Dear Resident
Attached is the latest newsletter from the Parish Council. In light of the recent bad weather, I have also attached information as supplied by the IW Council on who to contact regarding any flooding. The members of the Parish Council would be interested to know if you have experienced any flooding recently and where it came from e.g. off the fields, the roads or an overflowing ditch or stream. We are unlikely to be able to do anything about it but it would be useful to know if there are particular areas that seem to be affected more than others.
Have a good summer!
Best wishes
Sheila
Mrs Sheila Caws - Clerk to Arreton Parish Council
=====================================================
Arreton Parish Council Newsletter
Summer seems to be playing hide-and-seek at the moment but let’s hope for some half-decent weather over the next month. The Parish Council does not go into aestivation* during the summer but things do tend to be quieter (she says hopefully) as there are fewer meetings going on. I say hopefully as when I was Clerk at Fishbourne PC, Wightlink decided to put in their planning application for the new ramp in August. I was not best pleased!
* Aestivation – the opposite of hibernation i.e. sleeping through the summer as opposed to the winter. I did have to look it up!
Parish Council news
Other than the items below, there is little to report from the Parish Council except that we continue to work on your behalf on local issues such as planning applications, footpaths and anything else that is brought to our attention that we can deal with. Talking of local issues, all is quiet on the oil and beaver front at the moment but that may not last.
Elections
As you may remember, we were looking to co-opt someone to fill the last seat on the Parish Council following the elections in May. I am pleased to say that our new councillor is Mr Nicholas Gurney-Champion and he has already attended his first meeting, where he was made most welcome.
Annual inspection of the burial grounds
The members of the Parish Council inspect Gore Cemetery and the Churchyard at St George’s once a year. We are usually lucky with the weather but this year we were accompanied by persistent drizzle. Last year we found quite a few problems with wonky headstones and suchlike but these have all been repaired and it was noted that the outstanding work on three tombs in the Churchyard should be completed this autumn. This year, the main problem was an abundance of ivy at both locations, which will be dealt with by our grounds’ maintenance contractors.
It was also noted that our pest control measures in the Cemetery (including a new rabbit-proof fence) appear to be working and the contractors actually had to cut the grass for the first time in years.
If the rabbits would only confine themselves to grass-nibbling, they would be quite welcome but they have an unfortunate habit of digging around and undermining the gravestones, which is why their presence is not required.
Dates for your diary
Arreton Community Lunch
The Arreton Community Lunch started up again this month at the Community Centre in Arreton. The lunch was well attended and it was good to see old friends and some new faces and everybody enjoyed themselves.
The next lunch is on Thursday 19th August at 1pm and please let Di O’Grady know if you are going to join us on 01983 865370 or Jacqui Gill on 01983 840607.
Saturday 21st August 3pm
Rev Kath Abbott is hosting afternoon tea at the Newchurch Vicarage in aid of Beaulieu House Children’s Respite Care Centre.
Concert at St George’s Church 29th September at 7.30pm by Shanklin Brass Band All welcome to attend.
VJ Day Service
As many of you know, there is a commemorative window to the Burman Star veterans in St George’s Church and a service is held annually (although not last year for obvious reasons). This year, VJ Day (15th August) falls on a Sunday and the service will be held in the Church at 2pm. Already attending are the Lord Lieutenant and Deputy, the High Sheriff, his deputy and many past Lord Lieutenants and High Sheriffs, The Archdeacon of the IOW along with Standard Bearers from the British Legion, RN, Guides and Scouts. Should you wish to attend, please rsvp as soon as possible.
Bell-ringing
Whilst on the subject of the Church, have you ever thought of church bell ringing as a hobby? St George’s Church, Arreton looking for new learners and lapsed ringers wishing to return.
Practice nights are on Mondays from 7.30pm and a tower is to be held on the 4th September from 1 till 4pm with refreshments.
All ages are welcome. Come and see what bell ringing involves and have a go.
For more details please contact Barry Downer on 01983 867150.
Police
The Neighbourhood Policing Team intend to resume their local beat surgeries at the following locations and times:-
RAJ PREMIER STORE, APSE HEATH 10.00 - 10.30
ARRETON POST OFFICE 10.40 - 11.10
ROOKLEY POST OFFICE 11.15 - 11.45
SHORWELL VILLAGE SHOP 12.00 - 12.30
UPCOMING DATES: 17th AUGUST
14th SEPTEMBER
12th OCTOBER
9th NOVEMBER
7th DECEMBER
If you cannot attend and need to speak to someone you can ring PCSO Justin Keefe on 07901 102302 for a chat.
Local libraries
The IW Council’s libraries are now fully open again.
Welcome back to your local library
Isle of Wight Council libraries will appear a bit more like their old selves from Monday (19 July).
