Agenda and minutes

To confirm as a true record the Minutes of the extraordinary meeting held on 5 October 2022.

RESOLVED:

THAT the minutes of the Extraordinary meeting held on 5 October 2022 be approved.

To invite Members to declare any interest they might have in the matters on the agenda.

Councillor J Jones-Evans declared and interest in the cost-of-living motion as she was an employer on the Island.

It was noted that the Monitoring Officer had produced a dispensation to Councillors in April 2022 to allow them to take part and vote on the draft Island Planning Strategy.

Questions may be asked without notice but to guarantee a full reply at the meeting, a question must be put including the name and address of the questioner by delivery in writing or by electronic mail to Democratic Services at democratic.services@iow.gov.uk, no later than two clear working days before the start of the meeting. Normally, Full Council is held on a Wednesday, therefore the deadline for written questions will be Friday, 11 November 2022.

Mr C Palin asked an oral question relating to the concealed figure regarding the floating bridge and was this due to third party insurers of the commercial contractors, the leader agreed.

Mr Palin then asked a supplementary question regarding when the leader had made the public aware of the the process of the floating bridge and commit to provide continuing dialog with local town and parish councils with updates, the leader advised that she had agreed to delegate the mediation on the Floating Bridge in February 2022 to the relevant director, which all councillors had been advised of in March 2022, there had been mention of the mediation at various meetings since then.

Ms L Blackledge asked an oral question regarding the Visit IW consultation in relation to a particular levy payer, the Cabinet Member for Levelling up, Regeneration, Business Development and Tourism advised that she would provide a written response to the question.

Mr S Parkes asked an oral question regarding the transport and travel access to and from the Island, where we are  presently and how things were moving forward on this matter. The Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Highways PFI and Transport advised that progress was being made.

To receive the Chairman’s official announcements.

The Chairman advised that she had laid a wreath on behalf of the Isle of Wight council during the Remembrance Day service, she thanked those involved in arranging the event. She had also attended various events and functions representing the Isle of Wight Council.

The Leader introduced the report outlining the recruitment process that was followed, she thanked everyone who had been involved in the process, the Vice Chairman added that the number of applications was encouraging, and it had been an open process.

The recommendation in the report was proposed and duly seconded, a vote was taken the result of which was:

RESOLVED

That the recommendation of the Appointment and Employment committee be approved.

The following nominations were made and duly seconded:

Councillor Ward be appointed to Licensing Committee

Councillor Peace be appointed as Vice Chairman of the Licensing Committee, there were no other nominations.

RESOLVED

That S Hastings be removed from any substitute list in Appendix 1

a)              To receive the Leader’s update report (5 minutes maximum).

b)              Members questions on the Leader’s update report (15 minutes maximum).

The Leader introduced her report and advised that since writing her report the Cabinet had agreed the freehold sale of in full (KMP) to a third party for a film studio. She advised that the cost of living crisis was important and would require full support of all councillors.

The Leader was asked to provide more information regarding the KMP decision and advised that she had met with the people involved earlier in the week and was encouraged by the passion and commitment to the project, this would provide opportunities across a lot of various professions on the Island.

A question was asked regarding the work undertaken following the issues with the Ventnor Sea wall, the Leader advised that staff had worked very quickly to ensure local residents were safe and kept away from the dangers of the area.

How people apply for grant money was asked, the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Lifelong Skills advised that grant money could be applied for through the household support fund on the connect4communities website.

Question was asked when the detail around the KMP decision would be disclosed to the public as the meeting had been held in public. The Monitoring Officer advised that the relevant regulations did not authorise or require disclosure of confidential or exempt information.

For Full Council to outline objections to the recommendation from Cabinet and refer back to Cabinet.

