To invite Cabinet Members to provide a brief update on matters concerning their portfolio.
Minutes:
The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Corporate Functions reported that the deadlines to apply for school places for the coming year were 31 October 2024 for Secondary schools and 15 January 2025 for Primary schools. The partnership with Hampshire County Council had now ended and the new Director of Children’s Services and Service Directors for Education and Children’s Social Care were now in post. A more holistic approach to place planning was to be considered. Consultation would take place with members, school governors, parents and other stakeholders prior to any proposals being announced.
The Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Biosphere and Waste reported that the council had won a Green Impact Gold Award, for supporting businesses to improve their environmental performance.
The Cabinet Member for Planning, Coastal Protection and Flooding reported that two Supplementary Planning Documents would be coming to Cabinet for approval to address health and flooding issues. There was to be a public meeting later in February with an update on the recent landslips and coastal protection and how the council could support residents. Actions from the planning peer review had resulted in re-introducing ‘meet the planners’ on Wednesday afternoons, and in the first two weeks 20 people had visited the service. The Agents and Architects forum was also being resurrected, with its first meeting the following day.
The Cabinet Member for Housing and Finance thanked the Chief Executive and Finance team for finalising a balanced budget.
The Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration, Culture and Leisure reported that various activities were planned for the forthcoming half term holiday, including play days at the Newport Roman Villa and family activities at the guildhall museum. On 20 February there was to be a follow up workshop on the Solent Cultural Strategy. Further funding had been obtained from Historic England for Ryde and a bid was to be submitted for extra funding for Ryde Greenway. An event to discuss the Cowes and Northwood Place Plan had taken place which the Cabinet Member had attended.
The Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Highways PFI and Transport Strategy, Strategic Oversight and External Partnerships reported that the proposal to increase parking charges from 1 April and to increase the floating bridge charge would not now be taken forward, neither would there be any increase in the charges in the current financial year. This had been included in the budget being proposed.
The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health reported that a paper would be coming forward regarding the government initiative for a Smokefree Generation, with a range of measures to encourage people not to start smoking and to support people to stop. Disposable vapes had now been banned and the council were working with schools and trading Standards colleagues on this. The Cabinet member had attended a successful wellbeing event for support staff and carers which had been attended by over 150 people.
The Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, Community Protection and ICT reported that she had been to a meeting of the Youth Commission who were looking for more members aged 14 – 25 to help shape policing and crime decisions. Nine new police officers had been appointed as beat officers for the Island, in addition to the existing neighbourhood and district teams. A letter had been received from the Police and Crime Commissioner regarding the submission of bids to the ASB Fund to deal with anti-social behaviour issues.