Cllr Phil Jordan, leader of the Isle of Wight Council, in his monthly column:

Lots of good positive things happening across the Island.

The budget delivered some small amounts of money to the council, about £1.4m for social care, about £30,000 for homelessness for example.

We now await the annual financial settlement from Government, in December, to see if we are awarded the £3m or £4m as part of addressing our fair funding ask.

I have spoken with our MPs who agree we might well be getting that amount for next year’s budget followed by a fair funding review for the years 2026 onward.

We are working hard to balance our budget this year and whilst there are still four months to go the signs are that we may end the year on budget.

Only a few months ago we were looking at a shortfall of £3m to £5m but I am pleased to say that through diligence, careful fiscal management, and prudent savings together with some great initiatives in social care we may well end this fiscal year next March with an almost balanced budget.

That is incredibly good news because it means we will start the next fiscal year on an even footing.

We still must find savings of course, but with some additional funding from Government already announced, potential extra money being confirmed in December, we may be able to reduce the impact of the savings requirement very considerably.

I have already told the directors and financial teams we are determined to maintain the same parking charges again this coming year. No increases should be planned.

I have asked for charges on the floating bridge to be reduced.

We will look hard at council tax, but we must be mindful of the inflation we have experienced and make sure we have taken that into account for the coming year.

We are making some positive changes in children’s services by providing homes for care leavers (over 18) and saving around £500,000 in the process.

Equally, we have put into place a whole property action team who are already delivering homes for those in temporary accommodation and saving money as well as providing a much-needed home that some families desperately require.

We are getting families out of hotel rooms and caravans and putting them in their own home.

We are providing around 75 affordable homes a year already and plan to increase that amount significantly.

We have placed ten sites on the open market, all of which can be developed with housing. We have ten more sites coming through the system also being made ready for development.

It never happens quickly enough, I know. But it is happening, it is getting bigger and better, and we are saving taxpayers money in the process.

200 more families to go and we will have eradicated the number of families in temporary accommodation.

Next is the housing list register which we are working on to reduce with affordable homes. Truly affordable homes. Homes for our Island families at a price they can afford.

It is not easy, but we are doing it. We have 27 affordable homes, brand new, just built, and going to house families currently living in temporary accommodation in the next few months.

More affordable homes to come next year at the hospital site near Camp Hill.