Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

A very short summary of the main events/items discussed – Agenda – previously published on this website – You can watch all/part of the meeting by either going to YouTube and search Fenland District Council – or by Clicking Here
1 hour 52 minutes.

I am reporting the main salient items…..

The Extraordinary meeting being called on 14th March will be about the Boundary Changes that will come about by March 2028.

Cllr Nawaz thanked Leader Cllr Boden – on taking his petition of over 600 residents in opposition to the selling of the Whittlesey Station Road Recreation Ground.
Cllr Boden confirmed this will now not happen.

(RG Note:- Credit to Cllr Nawaz, however there were several of us working with residents in the background on this issue and we found out that the covenant of the land would make it difficult and time consuming to sell this parcel of land – Cllr Nawaz also stated that all the residents of Sation Road has signed the petition – I question that as there are not that number of residents on Station Road – a slip maybe)

The Business Plan is changing due to the boundary changes, and FDC are looking to safeguard our facilities.

Council Precept (Tax) will not be increased this year (8th year running) was voted on unanimously, however there will be challenges in the futures before handing over to the new unitary authority. Main challenge – The cost of supporting homeless – FDC have offset some of these costs by purchasing properties themselves.

There is a approximate £30 Million of capital expenditure ‘Fenland Inspire’ most being allocated for the Four Leisure Centres and a possible new swimming pool for Chatteris.

Incuded in the plan is what is known as The Monastery’ – Whittlesey Market Street – which maybe purchased to save the wall paintings within and to sell on at a later stage.

Cllr Elizabeth Sennitt Clough proposed an all weather walking and running pathway around the Manor Field.
The funding of carry forward Civil Parking Enforcement for Fenland.

Fenland District Council have reserves of some £7:5 Million, however most of the Fenland Inspire projects will have to be externally funded by borrowing – some of which will be passed onto the new authority.

Mention of The Whittlesey Rifle Club being included in the Manor Leisure Centre upgrade – to what is hoped ‘A Centre of Excellence.’

No Council Tax increase @ Fenland —- other authorities – Yes – Cambs CC, Police & Crime Commissioner, Fire Service.

Queen St Church – Sunday 2^nd March.

Doors open 1.30 for a 2pm start.

“One Life” – cert 12A

Stars Anthony Hopkins

The true story of Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton, a young London broker who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued 669 predominantly Jewish children from the Nazis. Nicky visited Prague in December 1938 and found families who had fled the rise of the Nazis in Germany and Austria, living in desperate conditions with little or no shelter and food, and under threat of Nazi invasion. He immediately realized it was a race against time. How many children could he and the team rescue before the borders closed? Fifty years later, it’s 1988 and Nicky lives haunted by the fate of the children he wasn’t able to bring to safety in England; always blaming himself for not doing more. It’s not until a live BBC television show, ‘That’s Life’, surprises him by introducing him to some surviving children – now adults – that he finally begins to come to terms with the guilt and grief he had carried for five decades.

No admission charges are made for these regular winter events with refreshments served during an interval.

Donations are much appreciated to offset operating expenses.
Card transactions now available if preferred.

If you value “cinema” events in your Town and would like them to continue, please try to come along.

Your smiling faces when attending encourage us to continue!
We really value your support!

The first stages of building a mega-incinerator are underway this week with the German-based company behind the burner announcing a Swiss firm as the main contractor.

In an update on the project to build a 54-megawatt incinerator on a site off Algores Way in Wisbech MVV Environment Limited said it has commenced the first stages with detailed design and preliminary construction works.

The Medworth Energy from Waste Facility combined energy and heat facility is set to recover electricity and steam from over half a million tonnes of non-recyclable household, commercial and industrial waste each year.

It will have a generating capacity of over 50 megawatts; the steam and electricity can be used locally and excess electricity will be exported to the grid.

MVV’s managing director, Paul Carey, said: “After several years of development we are starting our Medworth project with design and preparatory works.

“These include vegetation clearance and preparatory construction work in the next few months whilst, in parallel, satisfying the relevant planning conditions.”
The project company, Medworth CHP Ltd, has developed a multi-contract approach with the main engineering, procurement and construction contract being awarded to Kanadevia Inova AG of Switzerland, starting with design works.

MVV announced that it had secured Development Consent for its Medworth project in February last year.

Fenland District Council launched a legal challenge, which failed and subsequently, an Environmental Permit was issued by the Environment Agency in May 2024, since when work has been going on to prepare for further stages of the project.

However, it has already not been plain sailing for MVV with one local company already withdrawing from a contract to help clear the site.

In January Andrew Humphrey, who runs family firm Andrew Humphrey Contracting Ltd, started work to clear part of the site to enable surveying to be undertaken.

However, he said he had not realised it was for the incinerator, and after completing only a “couple of hours” he said his company would do more and was standing in solidarity with the local community, which has fought tooth and nail to try to stop the burner coming to Wisbech.

©Fenland Citizen

View Meeting On YouTube

Agenda, previously published – a big agenda and lots of debate, the main items being this years budget, and future budgets. The changes in boundaries schedualled for 31st March 2028 – Fenland at this stage does not know where it will be absorbed/taken over.

Some £30 Million of capital expenditure has been earmarked for the future – how this money is to be found has yet to be decided.
Proposed no increase in the Fenland part of precept (Council Tax) – this being the 8th year of no FDC increases.

The main item as far as Whittlesey is concerned – being the future of the Leisure Centre.
Some debate supporting the best outcome By Portfolio Holder Cllr Miscandleon, fully supported by Cllr Laws and Cllr Tierney.

Leader Cllr Boden gave his full support and to include the Whittlesey Rifle Club to be included in the planned upgrade. Dialogue between FDC and the Rifle Club should go forward. Several Councillors gave their support for the Rifle Club to be included in upgrades – The motion as passed (Cabinet level).

Lots of other important items discussed.

Election for County Council is coming in May, and (Cllr) Dr Haq Nawaz is one of the conservative candidates standing (I applaud anyone standing – it takes guts to be counted)
However we have an ‘ocean’ of differing opinions, myself some other councillors and even some of his own group.
I’d like to think (maybe I’m wrong) that all councillors are here to fight the cause for their residents….

Dr. Haq is making much of planning and infrastructure especially around Coates (He is the FDC District councillor for the Ward) and is very critical of the two independent councillors who sit on Whittlesey Town Council.

Here is Dr. Haq’s Newsletter and below the reply that Cllr Barry Wainwright has sent out. Of great importance of course is Dr Haq’s attendance record.
Finally just as a left hook, it wasn’t so long ago, that Dr Haq lost his way to Coates and was late (again) for opening a function.

Good Afternoon All,

I am writing to update you on the ongoing works at Benwick Road.
On 18/02/25, the cause of the two-way lights and road subsidence over the past year was identified as a small leak in the Anglian Water (AW) main in their road crossing. The leak was repaired, and the site was backfilled on 19^th of February. However, during further road excavation, several additional springs of clear water were discovered, suggesting further leaks—either pre-existing or caused by AW’s repair. AW was called, and the original job (Ref: 27102704) was reopened. As

I’m sure you can understand, these complications are going to cause delays and extension to our programme of works.

We are currently working closely with the contractor to assess the impact on the programme and will provide an updated schedule as soon as possible. Any necessary extensions to the programme will be communicated to ensure all stakeholders remain informed. Streetworks officers and inspectors are aware of the situation, and updates will be provided as the matter progresses.

Please feel free to pass this email on to those who may need this information, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Kind regards,
James Chapman
Project Manager, Asset Management, Design & Delivery.