“Local councils are coming under increasing pressure to deliver frontline services. We face significant inflationary cost rises which mean that any budget set below that level will inevitably mean a cut to local help and support. We were elected to try and effect positive change, not oversee more austerity. As always when setting the budget for the forthcoming year, the Town Council must balance any increase in precept against an improvement in services and the pressures on its residents and businesses.
The council continues to set aside ring fenced reserves for the community assets that it manages, and this policy has shown its value over the past year by enabling us to secure an additional £250,000 grant funding to boost what we had set aside, delivering the new 2G football pitch at Sandham Gardens. This is currently being tested through a soft launch, before being made fully available for booking in February. We will now be moving onto our next major capital regeneration investment which will be the Skatepark; significant funds are already in place, consultation will begin around Easter with everyone involved in this much loved and well used space, and the new designs for a bigger, better park will then move ahead.
In January we saw the opening of LINK, the excellent new Youth Centre at the old Town Hall on Grafton Street. This fits perfectly with the town council’s new investment in the sports facilities at Sandham Grounds, and the wider youth services, beginning to restore vital local provision for young people cut to nothing by national and local government over the past twenty years. We are proud to be a key driver supporting this activity, and to be increasing our funding towards the operation of these services, including organised and programmed activities and events, community outreach, and work with other agencies on referrals and care support.
Following on from these successful capital projects, and grant bids, the Town Council are keen to ensure the local precept is used as effectively as possible, by using it to secure additional investment from external funding organizations wherever possible. To this end this year will see us commission a specialist fundraiser to develop the International School of Rewilding project (through the Building the Bay place plan partnership), and also a community resilience bid writer in partnership with Community Action, to support both the work of the Town Council, and Sandown organisations and projects in accessing more financial support.
We continue to support organisations, projects, activities and initiatives throughout the town, al delivering much needed community support. Funding support continues for Breakfast in the Bay, the Warm Space at Christchurch, Green Town Volunteers, Sandown and Shanklin independent lifeboat, and the Christmas Fun Day. This year we have increased our contribution to the Sandown Carnival Association, following the increasing financial challenges and uncertainty surrounding the future of their current base that will be impacted by the proposed development at the Southern Water treatment plant.
Our partnership working with the IOW council continues to increase. Given the unenviable position they find themselves in with exceptionally severe budget cuts this year, more and more central council services will fall to the towns and parishes or face simply being cut. We continue to part fund an environment officer, alongside planning enforcement. In partnership with Lake Parish Council and Shanklin Town Council, this year’s budget includes provision to ensure the continuity of our dedicated Bay Regeneration Officer, who was instrumental in securing the £3.1 Million investment in the restoration of the old Town Hall. We have also been approached by the Isle of Wight Council to consider part funding a Community Safety Officer, which we have agreed to, and look forward to seeing the impact, subject to other town councils coming on board.
Another significant change this year, is that after much discussion, and evidence from trial runs during summer 2025, the Town Council will be making the public toilets free of charge for the year and will review the success of this before our next budget in 2027.
Other new initiatives this year include a provision that will match fund local resident investment in the proposed Community Benefit Society (more to come on this shortly); funding to create new town murals following the positive reception to the Mary Ellis mural at Eastern Gardens. We have also allocated £2500 to explore supporting a number of small events or performances on the seafront during the summer ahead.
We of course continue with dedicated funding of the usual services the Town Council provides, not limited to but including the marker buoys out in the Bay, additional seafront bins during the summer season, the lifeguard service, beach wheelchairs and the Changing Places at Eastern Gardens, hanging baskets in the High Street, park and playground maintenance, and Christmas and Remembrance events.
Finally, following the petition and many requests from local parents and residents, the Town Council has made provision to part fund a school crossing patrol for the Broadway and we will be entering discussions with the school, and with the office of the Crime and Police Commissioner on how we can urgently move this forward.“ – Mayor Alex Lightfoot
The Town Council have unanimously agreed to set the precept to £263.97 for a Band D property, an increase of £23.50 a year, or £0.45 a week.
ENDS