“The only solution is a merger with a mainland authority”: motion tabled for crunch meeting

A motion encouraging the Isle of Wight Council’s leadership not to rule out a merger with mainland authorities has been tabled for a crunch meeting this week.

Councillor Geoff Brodie said merging the Island’s unitary authority would ‘produce economies of scale’ and stressed the ‘vast majority of residents’ do not care who their local authority is as long as it provides ‘good or better public services’.

Cllr Brodie set his request against a stark backdrop of an ‘increasingly desperate financial situation’ resulting from ‘14 years of reductions in government support’.

The motion reads: “Full council recognises the wishes of many residents to have an independent local authority. With relatively low levels of business rates and a large, older community often very dependent on adult social care services, the Isle of Wight Council’s future prospects are not good. ‘Bankruptcy’ looms.

“Therefore, full council encourages the council leadership in its discussions about local government reorganisation with its Hampshire and Solent partners, not to rule out the possibility of a merger with mainland authorities. Particularly the two cities, Portsmouth and Southampton and their neighbours.”

The Pan and Barton representative said this morning: “The council’s finances are in a progressively worsening state. General reserves are falling and adult social care costs are going through the roof. Without far more generous support from the government I would be surprised if the director of finance is not declaring what is in effect ‘bankruptcy’ within the next five years, with services further deteriorating or being cut entirely.

“The only solution is a merger with a mainland authority that has better business rates, less of a demand on adult social care services and which will help deliver economies of scale.”

Local government reorganisation, which featured in the government’s contentious English Devolution White Paper in December, is a divisive issue in Island politics.

On Saturday, demonstrators assembled outside County Hall to protest against the Isle of Wight Council being merged into a Mayoral Combined Authority including Hampshire.

Isle of Wight East MP Joe Robertson (Conservative) spearheaded the demonstration and told the press that with “93 per cent of voters” living in Hampshire and only “seven percent” on the Island, a future combined authority mayor’s priorities would likely favour the mainland.