IW Council Press Release - Recycing and Waste collections will be made a day earlier next week

Revised Recycling and Waste Collections from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 November 2019

Due to the sad loss of a long standing and well respected member of our waste and recycling collection crew, there will be no waste or recycling collections on the 19 November to allow staff to attend the funeral.

Recycling and Waste Collections will be made a day in hand as follows:

Normal Collection Day	Revised Collection Day
Monday 18 November	NO CHANGE
Tuesday 19 November	Wednesday 20 November
Wednesday 20 November	Thursday 21 November
Thursday 21 November	Friday 22 November
Friday 22 November	Saturday 23 November

IW Council Press Release - Christmas shoppers to enjoy free parking

Christmas shoppers to enjoy free parking

Christmas shoppers can enjoy ‘free from three’ parking in Newport on selected Thursdays in the run-up to the big day.

Shaping Newport is supporting Newport Business Association’s late-night Christmas shopping events by providing free parking.

The offer applies to short-stay car parks only, from 3pm (maximum stay three hours), on the following dates — 28 November, 5 December, 12 December and 19 December.

The Shaping Newport programme — a partnership between the Newport Business Association (NBA), the Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council and the Isle of Wight Council — has contributed £1,500 to cover the costs of the potential lost parking revenue.

In addition, the Isle of Wight Council is offering free parking in short-stay car parks in Newport on Saturday, 30 November and Saturday, 14 December. The offer applies from 12 noon and has been provided to help support businesses during the St Mary’s junction improvement works.

The council will also celebrate Small Business Saturday on 7 December by offering free parking in all its long-stay car parks across the Island from 12 noon.

Association chairman, John McLoughlin, said: “Newport Business Association is delighted to be working collaboratively with the Isle of Wight Council’s regeneration team on organising late-night shopping in Newport.

“The Shaping Newport project has enabled us to have input into changes that are being made in our county town and to put forward our suggestions for initiatives such as this as well as to be part of working towards positive change.

“I really hope that the free parking will encourage people to explore the independent shops in Newport and shop local this Christmas.”

A Shaping Newport survey of more than 3,000 people highlighted many issues and local priorities for change and parking provision ranked eighth as a priority for locals with 409 comments on the topic.

IW Council Press Release - Winter discount offer for cars on the Floating Bridge

Extra winter discount offer for cars on floating bridge

A special extra winter discount offer is being introduced for cars using Cowes floating bridge from 11 November.

The offer, which will run until 31 March next year, will see the cost of a crossing reduced from £2 to £1.80 for saver card holders and from £2.60 to £2.40 for non-saver card holders.

The new discount is in addition to the offer of free saver cards during the St Mary’s improvement works.

Cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, Councillor Ian Ward, said: “We are bringing in this additional scheme to further encourage use of the floating bridge during the winter, as well as during the St Mary’s improvement works.

“We are promoting the discount to businesses in both Cowes and East Cowes, and are also contacting existing saver card holders – as well as the usual social media messages for the public.”

You can collect a saver card by visiting Hall’s Premier Stores in East Cowes and Rashley’s Stores in Cowes, as well as asking the crew on the floating bridge. Details on how to top up your saver card can be found at www.iwfloatingbridge.co.uk

IW Council Press Release - General Election Writ now received

General election writ received

The Island has officially received the ‘writ from the clerk to the crown’ for the general election.

This official part of the process for a general election was overseen by Geoff Underwood, High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight and returning officer for parliamentary elections, and Claire Shand, acting returning officer.

The writ is issued by the Lord Chancellor and commands that an election be held for a member of Parliament for the Isle of Wight Constituency.

Once Parliament is dissolved, writs are hand delivered by Royal Mail managers to every constituency in the UK. Receipt of the writ on the Island was taken at 12.30pm on Thursday 7 November.

Once the count is complete following the general election on 12 December, to formalise the result, the returning officer must write the name of the winning candidate on the writ and return it to the clerk to the crown, who is based in the Houses of Parliament.

The day-to-day arrangements for the election on the Island are discharged by the acting returning officer.

Registering to vote

If you wish to vote in the general election, you will need to make sure you are registered before the deadline of Tuesday 26 November 2019. If you have already registered to vote for a previous election, you will already be on the electoral register and will not need to register again.

The simplest and easiest way to check if you are registered register is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and filling out the form, which takes around five minutes.

You will need your date of birth and national insurance number when completing this process to register.

Further information can be found at https://www.iow.gov.uk/Council/Elections/Electoral-Registration/About-Electoral-Registration 

IW Council Press Release - Free travel on the Floating Bridge on Remembrance Sunday

Free travel on the Floating Bridge for Veterans on Remembrance Sunday.

