Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Why no Whittlesey included I don’t know….

Although there were only 5 of us at the committee meeting last night, updates on finances and the booking of stalls and rides were discussed. All is on target for another fantastic event for families to enjoy.

Agenda previously posted, a very good attendance of 22 with some new to the group.
Yes there are ‘Challenges’ to local businesses, some closing and some struggling however on the positive side, several new sole traders are having a go in our area.

Our Whittlesey Vandals are in the premier division when it comes to petty vandalism.

They normally have a go at ‘Flower Beds’, Picnic Benches and our Toilets.

So, so many complaints about toilets, but as I am sure you are aware, everytime they are repaired (at some cost I might add), the Premier Vandals destroy them again and again.

Today some pretty substantial doors have been fitted – will they have a go – your guess is as good as mine.

My answer is to have several Thunderbox type toilets around the area. (Save Money)

Agenda previously published. Main items were the ‘Allotment’ waiting list is coming down,
now 33 waiting.
The Heritage Project (see Friends of The Manor report). It was decided that Cllr Simon Black would make investigations as to resurrecting the idea in a new format he will report back next month.

Hanging Baskets for the town are ready for collection and will be put ip shortly.
Jubilee Wood – I updated the committee on the latest developments and for the future project at the site. More on this when Phase One has been completed..

Following a detailed review of our demand for service, webchat is only available from 8am-5pm as part of a brief trial.

This is to allow us to provide extra resource for emergency 999 calls during peak periods.
The web forms, as opposed to webchat, are still available and they will be dealt with in the same manner as a 101 call. These cover a wide variety of non-emergency scenarios.

After the trial, the situation will be reviewed again to establish the most suitable ongoing solution for us to provide the best possible service to the people of Cambridgeshire with the resource we have available.
Thank you.
Message Sent By
Larissa Chapman
(Police, Communications officer , Corporate Communications)

A very well attended meeting last night (Tuesday) – the agaenda having being posted up here previously.
17 interested parties/group members joined in an update from Chair Robin Sutton and myself having had a meeting with Mr Phil Hughes (Director of Leisure @ FDC).
We spoke and discussed the possibility of a ‘Grafitti Wall’ and its implications.

At the request of Mr Geoff Howes, I had investigates the costs and practicalities of an
‘All Weather Fun Run Track’ my costing were based on 1 Km however GH informs me it is 1.5 Km – on my investigation, there was criteria about ‘footfall’ and the numbers within a community to justify the costs (in the region of £250,000 to £500,000 @ 1 Km).
FDC had investigated and were not supporting the idea.

I presented an update on the ‘Heritage Centre’ being now in permanant suspension.
(More in todays report – Projects Meeting).
Update on the refurbishment of the Netball/Tennis Courts, in that the funding was in place and ‘tenders’ were being finalised. New Lighting, Fencing and Re-furbished play area.

The idea of new Fishing Pegs I informed the group that I would seek funding for the project.

The forever ‘battle’ with these vandals is becoming tiresome to say the least.
I’ve been to see what they’ve done this time.
The Picknick Bench project was a WTC project to replace the very old and vandalised benches. I/we raised nearly £10,000 to replace all with environmentally sustainable benches including 2 for disabled people.

We regularly get a group from March (6 autistic adults) who buy food from local take-aways and have an enjoyable afternoon here in Whittlesey.
There are two other groups that come from Peterborough to enjoy our facilities.

I would realy like to catch these ‘Vandals’ but I doubt if anyone is prepared to name and shame them?

We shall see if this damage can be repaired.

Not only missing slats, another go at burning the table-top.

‘We’ are trying our very best for the community as a whole – FOTM another dedicated group of volunteers –