Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

©Radio Fenland

Hello Neighbours,
We have another bumper crop of interesting news from the network to share this month. We are cramming so much in, I’m genuinely considering going to a fortnightly format. I wonder if shorter newsletters every other week, might be easier to read. If you have strong views either to keep this monthly, or to move to fortnightly updates, please let me know in this very basic straw poll.

Highlights this month include

• The police have new powers to tackle antisocial behaviour

• New guidance advises using passkeys rather than passwords online

• Get a sneak peek of the Neighbourhood Watch podcast – coming soon! 

• NW updates from Blackpool and Suffolk

• Learn how community grants are being used in Nuneaton 

• Catch up on our knife crime webinar

  Crime and Policing Bill receives Royal Assent, giving police new powers

  The Crime and Policing Act has over 70 measures including tougher police powers to crackdown on antisocial behaviour and retail crime by introducing Respect Orders so police can ban repeat offenders from town centres and other locations. Other measures include new legislation on the sale of knives and introducing an offence for assaulting a retail worker with a possible sentence of six months in prison.
  Find out more on our website.

  National Cyber Security Centre: leave passwords in the past 

  Overhauling decades of security practice, the National Cyber Security Centre, a part of GCHQ, has taken the decision to no longer recommend individuals use passwords where passkeys are available because passwords lack the relative resilience to modern cyber threats. We’re working with experts on updating our guidance at Neighbourhood Watch but you can find out more from NCSC here.

  Get a sneak peek at the Neighbourhood Watch podcast

  We’ve finished recording the first four episodes of the Neighbourhood Watch podcast, hosted by BBC Radio 4’s Alfie Moore. It’s shaping up to be a fascinating series, talking to a range of celebrities about the communities they grew up in and their experiences of crime. Get a sneak peek of Andy Bush talking about how his parents were scammed online, here.

  Fundraise while you shop online

  Did you know that when you buy things online, you could be raising free donations for Neighbourhood Watch Network? 8,000 retailers, including eBay, Argos, John Lewis & Partners, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S, are ready to donate, and it won’t cost you a penny! Each time you shop online, visit the easyfundraising site first, to find the retailer you want. After you’ve checked out, they will donate to Neighbourhood Watch Network at no extra cost to you. Go to Easyfundraising and join for free.

  Neighbourhood Watch Community Grant update

  Nuneaton Neighbourhood Watch helped raise funds for bleed kits so they could be placed around the area to help someone in need. Chris Ellis, who lost his son Tom in a knife attack in 2024, presented bleed kits to the local community in a bid to save others’ lives. Brian Stansfield from Neighbourhood Watch said the kits will be given to local businesses and schools. He added: “We all know the terrible incident that happened in Nuneaton town centre and are making it our mission to prevent further needless loss of life.” Read the BBC news story here.

  Neighbourhood Watch Lottery update 

  Last month one of our lucky NW lottery players won £224.16, congratulations! The lottery generates a steady source of income for us to deliver national projects, support our volunteers and make more of an impact. You too can support Neighbourhood Watch and be in with a chance to win up to £25,000 a week. Play One Lottery here

  Tougher measures targeting antisocial behaviour become law

  The Crime and Policing Act has now received Royal Assent. This means that people who wreak havoc on local communities face tough new restrictions under new laws. New measures include Respect Orders that will let police and councils crack down on persistent adult offenders.  Police are also being handed tougher powers to seize vehicles linked to anti-social behaviour. Find out more.

  Neighbourhood Watch Week

  Is just a month away, and we’ll be offering Communi-Tea event packs in our shop soon. We got the whole team involved in packing, look at this teamwork! Each pack will include event posters, invitations, balloons, stickers, leaflets and tea. They will be available in the Neighbourhood Watch shop soon, watch out for updates in your inbox.

  

  And that is all for this month. If you’d prefer to have an online version of the newsletter to print, you can find that here. As ever, I love to know what you think, what could be better. It’s always so helpful to have feedback.
  
  

This is to build two new dwellings, the ‘Three Horseshoes Public House’ remains for the time being. It is my understanding that the residents group have as good as given up due to lack of funding to purchase the property and are looking at another project within the village.

Disclaimer: The Saxon, Forterra and McCains, industrial sites all come under the FDC Whittlesey South Ward, which I represent, as such I have a duty to keep all residents within the ward and others that may be affected fully informed of any developments or news.

Saxongate Update:
Eastern Buttress extension and Public Health Oversight meeting.

The long-running Eastern Buttressing works are subject to yet another extension request as the completion date will be missed. The operator’s agent Mr Stephen Rice told Whittlesey Town Council at its planning meeting on Monday 27 April 2026 that he was applying for a further 12 months, although he hoped works would be finished sooner.

