REPORT FROM THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL

TO THE MEETING OF FULL COUNCIL

On 21 FEBRUARY 2007

Much of my work over the past month has been in preparing for tonight’s budget speech – which you will have heard – so I will keep this report brief.

We have had a very productive meeting with the prospective future owners of Sandown Airport about the potential that exists for developing this location with a range of facilities including industrial units, bonded warehousing alongside free port facilities with regular flights in. All of this is very tentative but certainly provides some exciting opportunities for the Island.

The Chief Executive and I have continued our monthly tours round the different sections of the Council, and were pleased to recently visit the staff at Medina Leisure Centre and engage them in the development of our plans for the Island Games. We will continue to visit staff throughout the authority to gain a better understanding of the issues they face and how we can enable them to unleash their talent.

We have welcomed the results of the recent staff survey in giving us the clearest picture ever of how they view the organisation. Staff are our most important asset – and with the Chief Executive, I have pledged to respond with improved communication and resources to tackle many of the issues that were raised. Bullying will not be tolerated in any forms – and we will tackle it wherever we find it.

I have been privileged in my role as Vice-Chairman of the LGA Safer Communities Board to take part in a recent Cabinet Office exercise – Winter Willow – which tested the government’s plans in the event of a flu pandemic. I have brought this experience back to the Island and shared it with our local Resilience Forum, who performed admirably. It is reassuring to know that in the unfortunate event of us facing such a situation, Islanders will be well looked after.

We recently had a very forward-looking meeting with the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth and shared some ideas on our priority to drive up educational standards on the Island. It was also an opportunity to explore how the university could work more effectively with us in our proposed new set-up of 14 - 19 provision. The meeting also discussed how Portsmouth could provide us with high calibre performers for our graduate programme.

Cllr Andy Sutton

Leader of the Isle of Wight Council