a proposal for implementation to be considered by the Full Council, in March." (Decision Ref - 52/06)

GUESS WHICH SCHOOL ?

Oftsed said the following about a Newport primary school after a recent inspection:

Grade: 2 -This is a good school with many strengths. Under the guidance of a very effective headteacher the school has a record of improving pupils' attainment. In addition, it has successfully embraced the opportunities afforded by its extended school status. This contributes to outstanding levels of care, support and guidance for pupils and their families. It also ensures that from early morning to the evening, and during school holidays, the school successfully provides a wide range of activities for pupils and the local community.

It is Barton Primary School in Pan ward, a school at which I am proud to be a governor.

COUNCIL CABINET TO MEET IN PAN

On Tuesday 3 April 2007, from 6pm at Downside Middle School , Furrlongs, Newport, the IW Council's ruling Cabinet will be holding its monthly public meeting.

On the agenda will be a major report for progressing the Pan Development, ready for a building start in April 2009. This will indicate that planning permission will be pursued early in 2008.

This meeting is an opportunity for local people to go along and ask questions of the Council leadership about their plans. For example:

1. Why has the Council decided against building a relief road from upper Staplers round to Shide as part of its development of the Pan land, despite the support of the Island's MP and many local people ?

2. Will local people get exclusive access to the 240 (minimum) affordable rented homes being built as part of the development ?

3. Will access to GP services be extended to this side of Newport as part of the development?

4. Will recreational facilities for young local people be provided, as long promised, as part of the development ?

5. Will community facilities be provided as part of the development ?

6. What effect will the development have on local school provision ?

7. Will local people be properly consulted and LISTENED to as part of the development process ?

I am delighted that the Cabinet has decided at my urging to make its next decisions about the Pan development at a meeting in Pan. This is a tremendous opportunity for local people to go along to Downside School and ask questions directly of the actual decision-makers. I earnestly hope that there will be a good turnout, to leave the Cabinet in no doubt about local feelings about the development.

JUST 15 MINUTES

Just 15 minutes effort yesterday and I produced a press release - as a Labour councillor - about last week's Scrutiny Committee that immediately became main story on the Solent TV website:

WATCHDOG EXAMINES WASTE

The watchdog committee that examines decisions made by the Isle of Wight Council has called on the local authority to increase its already high rates of recycling.

The Scrutiny Committee, chaired by Labour member Cllr Geoff Lumley, heard from waste and recycling officers at the council. Although current performance was shown to be very effective, the committee heard that more could be done to encourage public participation. Cllr Lumley said he was surprised to see how little is done to recycle commercial and industrial waste and promised that the committee will investigate the matter further.

If I can do it, why can't the Westminster contractors ensure the same ?

CONTINUING COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE

As I anticipated earlier this week, tonight's Scrutiny Committee was a non-event as far as the IW population is concerned, thanks to the failure of the highly expensive Council 'communications' contract to give us any support.

With another failure to deliver what they have promised me as Scrutiny Chair too many times over the last year, its back to self-communication for me.

Anyway, in the absence of any press and with only one member of the public, it was a bit like the days when the LibDem chaired the committee back in late 2005.

And that is such a shame. We were looking into a probable enquiry into how the IW Council can maximise waste recycling, at a time when our landfill is nearly full and despite excellent household recycling performance, commercial and industrial waste management is entirely absent. The responsible Director and two of his excellent staff were at the Committee to give evidence and make suggestions, and were clearly pleased at the interest we are showing in this important area for the Island.

Sadly, only readers of this blog will know about it - unless I do something myself.........

SAVE HENRY ADAMS FROM LIBERAL ABUSE !

Full Council tonight. A unanimous decision to keep the Fire Service as an Island service. Only a madman could have voted any other way after the public consultation. Not that I wanted to, of course !

My motion presenting Scrutiny's 'Members Allowances Enquiry' report went through after the Tories took out its two most controversial recommendations with a successful amendment, that only Deborah and I opposed from those on the the Committee who were present.

It was also agreed that the Scrutiny Committee needs some re-engineering if it is to be able to take on some of the extra responsibilities proposed in the Government's White Paper. I supported this proposal by the Council Leader.

Finally, with over one hour of the meeting left there were NONE of the Liberal Democrat councillors left at the meeting. Even poor old Henry Adams got fed up and left after sitting on his own for half an hour. At the start he only had one companion out of the three others in his group. Their putative parliamentary candidate came along at the start to ask some silly public question about the Fire Service, which just reminded everyone how bad they were at running the Fire Service, and then herself left before the Fire Service decision was made.

These Liberal Democrats - irresponsible and opportunist at all times. In contrast to our Henry, who deserves much better. Henry - get out of that abusive relationship !

A BAD WEEK.....

This week is not going well and will probably get worse with a Full Council tomorrow evening......

Started off by finding out yesterday that Newport Town Management Committee may have the £10k it has been using to address the mess around the River Medina next to Cineworld etc taken from us, as we haven't completed the project by the end of this month. Yet another pointless battle to fight with this pettily bureaucratic Council.

Then realised that putting my faith in the so-called Communications operation for Scrutiny publicity is entirely misplaced. There is a Scrutiny Committee on Thursday. People used to know about them before I was roped into corporate non-communications (aka gagged). Lesson learnt......

And then there is ********. But no, I must leave that subject until the embargo is over. Look out for a press release next week.

