Welcome to edition 102 of our Clerk’s Column circulated as usual to the 490 residents on our Residents’ Forum email list and through the Chronicle’s page 4.
MARCH FINANCIALS
| On Thursday our latest financial year ended with our two bank accounts at 31 March totalling £222,653. That includes the currently uncommitted £82,361 of the loan from the Public Works Loan Board to fund the new Public Toilet. During March payments of £121,200 were made of which £7,515 was attributable to the Salisbury Gardens’ account. The month’s payment to DN Associates for their work on the new Public Toilet in February was £43,487 and the remaining grounds maintenance charge for Ventnor Park of £19,076 was also made last month. We received £15,138 during March that included £3,862 from Salisbury Gardens’ rents. The position compared to our Precept Budget for the full year shows expenditure of £4,856 over Budget and receipts of £2,383 more than Budget. |
SUSTAINABILITY & BIODIVERSITY GROUP
The Group’s monthly meeting took place on Wednesday evening. Discussions included a possible Eco Friendly Gardening Competition to encourage rewilding, the use of Glyphosate in Ventnor, the 60p bus fare discount for journeys from Ventnor to Shanklin Station and the importance of home insulation in view of the pressure on heating costs.
LIVING WELL & EARLY SUPPORT PROGRAMME
Our Community Development Officer Tony McCarthy joined partners on Friday for a full day’s induction of staff transferring into the programme. The partnership is led by Aspire supported by Ventnor Town Council, Pan Together and West Wight Community Centre in a 5-year project that started on Friday providing support and advice to residents with needs that don’t qualify them for Adult and Social Care Services.
LITTER PICKERS PRAISED
The March Ventnor litter pick promoted this from the Great British Spring Clean Project Officer at IWCC: Please thank the team on my behalf for all their hard work and effort.
NEW WEB SITE
Our Web Site Working Group of Councillors Ian Bond, Brian Lucas and Julie Hutchison supported by Nigel Slater-Bishop and me met again on Monday morning and we now expect the live launch in the second half of this month.
ASSETS & SERVICES WORKING GROUP
ASSETS & SERVICES WORKING GROUP
The Group’s latest meeting, on Tuesday, had 16 items on its fortnightly Agenda. Salisbury Gardens took up three, the final repairs to the roof, the clearance of the loft and the second insurance claim. Ventnor Park’s clearance of tree damage, the need to remove Ivy from some trees and a request for an event in May were the next three. The Group then considered the new Heads of Terms for managing Ventnor Central as the original lease has expired. Repairs to the roof of the Esplanade Toilet’s roof to cure a leak required assessment followed by a proposal for introducing children’s pavement games to the Paddling Pool area. Management arrangements for this year’s Putting Green season were approved.
DOG FEST
Our Deputy Mayor Steph Toogood asks that you save the date of Saturday 30 April, not only the last dogs’ day on the beach before the season winter but also a fun afternoon for dogs and owners to enjoy. Voluntary donations to help with this summer’s Carnival will be welcomed.
VIA MY TWITTER FEED LAST WEEK
o The Office for National Statistics shows in a graphic that death rates due to Covid have been four times higher in our deprived areas.
o The National Audit Office’s investigation of the management PPE contracts finds eg ‘The Department has identified some 3.6 billion PPE items that it has concluded are not currently suitable for front-line services, equivalent to 11% of all PPE it has received.’
MORE INFORMATION is available from the Town Council’s website and @ventnor clerk