Author: Sal and Simon
Live Coverage of Cabinet Meeting (update 5)
Tuesday, 9th February, 2010 at 6:43 pm, Isle of Wight
Island-wide, Isle of Wight Council, Live coverage, News
We’re reporting live from the Cabinet Meeting at County Hall.
Please refresh / reload your browser to see the latest updates. We will endeavour to report presentations and discussions as accurately as possible. Text surrounded by () signifies VB’s comments.
[17:54] Chamber filling up. 150-200 people outside in the pre-meeting protest
(How lovely, Roger Mazillius is here)
This is the most heavily attended Cabinet meeting I’ve ever seen
[18:00] And we’re off. Cllr Pugh opening the meeting
Public questions: Three written
Mr Millar of Cowes: skipped not present
Lady walked into the chamber – criticised the council and walked out
Mrs Joyce Bogoni (President of the Fair Haven Housing Trust): Meadow Brook stay open while personal budgets? Will there be personal budgets at care homes?
Cllr Cousins: Care homes – no. Not how gov want it to work. Meadow Brook – Will be in the hands of the people who run it
Mrs Bogoni: Just want to be assured
Cllr Pugh: We not making final decisions tonight
Naomi Somerville (Supporting People Provider): £1.9m fund currently ring fenced. What’s happened to it and its interest? IWC say Hostel is its highest priority. Von. resident are at risk at losing funding, due to loss of accommodation.
Cllr Cousins: £1.9m We’ve been advised now that there is no restrictions on it now. Being used to deliver services via Adult Services
2nd answer: Floating services – needs to be viewed against all expenditure needs. Hostel + Sheltered
Q: Music service cuts. Low income families will be hit by cuts. A significant number of people won’t be able to afford music lessons. Can you reconsider reinstating music service budget?
A: This is a schools based service. It’s the right time for them to pick up their duty. While the schools are being reorganised, it’s ideal timing.
Cllr Pugh: End of questions
Lady: I’m not going to listen to that. People there have been crying. What are you going to do about it?
(Massive applause from the audience – first of the night)
Cllr Pugh: Thanks for that. No decisions made yet
(On with the meeting)
This is the hardest budget we’ve had to make. Priorities guided us. Statutory restrictions on us. None of the decisions have been made lightly. I want to stress that these are proposals. Full council on 24 Feb will make the decisions. Clearly are different opinions between elected members. Meeting with professional bodies + others. People making representations will be listened to. Last year’s budget we changed things just before the Full Council on the basis of feedback. I understand that we need to explain the rational behind these ideas. Would welcome feedback from union officials. Unison meeting next week. Professional bodies speaking to us too, as well as user groups. Meeting with some of them over the coming weeks. Some of these proposal are unpalatable, so are many that we’ve rejected. We’re planning on increasing spend on Adult services by £2m (is this linked to the £1.9 just released?)
We’re determined to make the right decisions for the Island. Local authorities across the country are having to make cuts too. National cuts will affect services (get the feeling this is speaking about years ahead)
Cllr Bingham: There’s difficulties across the UK. We must produce a balanced budget. There’s £11.4m shortfall (Not sure why this has dropped from the £11.6m as before)
A lot of what he’s saying was noted in the Overview + Scrutiny meeting.
Core services are most vulnerable
Put it forward for acceptance. We are on a journey
Cllr Brown: asked a question about damping
Cllr Lumley: I’ve had no consultation on these proposals. This is a Conservative proposal. I will prepare an alternative budget.
I will not close services with telling them.
(Applause from gallery)
[18:45] Update 1
Cllr Bacon: Speaking as chair of scrutiny. We only had an hour to look at papers before scrutiny. I hope you’ve got a Minute of the notes we made. I’ll highlight only two items now.
1 – Support for tourism. Not cut, but how little is spent on it. Lack of imagination.
2 – Cuts that will affect vulnerable people the biggest concern. The Supporting People funding in particular. Disclose that I’m a trustee of Law Centre.
Cap Gemini report: Big impact beyond cuts. Officers have told me that £3m cut will lead to a loss of £11.5m of impact. CEO Beynon said last Friday that impact would be restricted.
If 1/4 of the (£11.5m) costs come back to the council, the saving would be wiped out.
Floating Services are by their nature, the more vulnerable of the Island. An answer on Westminster House? I urge you to reconsider
[18:50] Update 2
Cllr Pugh: Phased introduction. Those with the greatest need dealt with first. We’ll be listening to people.
Westminster House clarification – will continue to operate normally until the Full Council.
IWC owns the building and there are no covenants restricting the sale of the building.
Cllr Brown: Thanks for raising Tourism. 3.Feb meeting has full presentation. Far from a lack of creativity.
Cllr Mazillius: Welcome comments from Cllr Lumley on budget. Note Independent body working closely with him. Senior officers have been made available.
(Hisses from balcony)
[19:00] Update 3
Cllr Stephens: We will be aligning with Geoff Lumley for independent budget. Parking permits: Voluntary sector needs to be considered separately.
