By Isle of Wight Observer
“You’ve taken on a lot of work there!” that is the most common reaction when people comment on my new role as Isle of Wight councillor for Ventnor & St Lawrence, but doing whatever I can to help my home town never feels like a chore.
I hadn’t given the thought of standing too much thought until my friend Joe Robertson – a Conservative councillor and parliamentary candidate for Isle of Wight East – called and said I should put my name forward. A sense of excitement and anticipation was replaced by a feeling of great responsibility when residents elected me on December 21.
After getting my email all set up, the requests for help started coming in from residents. Some simple things to advise on, some massive issues affecting the whole area. This is exactly what I want to be doing. For too long, like many other residents, I have grown tired of issues being kicked down the road. They say if you want something doing properly, do it yourself, so here’s my chance to do things properly.
As a town, we have dragged ourselves from the doldrums in 1980s to become the jewel of the Island. The varied shops and local eateries attracting visitors year-round under the backdrop of the beautiful Undercliff. The ‘Ventnor Micro-Climate’ being more than just a weather phenomenon; it’s a sense of belonging, of purpose, to be a Ventnorian. However, with the recent closure of the road from Shanklin on top of the multiple planned large-scale works going on in the town, thoroughfare has dropped considerably. Many of the businesses have chosen to reduce opening hours or close all together in order to save costs. The negative feedback cycle is threatening a lot of these businesses’ ability to survive the winter, and even if they do there will be a huge hole to fill. This is why I asked at my first full council meeting what emergency measures the IW Council can enact to give Ventnor a vital lifeline.
Some good news on the horizon… the Cascade works are on schedule to be completed in time for Easter, as should the repairs to the Eastern Esplanade by the skate park. Once again, we can all stroll down past the immaculate Cascade Gardens and along to Bonchurch via Wheeler’s Bay. This is a vital attraction for the area, with plenty of people who fit a coffee and a browse around the shops in with their bit of exercise for the day; something that wasn’t fully appreciated until it was gone.
Ventnor & St Lawrence hosts an amazing plethora of people living and working, and together it will get through tough times.