Opening hours are going to be extended and there will no longer be limits on the number of people who can be in the building at any one time. Other changes will see the return of comfortable seating in the adult and children's libraries, study tables will be available and people will be able to read the day's newspapers. Computers will be available for free use and Islanders can once again look forward to the start of library events and activities for groups, families and children later in the year. Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet lead for libraries, said: "When you visit your local library, please follow a few sensible COVID-19 precautions to keep yourself and other customers safe. "Sanitise your hands on arrival, zap the NHS Test and Trace app or fill in a very small contact details form, and please continue to wear a face-covering for your own safety and the safety of people around you."
The council is reintroducing the 60p reservation charge on books from 19 Jul but is extending the fines amnesty until the autumn.
Cowes Library - Mon/Tues/Fri, 10am until12.30pm / 1.30pm until5pm, Sat 10am until 4.30pm. Freshwater Library - Tues/Weds/Fri, 9.30am until 12.30pm / 1.30pm until 4.30pm, Sat 9.30am until 12.30pm.
Lord Louis Library, Newport - Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri, 9am until 5.30pm, Sat 9am until 5pm. Ryde Library - Mon/Tues/Fri, 9am until 5.30pm, Weds 10.30am until 7pm, Sat 9am until 5pm. Sandown Library - Tues/Thurs/Fri, 9am until 12.30pm / 1.30pm until 5pm, Sat 9am until 12.30pm / 1.30pm until 4.30pm.
Ventnor Library - Tues/Fri, 9.30am until 12.30pm / 1.30pm until 5pm, Weds 1pm until 6pm, Sat 9.30am until 12.30pm / 1.30pm until 4.30pm.
Still with the IW Council, as some of you may be aware, there was a rather contentious decision recently to permit a new development of houses on a dairy farm on the outskirts of Ryde. As explained below, the planners are constrained by Government policies.
The council must follow government planning policy or face the consequences The Isle of Wight Council has moved to explain government rules which are making it harder for Island councillors to reject planning applications for housing on non-previously developed sites. For a while now, Whitehall has required the council to place greater weight on building homes due to the low numbers of properties that have been built in the past decade, and the lack of identified sites for development over the next five years. As a consequence, the authority has no choice but to consider planning applications under a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development.
This is not a developers' charter, and the council will continue to refuse applications where appropriate, but the starting point in national policy is that they should be permitted. Oliver Boulter, the Council's strategic manager for planning, explained: "Planning law strictly limits the reasons why applications can be rejected. These are called 'material planning considerations. Often, local people opposing applications give reasons that don't fall into this category, and which must be dismissed according to the law.
"If the planning committee refuses an application against the advice of staff without adequate reasons for doing so, the application is likely to be granted on appeal — and should the reasons for refusal be particularly weak, then the council may be liable for costs and grant loss (re. New Homes Bonuses), which can be substantial."
Councillor Geoff Brodie, as Vice-chair of the Council's Planning Committee, presided over its most recent meeting. He said councillors recognised that certain planning applications would generate strong local feelings and the committee would always listen to the views of the public. However, he said the authority had to operate within the context of national and local planning policy and legislation and balance often competing views.
"If the Council does not comply with national policy and law, then it would lose an appeal and have to pay hefty costs for unreasonable behaviour," said Councillor Brodie. "The number of responses or the strength of feeling to an application cannot be considered in itself to be a reason for refusal as much as many would wish it should be.
"Local councillors are not to blame for this situation. We did not write these laws or impose these housing targets — this is government legislation which we are compelled to follow or reap the consequences. On the flip-side, we also have to recognise the pressing need for affordable homes on the Island and the limited ways we can achieve its delivery."
In order to try to have a greater say in how planning applications are determined on the Island, the Council has published a revised draft Island Planning Strategy (IPS) for public consultation. The draft IPS is the first step in this process and includes a range of new policies. It will also help the council fight housing targets set for the Island by the government.
Councillor Brodie said: "At the moment our planning documents don't do what we want them to do, are out of date, and they don't always help us prevent things we do not want to see on the Island. The new IPS will tackle these issues and, should it be successfully approved by a government-appointed inspector, it will enable the council to give greater certainty to communities up-front rather than having to rely on the outdated, current plan for major new development."
The Council must also think about how it deals with a deepening local housing crisis, with a critical shortage of affordable homes to rent or buy as demand now far exceeds supply across the Island. More than 450 Islanders are currently classed as homeless with just under 2,400 households registered on HomeFinder, the system which the Council and its partners use to allocate affordable housing. In the past 12 months, the Island has also seen an 80% reduction in property available for rent and at the same time, private rents have increased. House prices too have risen sharply, on average by just over 11 per cent.
Councillor Brodie added: "This acute shortage of housing, particularly social and genuinely affordable housing, has led to spiralling rents and house prices across the Island. Many young Islander families on low to middle incomes struggle to afford to rent or buy a decent home. "A new generation of good-quality social housing would give many more people the chance of a secure home they can actually afford to live in."
PARISH COUNCIL CONTACT DETAILS
No comments:
Post a Comment