Cllr Churchman: Parking charges. Some older people might give up the car for the bus – bigger impact on concessionary fares.
Cllr Lumley: To Mazillius, These cuts have never been discussed with the opposition. I think you’re trying to distort. My relationship with officers.
(Vote now)
7 votes in favour
(Talk of a shorter list of cuts)
(Suggest looking at meeting notes for tonights meeting)
[19:14] Update 4
Rural school discussions
Cllr Pugh: (Giving background) Withdraw the closure notices and hard federate.
32. Option C – Withdraw the notices for the discontinuance of Chillerton & Rookley Primary School, Godshill Primary School and Wroxall Primary School, the Isle of Wight Council proposal for the new ‘Rural’ Primary School and therefore the Competition for the new ‘Rural’ Primary School and commence a new process to increase the upper age limit of Chillerton & Rookley Primary School, Godshill Primary School and Wroxall Primary School, including a six week consultation and publication of statutory notices, subject to a hard federation between the three schools. This option contains the minimal risk. There is a risk that this option will cause some adverse publicity in areas of the media and amongst other interested parties. There is also a risk that a decision to withdraw the notices may be subject to legal challenge. However, given the outcome of the open discussion with the OSA, following the receipt of their 5 January 2010 letter, and the support of the three schools involved, this possibility is considered to be small. There is sufficient time to complete the process by September 2010. There is a cost attached to the need to re-consult but this will be minimal.
It’s not on Forward Plan as unexpected decision.
Cllr Bingham: Chair of Governors of Chillerton & Rookley – asked me to speak, supporting it.
Cllr Cousins: Accept and Agree.
Cllr Downer: Spoke to Governors at Wroxhall and Godshill. Support it. There’s no space at Godshill. Funding will be made available and property services are looking for space for us.
(Last one Cllr Pugh answer)
[19:20] Update 5
Cllr Welsford: Cllr Pugh, you said you’d taken views into account. Chale might differ with that.
Cllr Pugh: We’ve listened, but we can’t always act.
On Chale: Given a further opportunity to federate. Asked to let us know as of yesterday, but we’ve heard nothing back from them.
Vote: 7 votes in favour.
Consideration of Forward Plan
Written Qs: Percentage of support grant from the government.
Revenue support grant. 5 – 6 % increase first two. Then went down to 3.9%. (Too many figures)
Cllr Barry: Would you not say that we’ve done well against other councils?
Cllr Bingham: Similar figures, but greater damping.
(Ended)
Related posts:
- Live Coverage From Cabinet Meeting (update 7)
Live coverage as it happens... - Live Coverage of Cabinet Meeting (update 6)
The latest from the Cabinet meeting, as it happens.... - Cabinet Meeting: Live Coverage 19th Jan 2010 (Update 8)
Discussion as it happens at the Cabinet Meeting.... - Live Coverage of Cabinet Meeting (update 6)
Live coverage as it happens from the council chamber... - Live Coverage From Cabinet Meeting Tonight
VB will be covering the Cabinet meting live tonight....
“Lady walked into the chamber – criticised the council and walked out”
Superb!
Offensive comment?
Thanks VB for the live report – I take it that’s the end of the meeting then?
Offensive comment?
Thanks Craighy – yep meeting over.
Offensive comment?
Highlight was the lady walking in critcising and walking out! When the schools closures were first mooted I noted a fairly heavy police prescence at County Hall. ‘Democracy in action’ I assumed. No doubt as this council declines further and faster we’ll see a lot more police officers in the chamber.
Offensive comment?
Thanks again for great coverage of the meeting.
Offensive comment?
I went, for my sins, remarkably the budget “proposals” were passed by 7 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions. Democracy is great innit? By the way the lady who refused to shut up and complained about the closure of Westminster House is (was) a service user of that wonderful establishment.
Good reporting from VB yet again, thanks.
Offensive comment?
Voting not remarkable at all. Just what has been happening at Cabinet meetings since 2005, where there is no dissent and I am often a lone voice of opposition to this Council leadership. Would be good to see tonight’s level of interest at every meeting. Then we might get rid of this heartless bunch in 2013.
As for one Cabinet member allegedly wringing their hands over the cuts in services to vulnerable people………..the honorable and most effective thing to do would be to RESIGN from the Cabinet.
Offensive comment?
The Cabinet member concerned is not in charge, and should stand up for the vulnerable people its part of their duty or RESIGN IN PROTEST.
Offensive comment?
To add to this, this Cabinet member is not just letting down vulnerable people of the Isle of Wight but is letting down themselves.
Offensive comment?
IWC may own Westminster House but what about the moral responsibility to continue to use it in the wishes that were made when it was donated. I understand that it does not run at a loss, if it does then the relevant facts and figures should be made available for inspection. Also if the council no longer wants to support the running of it would they be prepared to let a private company run it as they did rent and mortgage free? This is about peoples friendships they have built and way of life within the community not just figures on paper. Have any of the councilors actually lived or worked with any of the users, I doubt it, they have nothing with which to compare the needs of those with learning disabilities or their parents and carers. As for the meeting everbody was shut into two committee rooms as well as the entrance hall and left with very suspect sound and vision of the meeting, which conveniently only aloud 15mins for questions, of which at least 10mins were on long winded preset answers. I would like to say thank you for everyones support, and suggest a public meeting with the councilors to here all the questions and to contest the issues, not a behind closed doors event.
