Find VentnorBlog on your Mobile - Twitter - Facebook
For daily email updates, just your email address:

« | Home | »

 

Author: simon

Island PFI Road Scheme Explained By David Pugh (Podcast)

Thursday, 5th June, 2008 at 12:51 pm, Isle of Wight

Central Wight, Politics, podcast

Island PFI Road Scheme Explained (Podcast)There’s been much written about the £325 million pounds that have been raised through Private Finance Initiative (PFI) for roads on the Wight.

From what we’ve read, nothing has really explained what it meant and how it works, so when we met up with David Pugh, Leader of the IW Council, there was chance for getting some clarification.

The rest of the info below gathered from the discussions with David Pugh (DP).

PFI have lots of fans, but many of those who are fans are those who are involved in arranging them, therefore getting benefit. Other people feel that PFI are horrific, as they see them as pawning the family jewels and paying lots of money back for the privilege.

No pay back
DP was keen to point out that there is no pay back, as is often the case with PFI schemes.

The government has top sliced from local authorities (FYI, top slicing is removing part of a budget for centralised used).

This money is then given as a straight forward grant, from government to a private company (subject to proper procurement), who will deliver and manage the upgrade of the roads and the ongoing maintenance for the 25 years of the project.

DP was keen to point out that it didn’t mean tolls on the roads. Phew!

Will Island companies benefit?
It would initially appear that contracts of this type would probably only be handled by very large companies — as the budgets involved are so huge — more than likely not those based on the Island.

Quite how it works as far as providing employment locally is unknown.

David gives it a go of trying to persuade us that the money spent on the roads is good for Eco-Island – we suspect this is the reuse of glass that Joe Duckworth mentioned to us at the Big Green Picnic launch.

Have a listen yourself …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Luckily our roads are not quite as bad as the one pictured in Rumpi as highlighted by The Post News Online

Related posts:


Email This Story To A Friend Email This Story To A Friend

2 Responses to “Island PFI Road Scheme Explained By David Pugh (Podcast)”

  1. +2 Click if you like this comment Mike Starke     says:
    3, February 2010 at 12:08 pm

    What was not reported in your piece about D Pugh and the PFI is that, from 2013, if the PFI is approved by Whitehall, IW taxpayers will be forking out £11.1m a year, plus inflation, for 25 years. This will take priority and County Hall papers have warned other expenditure will have to be cut accordingly. So if this year, with £11.6m budget cuts already proposed, were 2013, the budget deficit, including the PFI chunk, would be near £23m. And tnat would leave vast potholes in more than the roads.

    (Report comment)

    Reply to this comment

What is your view?

Comment guidance

*** You're now able to reply directly to someone's comment, find out how ***

We all love to read your comments - just consider that they can be read by people of all ages, so please avoid them being offensive, or over-personal.

If wouldn't say it in front of your Gran, please don't post it.

Tip: If you're feeling incensed about a comment and are thinking of bashing out a reply, go and make yourself a cup of something hot, take a deep breath and then reply. You're less likely to write something that you regret later.

Don't worry - even if you see your name and email address below, please don't be concerned. Your email address cannot be seen publicly.