Parliament returned following the summer recess on September 2.
On the first day back, I took the opportunity to raise one of our most pressing concerns with Prime Minister Andy Burnham — the issue of ferries and cross-Solent transport.
In my address, I highlighted the costs associated with travelling to the mainland, and the impact which these costs have on Islanders in terms of accessing healthcare and education opportunities.
I asked the Prime Minister if he would consider creating new regulatory powers over cross-Solent transport and he responded stating he was prepared to look seriously at a proposal for ferry regulation.
This is a significant step forward.
Working cross-party, locally and nationally, we have to ensure that we seize this opportunity and make the most of it, to ensure that changes are made.
We need to stop the practice of private equity firms having control over lifeline transport services and see improvements made to services which meet the needs of Islanders.
This commitment by the Prime Minister has come at a good time.
The Cross-Solent Transport Group meetings, which have been convened by the Department for Transport, started this week.
The meetings will give us an opportunity to address all the issues with Government officials.
A further five will follow over consecutive months with a report being presented to the Maritime Minister at the end.
We will see what progress, if any, we can make working with the ferry companies.
I was pleased to attend the recent Sandown Town of Culture meeting to discuss the next stage of the competition.
It is excellent news that Sandown has made the shortlist for this award, one of just 15 areas out of 400 applications.
The team have a strong vision and are considering a wide range of events over the forthcoming weeks under the guidance of new creative director, Sharon George.
My thanks go to Laura and Tracy who represented the team at a recent briefing in Manchester and I look forward to attending future meetings and hearing more about the plans as they develop.
Ryde Neighbourhood Board have started to assess the bids which have been submitted for the initial tranche of community grant funding.
After receiving significant interest, the board took the decision to increase the funding available from £100,000 to £200,000, giving more organisations the opportunity to acquire funding for projects to benefit the town and its residents.
The Major Grants Programme has now recently launched, with organisations invited to submit plans that could help shape the town’s future.
An initial pot of up to £300,000 is available for projects which could support the five priority themes.
This is an exciting opportunity for local groups and organisations to shape the future of Ryde and I look forward to seeing the details of the bids submitted.
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