Offensive comment?
“Have any of the councillors actually lived or worked with any of the users, I doubt it, they have nothing with which to compare the needs of those with learning disabilities or their parents and carers.”
As indicated in other posts, at least one of the cabinet members who voted for this budget has extensive experience in dealing with vulnerable people and their carers. This person once headed the JRIU (Joint Registration and Inspection Unit) and since then as a councillor has campaigned for, and championed the rights for vulnerable people – right up until now that is there are going to be many people who feel very very let down.
Offensive comment?
The Rural Community Council are facing total cut in grant funding from the IWC. Several members of staff will face redundancy and the Islands Voluntary Sector will lose:
funding advice and support including support to find and apply for essential grant funding
training and infrastructure support
funding news and information
support and representation with strategic partners
while this seems less important than direct services to vurnerable people many of the Islands charities and voluntary groups will have benefitted from the RCC.
Offensive comment?
The Funding News and information is a vital service to many third sector organisations. We will all suffer if this service is lost!!
Offensive comment?
I know tough decisions have to be made but I really feel that these budget cuts were rushed through with little consultation. The removal of back door rubbish collections really worries me as believe this will be the start of a slippery slide downwards, having lived in a litter strewn area with a street collection policy, it just doesn’t work.
Offensive comment?
Well said Horace!
In the papers that went to cabinet the Council were proposing to give RCC an interest free loan towards the building of a voluntary sector hub that would provide office space and support to 3rd sector agencies. Great! Thanks! At the same time they are decimating the same RCC by cutting its income by ver 50%. Joined up thinking? Your ‘avin a larf innit!
Offensive comment?
That was possibly the worst cabinet meeting I’ve been to. I’ve been at others where David Pugh has allowed public question time to overrun, but not last night, obviously he didn’t want to hear how angry people are. Never mind email is great and I will be emailing councillors today to explain to them why the music service budget should not be withdrawn. The flannel I was given last night will not suffice. To say that the Medina Innovation Trust will be giving GCSE music students free lessons is ludicrous and doesn’t help those in key stage 3 or those that want to learn an instrument but don’t want to do the GCSE.What about those doing A level?
I would suggest that everyone who is disgusted by these budget proposals email all of the tory councillors and maybe just maybe we’ll find one who has the guts to go against these punitive proposals.They could of course vote for Geoff Lumleys alternative budget who I’m sure will not cause all of this anguish and will manage to balance the books.
Hand wringing is not good enough, offering to take pay cuts would be a better gesture. Come on members of the cabinet and senior officers, do you really need all that money you earn, how about putting some of it back to help keep these vital services.
Or is the aim to turn the clock back 100 years when disabled people were locked away and only the rich had music lessons???
Offensive comment?
Cleverly what these budgets proposals do is put one intrested party against another. While each fights it’s own corner all will lose out and get stuffed anyway.
Offensive comment?
Divide And Rule
Offensive comment?
I agree Horace. I feel awful fighting for music lessons when disabled people and their families are having to fight for services that will have a massive affect on their lives.
I look forward to reading Geoffs budget.
Offensive comment?
It’s like the schools reorganisation all over again. Big cuts to start with and then a change of heart so they don’t look so bad. Like Horace said pitting one group against another, but we all lose out in the end.
Offensive comment?
People really need to turn up the heat to achieve anything. Email, letters, protest etc. Mr Pugh doesn’t like confronting the hoi-polloi. It dents his favoured big grin image.
Offensive comment?
I went to a public question time last night with Mr Pugh. He stated that they would be looking at car parking charges again and was indicating that a permit which would give you 3 hours in a carpark for £99 might be on the cards.
He was very clever, when questions were asked about parking, toilets,buses and CCTV he just dronned on and on and on giving less time for further questions. He failed to answer a question about support to town and parish councils and was positively rude to the lady asking the question. He looked shaken when asked who paid for the square in Shanklin – the answer was the Isle of Wight Council ( he did go on to say it was not a town square it was triangle and he was against the work being done). It sounded like the Island Council were giving help to allow CCTV to be fitted in the town as well although I could not hear properly at this point. It was an interesting evening if only to watch him ducking, diving and delaying when answering. He did not seem worried about hitting the vulnerable with the cuts being proposed and said he was going to a Ball in aid of Haylands Farm on Friday – let me tell you David, your attendance will probably give this worthwhile group about 10 minutes funding. Hang you head in shame. The portfolio holder for this area should also hang her head in shame or perhaps she is worried about standing up to the rest of the cabinet who I cannot make up mind about. Are they men or mice? Whatever they are they do not care about the elderly or the most vulnerable in our community and that makes me not only very angry but very sad.
Offensive comment?
He only cares about David Pugh
Offensive comment?