The Isle of Wight Council will join other Island travel operators and offer free travel this Sunday (10 November 2019) on the Cowes Floating Bridge for members and veterans of the Armed Forces.

The travel offer for foot passengers and those traveling by car will be available to those wearing their military uniform, displaying medals or showing their military ID card.

Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, Councillor Ian Ward, a veteran himself, said “Our veterans and Armed Forces have given so much that we may live in an open and free society. 

“We do what we can to support our community and assist those that have made a significant contribution.  I for one am honoured to have served, and delighted that we can support those who helped protect us, on this national day of reflection and remembrance.”

IW Council Press Release - Budget Consultation launch

Have your say on council spending

Islanders are being invited to give their views on how the Isle of Wight Council should spend its money next year.

The council has launched its budget consultation today (Tuesday 5 November) — and residents, businesses, the voluntary sector and town and parish councils are being encouraged to have their say on spending and service priorities for 2020/21.

Councillor Stuart Hutchinson, deputy leader and Cabinet member for resources, said: “The input of Islanders is valuable to the shaping of our spending and service priorities for the year ahead.

“We welcome views from all contributors as we develop an innovative and workable budget — and one which will allow us to continue to provide sustainable services in the future, within a stable financial environment.”

Council leader Councillor Dave Stewart added: “My experience so far is that when called upon people on the Island will step forward with thoughts and ideas and I encourage everyone to give us their support.

“We have already been undertaking a thorough analysis of all our spending as part of the budget process – but it is vital we develop and enhance this with the input of all sectors on the Island.

“We are determined to deliver a robust, workable and forward-looking budget.”

You can give your views online over the next six weeks by visiting: https://www.iow.gov.uk/Council/OtherServices/Financial-Management/Budget-Consultation 

IW Council Press Release - Free entry to the Museum of Island History to celebrate shipwrecks exhibition

With the Newport Visitor Information Centre moving to new premises at Newport Bus Station, the Isle of Wight Council’s Museum of Island History is still open for visitors and planning an exciting new exhibition.

The Visitor Information Centre is moving out of the Guildhall, and the extra space means there will be more room for displays and interactive school visits to the museum. After a short refurbishment the council’s Heritage Service will re-open the Museum of Island History on Saturday 30 November with a free entry morning to celebrate the new exhibition ‘A Tale of Two Shipwrecks’. Visitors can drop into the museum for free between 10am and 1pm. There will be craft activities for families, hands-on items to explore and identification of archaeological artefacts by Frank Basford from the Portable Antiquities Scheme. From Tuesday December 3 onwards the museum will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am – 1pm throughout the winter, with two weeks off at Christmas and New Year. Admission to the museum will be reduced to just £1 for the winter period. Curator Corina Westwood said “We’ve enjoyed working with Visit Isle of Wight, and we hope the Newport Visitor Information Centre will be an even bigger success in its new home. “The Museum of Island History is still very much a part of Newport’s visitor attraction, and throughout the winter we have a programme of activities and events as well as the great new exhibition featuring the extraordinary tales of HMS Pomone and the Yarmouth Roads Wreck. There will be some rarely-seen artefacts on show, like the spectacular fitting to a Royal Navy Officer’s brass sword-belt.”

IW Council Press Release - Next Phase of the St Mary's junction scheme

One-way restriction to be lifted on Forest Road as St Mary's junction scheme enters its next phase

The one-way restriction on Forest Road looks set to be lifted on Monday morning (4 November) as planned.

The road will revert to two-way traffic as the major scheme to reduce traffic congestion and improve access for pedestrians and cyclists at St Mary’s junction enters its next phase.

The work has already seen an additional lane created around the B&Q roundabout providing better access from the industrial estate, while work to widen the link between that roundabout and Medina Way is on schedule to finish on 15 November 2019.

In the next phase of work to begin on Monday, Forest Road will revert to two-way traffic, while all other approaches to the St Mary’s roundabout will be reduced by one lane while works to remove the central reservations and roundabout take place.

An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said: “These works are scheduled to be completed by 20 December 2019 and during this period the capacity of the roundabout will be significantly reduced.

“This may lead to extended queuing on all approaches to the roundabout in peak periods and we would urge people to take note of the information on both the council’s and Island Roads’ websites to help them plan their journeys and to allow more time for travel.

“As we enter the next phase of this extremely complex project, we are pleased to report the work is running to schedule and we thank the travelling public for their understanding and patience so far. We do recognise road works can be extremely frustrating for the community and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“We would remind residents that construction will pause over the Christmas and New Year holiday to help minimise disruption during the festive period. We will also soon be announcing details of free parking in Newport on selected afternoons in the run up to Christmas to support our business community.”

This project is just one of a much wider package of junction improvements which, once complete, will make journeys for those travelling in and around Newport much easier with fewer delays.