Councillor Jarman proposed an alteration to his motion which was duly seconded his amended motion was as follows:

THAT, having considered the present Draft Island Planning Strategy, the Leader of the Cabinet be informed that Full Council objects to Cabinet’s submitted recommendations (as per Cabinet decision of 08 September 2022). The objections are as follows:

1)

Item 1 – Housing Company and Council Owned Housing Sites

IPS to provide clear commitment to use IOW Council owned land, that is designated as suitable for housing, to being allocated to the IOW Council’s Housing Company (who can work with Housing Associations or others as partners if they wish) to provide social homes affordable to Islanders.

Item 2 – Affordable rented accommodation

For housing developments other than those receiving funding from Homes England (who have their own requirements for the balance of rented/shared ownership as a condition of loans or grants) the affordable housing delivered should be 80% affordable rented and 20% shared ownership.

Item 3 – Time limits on finalising legal agreements

To avoid developers delaying the signing off on legal agreements, a 6 month limit to be imposed on same. Failure to achieve sign-off within that period to result in planning permission being refused.

Item 4 – SHLAA Process

IPS to specify that the process for determining the SHLAA shall be transparent and open with the portfolio holder or their deputy attending all meetings with external parties and minutes to be taken. The respective Ward Member to be invited at attend all related internal meetings and external meetings with third parties.

The PPWG to define, for incorporation in the IPS, how recommendations by officers shall be progressed including member committee scrutiny and member committee scrutiny sign off.

Item 5 – Priority allocation of housing reductions

IPS to give special consideration to capitalising on reduced housing targets in order to relieve pressure on green field sites by retaining as hard the development boundaries in the current plan (ie not the extended boundaries in dIPS) and by considering those at Camp Hill, Freshwater and Bembridge as priorities.

Item 6 – IPS timescales

Revised IPS to be brought back to Full Council no later than April 2023 and in doing so to clarify the regulatory process forward and the legal implications should that revision not be progressed.

Item 7 – Local Energy Security

IPS to recognise the need for local energy security and to provide for a future feasibility study into the generation on IOW of geothermal energy.

Item 8 – Contemporary and accurate data.

IPS to include contemporary and accurate data regarding housing needs, population growth, age profile demographics and related trends including ONS and other sources such as DWP and Health sector analysis.

These key data points to inform the IPS calculations and in conjunction with recognising the exceptional circumstances of the IOW, to define a clear case for further reduced housing targets aligning with the IOW population growth and resident needs.

Item 9 - Affordability

IPS to define the definition of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

Cost of living emergency

As a council, we recognise that our residents face a cost of living emergency. It is expected that 54% of households will be in food and/ or energy stress by this winter.

The council notes

That that the cost of living emergency is a key issue for us as a local authority.

We need to provide access to the appropriate advice and support and support partners in the community to deliver help.

The council resolves to

Ensure we continue to take a co-ordinated approach to addressing the emergency, working with community partners and providing resources where possible

Set up a dedicated officer working group to address the issues

Call on national government to ensure a right to food is written into law

Free up finance to target help through community groups

Ensure all council decisions do not disproportionately impact residents who are struggling the most, by considering the socio economic impact in our assessments of actions we need to take.

Champion a real living wage for all workers on the Island.

Make it easier for local groups to access any funding available.

We commit as 39 Cllrs to work together on the cost of living emergency for the benefit of the Island and our residents.

Councillor Quigley moved the following motion which was duly seconded:

Cost of living emergency

As a council, we recognise that our residents face a cost of living emergency. It is expected that 54% of households will be in food and/ or energy stress by this winter.

The council notes

That the cost of living emergency is a key issue for us as a local authority.

We need to provide access to the appropriate advice and support and support partners in the community to deliver help.

The council resolves to

Ensure we continue to take a co-ordinated approach to addressing the emergency, working with community partners and providing resources where possible.

Set up a dedicated officer working group to address the issues.

Call on national government to ensure a right to food is written into law.

Free up finance to target help through community groups.

Ensure all council decisions do not disproportionately impact residents who are struggling the most, by considering the socio economic impact in our assessments of actions we need to take.

Champion a real living wage for all workers on the Island.

Make it easier for local groups to access any funding available.

We commit as 39 Cllrs to work together on the cost of living emergency for the benefit of the Island and our residents.

