THE MAYOR of Ventnor has described his council as being "in a dire financial situation" - and it could mean the end of a free parking scheme.

Cllr Steve Cooper made the remarks at Ventnor Town Council's August meeting on Monday evening following the publication of the council's latest Finance Report on August 9.

The report's Budget Monitor section highlights overspending on the staff salary budget which currently amounts to £7,177 and relates to the salaries of the town clerk and the council's administrative staff.

The overspend has arisen due to the earlier than expected start date of the new town clerk, Katherine Baldwin, an extra month of employment of Gareth Hughes relating to financial support, and extra hours of work completed by Morgan Williams to provide office support.

The report forecasts an annual overspend of £10,657, everything else remaining equal, based on a year end forecast for the salary budget. 

At Monday's meeting Gareth Hughes flagged an expected grant for the council's youth service as another financial concern.

The council has not received a payment of £1,325 which it expected to receive in the year to date.

In response to a proposal to cancel the council's Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce membership, Mayor Cooper said: "We need to claw back as much money as we possibly can to build on our surpluses because of the dire financial situation we find ourselves in.

"I didn't think that membership was absolutely necessary."

The Council has spent £69 on its membership over the last two months.

Mr Cooper also recommended the end of the council's free car parking arrangements in Ventnor's three town centre car parks on Saturdays and said the Isle of Wight Council had failed to support the scheme "in the ways we wanted them to".

He added: "It's a pragmatic decision - I mean in the ideal world you'd have free parking everywhere, like New Zealand, but unfortunately we're not."

Free car parking on Saturdays between 10am and 4pm in Dudley Road, Market Street and Pound Lane was initially approved at the April 8 Town Council meeting.

The Council predicted the arrangement would cost £2,518 per year.