Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Hi, – I run https://busmaps.uk/, a small volunteer project that makes printable bus maps, both:

• of the bus routes within a town, drawn on its streets with the places people go, and
• of where you can get to from the town.

We have made bus maps for St Ives, March, Huntingdon, Ramsey and Wisbech, and I have now drawn a draft pair for Whittlesey. Nobody asked me to, and I am writing to the Town Council to ask if you might be interested in using them.

I should say straight away that I use an AI system, Claude, to do most of the detailed work — reading the timetables, checking them against each other and drawing the maps. It is the only way one person can do this with any accuracy for more than a handful of towns, and I would rather you knew than guessed. One positive aspect of this is that our maps can be updated easily each month if they need it.

The draft of your maps is not published anywhere, and it will not be unless the council wants it to be. I attach the two maps. The most useful thing you could do with them is tell me what is wrong or what you might like to change — a scribble on a print-out, or an email, are fine. If you would rather look at them online than on paper, I can arrange that too — just say so, and I will send a private link that only the council can use.

During our pilot phase there is no cost to the council. Eventually there will be a charge to cover our costs but, with the way we are doing it, I am hopeful that it will give real value for money.

One particular question I have is about the villages. The map of buses within Whittlesey follows the buses out to Eastrea, Coates, Turves and Pondersbridge, so it covers the villages as well as the town. Is that useful, or would the council rather it kept to the town itself, with more room for its streets?

I must emphasise that https://busmaps.uk/ is currently a one-person part-time project, and I cannot offer any guarantees about service levels, response times, or even longevity. I do hope that it will prove useful, and that we can put it on a firmer basis going forward.

If this is not something the council might be interested in, just let me know and I will not write again.
Best wishes,
Peter (Cooper).

Don’t get excited – Most of this water is destined for Essex and other places outside of Fenland – Leisure and some jobs in 10 years time !!!!!

Cllr Dee Laws                                 Cllr Diana Dickinson

All councillors received an e-mail from a very concerned resident, pointing out her issues around ‘Whittlesey’….

I am writing to express my deep frustration, disappointment, and concern regarding the continued approval and construction of new housing developments in Whittlesey.

Many residents are struggling to understand why yet another housing estate is being allowed to proceed when the town’s existing infrastructure is already under immense pressure. It feels as though the needs of current residents are being overlooked while the population continues to grow.

One of our biggest concerns is healthcare. It is already extremely difficult to obtain a GP appointment. Many residents struggle even to get through on the phone, and access to local healthcare services is becoming increasingly inadequate. Before approving more housing, should there not have been proper consideration of how medical services would cope with the additional demand?

The roads in and around Whittlesey are also at breaking point. Traffic congestion is becoming unbearable, commuting is increasingly difficult, and residents are simply fed up with the volume of vehicles using our roads every day. The town’s infrastructure was clearly not designed to accommodate the level of growth we are now experiencing.

Our schools are another example of a system under strain. Many are already operating at or near capacity, and parents face constant difficulties with parking and drop-off arrangements. It is hard to understand how further development can be justified without clear investment in education facilities and supporting infrastructure.

What is most disappointing is the perception that no one is truly representing the interests of the people of Whittlesey. Residents repeatedly raise concerns about healthcare, roads, schools, and local services, yet it appears that housing expansion continues regardless.

Many residents would also like to understand what is being done to support the wider development of the town. Why are we not attracting a broader range of quality businesses and services that would benefit the community, create jobs, and improve the town centre? Instead, there seems to be a growing concentration of vape shops and barber shops, while other valuable businesses and amenities are noticeably absent.

The people of Whittlesey deserve answers. We deserve to know:

• How the existing GP services will cope with further population growth.
• What plans exist to improve roads and traffic management.
• How school capacity issues will be addressed.
• What representations the Council has made on behalf of residents regarding infrastructure concerns.
• What action is being taken to attract diverse businesses and support the long-term prosperity of the town.

Growth should only be supported when the infrastructure, services, and facilities required to support that growth are already in place or guaranteed to be delivered. At present, many residents feel that development is happening first, while the needs of existing communities are being ignored.

I urge the Council to listen to the concerns of local residents and to explain how it intends to protect the quality of life of those who already live in Whittlesey.

I look forward to your response.
Yours faithfully……

A reply will be given in due course from our Mayor and Chair of the Planning Committee,
Cllr Miscandlon.

Unfortunately the resident has NOT been reading this web-blog for the past 15+ years…?
Some if not most of our councillors are on the same views about issues and concerns…many outside our remit or financing.

I invite the said resident to ‘get involved’

FYI…..the below happens regularly doesn’t help promote our town….that said it is cleared up very quickly.

Meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening has been postponed to a date yet to be decided.