A multi-million pound agreement to invest in roads and other infrastructure on the Parkhurst estate has today been confirmed by Isle of Wight Council leader Cllr Dave Stewart.
Following the consideration of a report to Cabinet on 11th March – and an in-principle decision – negotiations with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) continued, which included discussions between Bob Seely MP and Ministers, alongside the Council's efforts. A deal has now been reached, securing considerable investment in the estate over the coming years.
The Council will take ownership of the land from the MOJ, and will receive a multi-million pound one-off payment to fund the upgrading and maintenance of the area (including roads, footways and open spaces) to a good standard for the foreseeable future.
Cllr Stewart said: “This is tremendous news for residents and the Island as our recovery from the pandemic gets underway.
“Although we made an in-principle decision a few weeks ago, we continued negotiations over the subsequent weeks in order to ensure that the best possible deal could be secured. Whilst I cannot – for commercial reasons – mention specific figures at this stage, I can confirm this will mean millions of pounds being invested in the residential streets surrounding the prison estates.
“The Conservative administration has worked hard to secure this investment to improve the quality of the streetscene - and therefore the lives of residents - in this area. This is a major win which has been made possible by a Conservative-run Council working in partnership with the Conservative Government, supported by our MP Bob Seely.
“Many residents have previously told us of their desire to see these roads improved, and this has also been communicated to us via our Conservative candidate in Parkhurst & Hunnyhill, Cara Lock, who has put these views forward to myself and fellow members of the Cabinet over recent weeks.
“As a result of this decision, there will be better roads, better lighting and better paths for many residents on the estate. For these residents, this outcome has been a long time coming and I am pleased that we have been able to secure and agree to this investment.”
Cllr Stewart explained the money would not resolve all the issues on the estate – and this decision is just the start of the process – but it would make a significant difference.
He went on to say: “In due course we will arrange a community briefing, so people know exactly what to expect and the timeframes involved.”
“I want to thank the Ministry of Justice, and through them the Government, for this further investment in the Island.
“It builds on the previous £9 million we received which has enabled us to improve St Mary’s Junction and Coppins Bridge Traffic flow. It is also an important step in our ongoing, related negotiations with the MOJ regarding our ambitious plans for delivering new housing – as part of our Garden Isle Regeneration programme – on the former Camp Hill estate.”
Bob Seely added: “This is yet another really good joint effort from “Team Isle of Wight”. I’m delighted that working together we’ve been able to persuade the Government to hand over ownership of the prison estate roads with an acceptable accompanying payment to help fund upgrades and future maintenance.
“This is the result of a good team negotiation from our end, jointly by the Council and myself. The original amount would not have been enough and would have left a significant shortfall, thereby restricting the extent of the improvements which could be made.
“Over the next couple of years we will see work getting underway to improve the roads and street lighting, to improve the quality of the local area and make it an even better place to live.”
Cara Lock – the Conservative candidate for Parkhurst & Hunnyhill in the forthcoming elections to the Isle of Wight Council – added: “I have been in discussion with the Council’s leadership over recent weeks about the importance of taking ownership of these roads and upgrading them to improve the quality of life for local residents. There was some concern – from people living on these roads – about whether the transfer (and the resulting investment) would go ahead, and I urged Dave Stewart and his colleagues to do all they could to ensure it did, given the strength of local feeling on this issue.
“This is of critical importance for people living in the Parkhurst area and I am therefore delighted that the go ahead has now been given.
“From the perspective of local residents, this is the first important step in a longer-term process. If elected on 6th May, I will ensure that dialogue with local residents gets underway soon afterwards, and that those living on these roads are fully consulted about the proposed improvement works. I appreciate that this decision does not resolve all of the issues – and there are some roads which are partly in the ownership of some residents – but these are the details which need to be worked through, as we work to ensure that the extent of the benefit to the local area is maximised.
“I am determined to give residents living in these roads a strong, fresh voice on the Isle of Wight Council, working as part of a wider team of Conservative councillors to be influential on their behalf - particularly on issues such as this."