FEARS of redundancies have been raised for the vicars of the Newport area.

All the vicars in Newport, Carisbrooke and the surrounding rural areas have been told that they face redundancy and will have to reapply for their jobs if a plan put forward by Portsmouth Diocese goes ahead.

The plan, announced at a public meeting last night (Monday) at All Saints' Church, Ryde, will see the parish of Carisbrooke split in two, with the built up areas being added to a single parish of Newport and the rural areas of Carisbrooke being merged with Arreton and Gatcombe to create a new large rural parish surrounding Newport to the west and south.

A spokesperson for the diocese said at the meeting that the plans aimed to free up people and their financial and administrative burdens.

"As with many organisations when you make changes to its structure, there are legal implications.

"For people who are employed by a company, often they are notified that they are at risk of redundancy.

"Whilst clergy are not employees, their roles are still put at risk when you make changes to a parish structure, and as such we have, as part of the process, informed those affected.

"We hope that many of those affected will choose to apply for roles in the new structure.”

The plan received a mixed response at last night's meeting, with parishioners concerned about what this meant for the Church of England on the Island.

A diocese spokesperson said that part of the plan was to invest £1.5 million over the next five years into the Church of England's ministry in Newport and increase the number of full-time equivalent roles from 2.8 to five, some clergy and some not.

This investment comes as part of a wider £9.1 million package covering the whole diocese, with the diocese bidding for £4.9 million of that to come from the national church.

Last night's meeting was the launch of a public consultation process that will last many months.

An informal consultation lasts until the end of November, when written comments are due in before the formal consultation process starts on December 7, when draft proposals will be sent out to interested parties.