Following debate a vote was taken the results were as follows:

RESOLVED:

Cost of living emergency

As a council, we recognise that our residents face a cost of living emergency. It is expected that 54% of households will be in food and/ or energy stress by this winter.

The council notes

That that the cost of living emergency is a key issue for us as a local authority.

We need to provide access to the appropriate advice and support and support partners in the community to deliver help.

The council resolves to

Ensure we continue to take a co-ordinated approach to addressing the emergency, working with community partners and providing resources where possible

Set up a dedicated officer working group to address the issues

Call on national government to ensure a right to food is written into law

Free up finance to target help through community groups

Ensure all council decisions do not disproportionately impact residents who are struggling the most, by considering the socio economic impact in our assessments of actions we need to take.

Champion a real living wage for all workers on the Island.

Make it easier for local groups to access any funding available.

We commit as 39 Cllrs to work together on the cost of living emergency for the benefit of the Island and our residents.

That, having considered the present Draft Island Planning Strategy, the Leader of the Cabinet be informed that Full Council objects to Cabinet’s submitted recommendations (as per Cabinet decision of 08 September 2022). The objections are as follows:

1)    The annual housing number is based on 2014 estimates of the Isle of Wight population and not on actual Isle of Wight population data published by the ONS from the 2021 Census and their resulting demographic projections. Full Council objects to the use of outdated data and requires:

-     the annual housing need to be recalculated using the Isle of Wight population data from the ONS 2021 Census and their resulting demographic projections,

-      the above recalculated figures to replace the current figures in the Draft Island Planning Strategy with particular emphasis on the need for housing which is affordable by Islanders to rent, including those on the housing register, with priority of allocation being given to

         - completing on extant planning permissions, 

         - renovating unoccupied properties, 

         - delivering brownfield sites and,

         - removing greenfield allocations

2)    Full Council instructs the Leader of the Cabinet to require the Cabinet to reconsider, in the light of the above specified objections, the Draft Island Planning Strategy submitted to the Full Council, and that the specified period for such reconsideration is sixty working days (beginning on the day after the date on which the Leader of the Cabinet receives these instructions on behalf of the Cabinet) within which the Cabinet Leader may

(a)      submit a revision of the Draft Island Planning Strategy as amended by the Cabinet (the revised “Draft Island Planning Strategy”), with the Cabinet’s reasons for any amendments made to the Draft Island Planning Strategy, to the Full Council for the Full Council’s consideration; or

(b)      inform the Full Council of any disagreement that the Cabinet has with any of the Full Council’s objections and the Cabinet’s reasons for any such disagreement.

This motion had been raised as a motion without notice on an item earlier in the agenda, therefore it was withdrawn.

Isle of Wight Council resolves to declare a Cost-of-Living emergency in acknowledgement of rise inflation and energy prices through the United Kingdom and the rise in poverty of Isle of Wight residents due to the crisis.

Isle of Wight Council resolves to put in place a clear package of support and help for Isle of Wight residents within its power in collaboration with all stakeholders including Town, Community, and Parish Councils and Voluntary sector at grass-root level.

Councillor Lilley withdrew his motion

Council notes:

* the recent settlement of the Floating Bridge 6 dispute by mediation, with a non-disclosure agreement regarding the details;

* that delegated authority to settle by binding meditation was granted by the Leader last February to a senior officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways PFI, Transport and Infrastructure;

* that this grant of delegated authority by the Leader was never made known to all councillors through any of the Leader's reports to Full Council, as should be expected of a transparent and accountable administration;

Council, therefore, rebukes the Leader for failing to share her granting of delegated authority with Full Council.

Councillor Brodie withdrew his motion

To receive a reply to a question asked during Members’ Question Time to the Leader or Cabinet Member, a question must be submitted in writing or by electronic mail to Democratic Services no later than 6pm on Thursday, 10 November 2022. A question may be asked at the meeting without prior notice but in these circumstances there is no guarantee that a full reply will be given at the meeting.

Due to time constraints this item was not considered