Tonight was the May meeting of Newport TMC. At the meeting I confirmed for members that £20k from the old Parkhurst Community Forum, which was going to be used by the TMC for various projects over the next year, had been withdrawn by the IW Council late last month without any warning. Given that our 2007/8 budget was based on having half of this money for the next year this had effectively scuppered our budget. This together with the £6k grabbed back from last year's Newport budget, meant we have lost £25k in total - £15k of which was specifically earmarked.
There was real unhappiness about this sudden loss, particularly from the Parkhurst councillor. The Tory councillors vainly tried to defend it, but without much success given they had all signed up to the detail of our budget last December without a whimper about grab backs.
Consequently all new projects have now been cancelled and a decision was made to forget producing a Community Plan.
All in all I felt the guts were ripped out of Newport TMC by the IW Council with these decisions, and there is little motivation now until we get an independent, elected town council.
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I'm amazed the Councillor from Parkhurst could be bothered to turn up - he isn't seen often in the Council chamber. Perhaps if he spent more time on his duties as a councillor and holding the Tories to account Parkhurst might not be treated like this!!!
If he had remained as chairman of scrutiny he could even have decided to look at the decision.
Parkhurst residents let down as usual by the LimpDumps...
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