Isle of Wight Council meeting was example of poor conduct

Following the Isle of Wight full council meeting last Wednesday evening, and as an ex-senior member of a large, respectable council for 20 years, I am expressing my total disgust at the appalling way the business of this meeting was conducted.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that this whole miserable meeting could have produced a very explicit video entitled “How NOT to run a Full Council Meeting”.

One item warranted at least an hour's discussion on the latest whim of this council, namely that they change the constitution of the council, returning back to the committee structure from the cabinet structure that they have used for 24 years.

• Read more: Shouting breaks out at Isle of Wight Council meeting

It would appear that they think they will be able to perform more effectively than currently - if only that were true!

The fact that they are a unitary authority with overall control of every public service on the Island and that they do not effectively have enough councillors to perform the very many functions of a committee structure (requiring at least 60 members) does not actually seem to have occurred to them yet, to say nothing of the extra cost involved with the transition of this ambition.

The mind-blowing end to this catastrophic evening came when they ran out time during the vote that was taken deciding that they did not think public consultation was necessary.

This is a major change in the constitution of the council and full public consultation is a legal requirement as such, so they won’t actually have any choice in the matter, despite them shouting and yelling at each other across the chamber - very adult behaviour!

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What might have been a more beneficial use of their time to all their Island residents would have been to give updated reports on at least four serious issues concerning our Island at present.

Namely the somewhat precarious situation regarding Red Funnel's ability to provide an efficient ferry service to the mainland, the continuing deteriorating situation at Ventnor and its limited access/egress, the equally deteriorating situation with the Military Road and the ever-increasing number of roads across the Island with multi-uncompleted road works and road closures - and with all of this happening, the tourist season begins next week.

 What an example of a council which has totally failed its residents.