ANOTHER TORY MANIFESTO PROMISE BITES THE DUST

With the draft Boundary Commission submission we find that the Tory run IW Council will be looking for a reduction from 48 to 40 wards - a reduction of one-sixth. Their 2005 Election Manifesto said they would:

Press to ensure that the number of Councillors is reduced by at least a third.

Another committment bites the dust.......probably in an attempt to stop the blood-letting in Conservative Associations if they had to get the 36 Tory councillors down to 24 candidates......

WHEN 2% INCREASE = 4% INCREASE

Got my Council Tax bill today. Yes, Councillors do get them !

I was interested to know that the Special Expenses precept for Newport has gone up 4% even though the one-third decided upon by Newport Town Management Committee - which I Chair - had a 0% increase. And I thought the Tories only increased the Budget just under 2% this year ?

4% of course being higher than the 3.5% that the Labour Group proposed as an overall Council Tax increase. And above the inflation rate for pensioners.

Dishonest, dishonest, dishonest.........

CHIEF EXECUTIVE HELD HOSTAGE ?

The last time we heard from the IW Council's Chief Exec on his 'Joe Blogs' - over a month ago now - he had just had a 'fascinating' meeting with the Chamber of Commerce.

The use of that word 'fascinating' in the context of the Chamber's input into the 14-19 Education Options - see my post yesterday - makes me wonder if they made him an offer he cannot refuse !

Clearly I have watched too many mafia films.....but it does make you wonder.............

A MOST IMPORTANT VOICE

I went along to the 14-19 Education Options consultation at Medina High School last Thursday evening. I had heard some bad things about how these had been managed in Ryde & Cowes, but it seemed that, more by luck than judgement, most attendees at this one got what they wanted from it. By the simple expedient of allowing people a choice, after the majority had expressed that view.

One thing I keep hearing about the Options being presented to Islanders that annoys me. It is constantly said that this Option emerged out of the 6th Form College consultation last autumn, as if there was some sort of groundswell of support for the Council's preferred Option.

The fact is that one organisation alone came up with the option of putting Year 9 into middle schools, and that was the IW Chamber of Commerce. Clearly a very important - perhaps pre-eminent - voice in education matters.

POD OFF.....

The Pan Pod project - see my post on 27 Feb - was abandoned by the Council earlier this week. Tonight the PNP Board took a clear position to oppose any attempts to resurrect it. People power in Pan.

TELL ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE

From interview in The Guardian today with our IW Council Leader's political guru:

(Westminster Council leader Sir Simon) Milton's agenda, enshrined in Westminster Council's
"one city" charter, was produced just before DC became leader of the Conservative party. "It's a sort of one-nation approach"....Milton explains.

Westminster-by-the-Sea indeed........"One Island, One Council, er....(two per cent)" 2007 Budget speech.

(pic right - City Hall, Westminster)

NOT ENSURING PUBLIC MONEY IS PROPERLY SPENT....

Went along to the Cabinet in Ventnor last night. I though I might fall off the end of the earth going that far south.....

Anyway the District Auditor (DA) put in his annual appearance to tell us that whilst the Council is still 2-star after 2 years they are no longer just 'improving adequately', but are now 'improving well'. Will it be 3 stars in 3 years and 4 stars in 4 years I wonder. Nothing else will do surely for this Council Leader !

As the DA referred to the law breaking over the Undercliff contract I asked him why he had failed in his duty to 'ensure public money is properly spent' sometime in the years before being tipped off by a member of the public last November. This question went down well with the public audience and the answer I got smacked of excuses. These DAs are very quick to condemn elected politicians in my experience, but unlike politicians are not directly accountable to the electorate.

Later on there was an opportunity to make observations about the disturbingly high levels of long-term sickness in some parts of the Council. Was it the bullying culture I wondered ? No I was told; in fact some staff think they are being bullied when they are just asked to do their job. Once again I was staggered at the absence of understanding over this issue.

After that the Cabinet agreed a 'blue paper' (not a pornographic allusion, I think) on affordable housing policy. This is a very 'worthy' document whose value will be judged in its delivery.

Next Cabinet, on 3rd April, will be in Pan at Downside Middle School. The Pan development being a major agenda item.

AS TEDIOUS AS A PHONE BOX FULL OF LIB DEMS !

A Scrutiny colleague from the LDs was knocking me in the CP letters page last week. Whilst thick-skinned enough to take most of that, I was highly upset at his allegation that this blog is 'tedious'.

Of course it is blockhead ! That's what blogging is about when you keep it for the general reader. Having the discipline to blog regularly for nearly two years is something a phone box full of LD egoists couldn't manage in a million years.

I provide this blog as a sort of public service - to constituents, Islanders and Council staff - in that order. With 13,000 hits last year I think it goes down reasonably well.

One thing you won't find here is startling revelations about my innermost political thoughts. I will leave that to the LibDem policy forumists that this chap apparently 'co-ordinates'. Because quite clearly they aren't delivering any alternative policies after licking their wounds for the last two years.

WHAT SORT OF COUNCIL IS THIS ?

Yesterday I learnt from informal sources, and at the same time as the local media, that two more senior members of staff had been suspended over the Undercliff contract illegality.

Allegedly there is a great commitment to improved communications in this Council, at great expense to the tax payer.

If a councillor cannot be told things, there is little hope of openness improving.