He acknowledged the project had been subject to numerous extensions already, accepting they were due to finish this August. He cited winter rain and wet weather as the cause for the latest overrun, saying this caused the works to be suspended. There was no mention of the significant odour issues reported in October 2024 which led to CCC issuing a Planning Contravention Notice (PCN) for incorrect material used in the capping layer.
We think this led to a project delay as works were halted for the investigation.
There was no opportunity for the public to ask questions directly.

The last planning extension was granted on 25 January 2023. Delays then from the previous 2020 permission were blamed on the Covid pandemic. At the time Councillors were assured the applicant was confident of completing in the time requested.
At that meeting Councillor Neil Gough noted the amount of inert waste needed to complete the project. He noted, supported by the planning officer’s calculation, that based on 16–20 tons per vehicle, 2,500 trips/loads and 50 trips a day, only 50 days would be needed to bring in all the material needed. Saxongate always felt a project like this should take 2–3 years in total.
It has actually been running 23 years and it has been almost 10 years since the current owner took over. The project has also become more complex due to the large amount of non-conforming waste dumped in the buttress at some point, which remains subject to a criminal investigation and now needs lifetime monitoring having been approved to be left in situ by the Environment Agency. 

Had questions been allowed, Saxongate would have pushed on the degree to which the Planning Contravention Notice had delayed progress. We would also have asked for clarification on drainage into the Kings Dyke and the lack of any approval from the Middle Level, which we understand is a legal requirement. Also, for the status of the proposed attenuation pond and reed beds for improved filtration, which featured on this and other applications.

We have suggested that a liaison group should be set up for these extended works, and that the town and district council should request that as a condition of any new planning application. It seems odd that liaison groups have been proposed for the Southern Buttress works and the metal recycling project, neither of which have commenced operation, but there is nothing for the long-running Eastern Buttress, which has been subject to proven complaints as noted above.

We will continue to monitor the situation based on the data in the public domain.

In other news, Saxongate and other residents attended the first Public Health Oversight Group meeting. This group has been formed to deliver the public health recommendations for Saxon Pit and to better understand any cumulative impact on residents from industrial operations in that area. The group also includes the Forterra site. The operators were well represented. Key elements are enhanced dust and water monitoring. In addition, there will be a residents’ survey to consider the lived experience and any impacts on health and wellbeing.

Strong engagement from residents will be critical and we will keep you all informed when any survey comes out. For now, budgets, purchasing, equipment and resources are being put in place by the council to facilitate the process. We will keep you well informed as this develops.

We have issues with some elements of the public health meeting process and with the EA water permit, but overall, this is a significant improvement, having a large group focused on validating and resolving issues. The balance is that new works are due to start soon, Southern Buttress and IBA metal recycling, the Eastern Buttress works are extending another 12 months, and we think there is a strong possibility that Johnsons Aggregates and Recycling Ltd may appeal the planning decision which rejected their expansion plans. 

Please continue to report and log any issues you experience. This information is essential in supporting regulatory oversight and ensuring concerns are properly evidenced. With your help, we will keep working with the authorities to push for the best possible outcomes for our community.

Saxongate Residents Group. 

We also need to keep growing our membership so do pass on our details. People can contact us on this email or via Facebook if they wish to join :-
https://www.facebook.com/SaxonGatePE7  or email  saxongate2022@gmail.com 

If you suffer any noise, smells or dust please do still report it to the Environment Agency 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60. The Environment agency has also set up a new Engagement HQ for Saxon Pit and Forterra. Hopefully that will grow over time with more information and updates (link below) It has not been updated for a few weeks.
You can register for updates from them on the page:-
PE7 1PJ, East Midlands Waste Management Limited, EPR/CP3723LV/A001: environmental permit consultation – Environment Agency – Citizen Space

You can also email  Fenland District Council  envhealth@fenland.gov.uk 
or call 01354 654321. See = https://www.fenland.gov.uk/nuisance for Noise, smoke, smell or light problems.

If you have any photos or videos or logs of issues (from your homes, gardens, roads or public land) please let us know and share them with us.

I was unable to attend this morning but went for a short while to the Manor Field at around 12:30, very busy with lots of people and stalls, I hope it went well for the organisers….

Whittlesey Town Councils (e-mail) provider ‘Vision ICT‘ updated/upgraded their
servers on Friday, this has caused some issues with some WTC Councillors not being able to update, re-register with the system client.

I and a few others after some challenges over the weekend, have upgraded and are up and running on our WTC e-mail systems, those Councillors who have not done so, or are running into problems, will have to wait until tomorrow Tuesday at the earliest to get technical support.
If you do not want to use e-mail, all Councillors have a phone number, whether they answer is another question?

At The Manor Field Whittlesey – This Bank Holiday Monday.