Government Confirms £4m Extra For Isle Of Wight Council In Recognition Of Island Status

Tuesday, 6 February 2024 15:03

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

MP Bob Seely has welcomed confirmation that the Isle of Wight Council will receive an additional £4 million in recognition of the ‘unique circumstances facing the council and its physical separation from the mainland’.

The confirmation came yesterday (Monday) from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

Mr Seely said:

“It’s good that Rishi Sunak’s Government has confirmed the extra £4 million for the Isle of Wight Council. It’s good that the Government is listening to us.

“It’s also a big win for us that we now have recognition, in principle, that it costs more to deliver services on the Island.

"This ‘Island factor’ now gives us something to work on. Clearly, I want more than £4 million, but over the four-year lifetime of a council, this will be worth an additional £16 million."

The Government said in its statement:

“The 2024-25 Services Grant allocation for the Isle of Wight Council includes £4 million allocated to the council in recognition of the unique circumstances facing the council and its physical separation from the mainland.

"The Services Grant also includes £150k allocated to the Isles of Scilly as part of the same arrangements.”

Prior to the announcement, Seely met with senior ministers to stress the Isle of Wight’s case after a smaller uplift was initially offered.

He added:

“As ever, I thank previous Council leaders, Lora Peacey-Wilcox and Dave Stewart, and the council officers who provided the facts and figures and the government ministers and officials who took the time to consider our case.

“There is always more to do, but what we have achieved is progress for the Island. First, we have specific recognition of the Island’s needs. Second, we have an extra cash sum as a result.”