Report from I.W. Councillor John Nicholson

Posted by Admin on 30 April 2021, 10:46 pm

COUNCILLOR JOHN NICHOLSON

Ward Member for Northwood & Cowes South
Chairman of Policy & Scrutiny Committee for Adult Social Care & Health

SUNNYSIDE

PALLANCE LANE

NORTHWOOD

PO31 8LT
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Tel: 07918 757843

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Email: cllr.john.nicholson@btconnect.com

See the I.W. Councillor’s section

WARD REPORT – MARCH/APRIL 2021

The Report appearing in the May 2021 edition of Northwood News:

Returning to Normal

As I write this the news is announced that we have, in the UK, achieved herd immunity. I am not sure what this means, but is it a further indication that we can expect to return to some normal semblance of life? I don’t know about you but being deprived of certain things that I previously just took for granted has made me realise just how much they meant to me. The Local is one of the things I miss most, with its friendly atmosphere, humour, and those casual random conversations that mean so little at the time but, when you don’t have them for a long period, you realise just how important such seemingly insignificant things can be.

As things open up, I am also getting requests for the Historic Walks that I have helped to produce, promoted during the Beer and Buses festivals, but just as relevant any time. What could be more enjoyable than an historic walk punctuated by stopovers at a local pub (whether it is for a beer, a coffee or just a glass of water)? Electronic pdf copies of the walks can be found on https://www.wightwash.org.uk/walks.php.

Primary Care Concerns

Sadly, people are still sending me reports and requests for help with difficulties in accessing Primary Care. I am grateful and it is important that people do so, as these difficulties have to be faced up to. It is disappointing and concerning that the service has not yet made improvement, despite promises and assurances. We are still being told that a new telephone service is being installed, four months down the road!

I and my colleagues are desperately trying to progress this issue. It is not fair on patients, doctors or the Medical Centre itself that such a level of discontent should exist in the local community. We all want and deserve better, and it can’t be pleasant for people who work at the Medical Centre to know that such a level of frustration exists in the community. I am working, through the Council and with Commissioners to see how we can help our Medical Centre out of this hole. There are other good examples on the Island already where feedback from patients is nothing but glowing, Ryde being one. So, I thoroughly believe that we can do better, in fact that we could transform to being the best Centre on the Island.

Place Plan Launch

The Place Plan is ready, available on the Parish website https://www.northwoodparishcouncil.org/. It is a tremendous piece of work and makes very inspiring reading. The document is live now, and will evolve as we use it to enhance our community and develop the opportunities that the Place Plan highlights.

The Place Plan is our Place Plan, and for everybody in the community, so please read it, enjoy it, take ownership and use it in your own field, and give feedback and input to its further development and evolution.

Road Safety Successes

This is an ongoing issue, as there is much to do, still. Items being pursued currently include obstructive parking at junctions onto Wyatts Lane, water seepage and creep further down Pallance Road, ponding and flooding along Pallance Lane, pedestrian safety and speeding in Pallance Road and Wyatts Lane and the inconsistency of speed limit signage between Nodes Road and sections of Place Road.

It is my experience, from the successes we have had over the years, that these matters take time and persistence in order to see them prevail. There a backlog of schemes across the Island that are ranked by danger (accident record) and impact against cost, so the most dangerous and cost effective get priority.

Green Waste Service

Some people have been disappointed and, regretfully, overlooked in the renewal of the garden waste service. Further assessments are being made within the next couple of weeks to see if more people can be squeezed in and if there is enough demand to buy another lorry to expand the service further.

School Places

Allocations at Cowes Enterprise College have been upset by a number of factors including the decline in popularity of Christ the King. I and other colleagues are working on the situation to see what can be done.

John Nicholson

Ward Councillor for Northwood & Cowes South
Chairman, Policy and Health Scrutiny Committee for Adult Social Care & Health

See the I.W. Councillor’s section