Agenda item

Cabinet Member Announcements

To invite Cabinet Members to provide a brief update on matters concerning their portfolio.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Community Engagement reported that the Queen’s speech earlier in the week had mentioned proposals for the Levelling Up Act which was proposed for 2024. The main points would be circulated to councillors the following week. Officers would scrutinise the proposals as they went through parliament. The Cabinet member would continue to liaise with the Island’s MP.

 

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Lifelong Skills reported that the government papers on education and SEN services had been received and the implication for the Island were being looked at. Recommendations would be reported back.

 

The Cabinet Member had attended a very impressive Young Enterprise Event in which seven schools had taken part including St Catherine’s school. The result was yet to be announced. The Cabinet Member would also be attending the Child of Wight award ceremony.

 

Several Ukrainian families had been welcomed to the island. This would bring extra pressure to children’s services and progress would be monitored.

 

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health reported that it was currently Mental Health Week. He had attended an event at the hospital at which mental health services were promoted.

 

The Health and Care Bill had received Royal Assent on 28 April and guidance was awaited on its implementation.

 

The workforce in Adult Social Care had slightly improved. There had been some positive initiatives with the NHS.

 

MAD-AID, based in East Cowes had worked with several voluntary groups and individuals to transport 11 truck loads of aid to Moldova and GP surgeries and the hospice had donated a lot of equipment. The Cabinet Member himself had been to visit the country to see the work being carried out there.

 

The Cabinet Member for Community Protection, Digital Transformation, Housing Provision and Housing Needs reported that the white paper on fire had been given Royal Assent. There would be a fire safety and prevention document coming forward. He was still working with the fire authority and the PCC to try and get a One Public Estate blue light centre.

 

Since the Island Plan core strategy in 2012 there had ben a shortfall of 1244 homes. There were currently 2466 homes needed on the housing list. Five rough sleepers were currently being cared for. There had been an annual increase of 19% in empty properties since 2019. 121 of these had been empty for more than two years. It was hoped that the housing problems may be alleviated by working within the empty property strategy to try and bring some back into use.

 

The Cabinet Member for the Environment, Heritage and Waste reported that work was ongoing in developing the Climate Change strategy and bringing biosphere principles into actions taken.

 

The household battery recycling facility was now available to the public who could put batteries out with their general waste.

 

The Cabinet Member for Highways PFI, Transport and Infrastructure reported that free parking for NHS patients travelling to the mainland for treatment had been put in place. It was hoped that this would extend to ferry travel in the future. There was to be two hours free parking in Newport starting in two weeks’ time.

 

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Tourism and Business Development reported that she would be going to Southampton to represent the Island for the City of Culture bid. The judges would be in Southampton all day and it was hoped there would be a chance to promote the island and its links with Southampton.

 

A visit had been carried out to the Innovation Wight centre at Northwood which was intended to be opened at the end of June 2022.

 

There was to be a ‘Celebrate Ryde’ event on 14 May in conjunction with Ryde Town Council.

 

There was to be another chance to bid in the next round of Levelling Up. Any bids had to be transport related. Options were currently being considered an a report would be presented to Cabinet in June.

 

It was disappointing that the Island had only received £1 million from the Shared Prosperity Fund which was less than hoped for. A report would be presented to Cabinet in July to decide how the funds would be spent.

 

Leisure centres were seeing a 67% recovery of One Card users. Medina Theatre had seen an increase of more than 1000 people this April than in April 2018 or 2019.