Councillor Karl Love

Annual Report 2022

Councillor Karl Love  –  East Cowes Ward

This has been the busiest year I have ever encountered as the Ward of East Cowes continues to be at the centre of change and development.  We have hope that a solution is in sight for the Floating Bridge. Venture Quays and our Esplanade Landslip Community Regeneration Projects are under way. The Town Council has taken ownership of the Esplanade Greens and town park areas during 2021/22.

A mammoth town and Island effort took place in collecting aid and supporting those escaping the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine. We are thankful to MAD-Aid, East Cowes for their work. 

I have been supporting our community events of all kinds but special mention goes to our Town Crafters who have been so busy during Covid helping to keep people well and active.  Our community is slowly recovering from Covid but it lingers in the background threatening to undermine all our efforts to contain and vaccinate against it.  We must continue to be cautious and up-to-date with our vaccinations. 

Our Highway connectivity still remains an issue for our town and community and I have been working hard to ensure that our concerns are listened to. We finally have automated visual display highway units for the Floating Bridge and Island Gateway Terminal. A highway strategy for East Cowes is also being developed and a Flood protection scheme implemented. However this will need a lot more work.  

My work within Adult Social Care has been stressful in trying to make the pounds stretch an extra mile and balancing staffing issues. Our Island unpaid carers are one of our most valuable but unrecognised assets in helping to keep people safe.   I will continue to do the very best I can for us all in holding our council to account and promoting a better way of life and living.

Karl Love

March 2022