Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Want to network with local businesses – this is the place to meet them.
WBF Jan 2019 Agenda

The now famous Mud Walls of Whittlesey (+1 Eastrea) Group are putting on an exhibition at March Museum during February.
This is part of an educational and historical campaign by the Group, to promote these unique pieces of building history.

March Museum – Chairman, Gordon Thorpe, is arranging invited guests to come along to the museum next Saturday pm. to allow us to have a chat to them about the walls.

The Mud Wall Group meets at Whittlesey Town Hall – Market Street 06th February 10:30 anyone welcome.

So press @ Cambs Times© reporting that at NECCA (NorthEast Cambridgeshire Conservative Association) and e-mails to the Executive council proposed 4 rather contentious proposals re Steve Barclay & Brexit….
It transpires that ‘some within the Chatteris Group were unhappy – this came out on Friday morning.
Has reservations about the actions of Stephen Barclay as he pursues support of a bad deal which is not in line with the Constituency determination to leave the EU, (indeed several members said that they had lost confidence in him and several saw no value in voting if Parliament ignored constituency views)

However by Friday afternoon all was ‘Full Astern’ and in reverse……None of the said 4 proposals had gone through the normal procedures and at that late event the Chairman pulled all 4 proposals.
So it is business as usual on Sunday with NECCA choosing the latest batch of candidates for next May’s local elections….

One somewhat confusing candidate being present Cllr Alex Miscandlon, who only a few months ago was ‘De-Selected’ by the group, now by a miracle has -re-emerged as the sole candidate for the Coates, Eastrea & Benwick ward (FDC) – ??? – miracles indeed @ Gravel House Corner…..Coates.

As I mentioned in a recent posting, I am not naming the candidates standing as is at present (things may change) but I have been asked of those not standing or ‘retiring’ so over the next few days/weeks I’ll inform you of those who will not be standing for election.

So first on the list to be ‘retiring’  is Big Gun
Cllr Martin Curtis -who has been involved in local politics for some 20 years.
Ex Parliamentary candidate, Ex leader of Cambs CC, Ex Chairman of FDC Planning and various positions on WTC.
I think this is ‘semi-retirement’ for MC – I believe he will be back just like The Terminator®
Martin’s ‘disagreement’ with others within the group may be perfectly valid – but he can not agree with a number of fellow Councillors on the way forward –
Martins Web-Blogs have been dormant for years although I understand a big Facebook® & Twitter® advocate.
(Picture WTC)
Cllr (Mr) Curtis may well be back at some stage – an experienced councillor.

Well I am honoured to be asked by many – what is the latest in respect of the Whittlesey area’s in of local elections – with now less than 100 days left before the May elections, I am pleased there is some ‘interest’. Yes I do know who are /where and how some candidates are standing locally, most of the conservative group, some of the labour group and some of the green party group.
By me publicising the internal disagreements + arguments which have and on-going benefits no one – and I maintain my position as being ‘Independent’ for which I am proud of being.

It makes no difference at this stage who or where various candidates are standing, what does make the or difference is how the electorate vote on Polling Day.

I always urge everyone to use their vote – I’ll not harp on about the Facebook Crowd – who are for-ever having a go at politicians – Stand up and be counted then – see if you could do any better – I doubt very much if that will happen.

There are a number of Councillors who will not be seeking re-election/selection for various reasons, some just want to ‘retire’ and some have ‘had enough’ arguments internally within their groups – and some on health grounds – that is their decision.

Some retiring Councillors have worked very hard and diligently for the electorate for many years – without a great deal of thanks for the time and effort they have put in.
Some have lost the plot and interest – and have not only been a poor front for their political party but really an insult to their electorate for whom they should represent.
What I can disclose at present is that the Conservative Group are very well advanced though out Fenland in progressing towards the May elections, they are well organised and well financed and have the most councillors (All bar one in Whittlesey) and on Fenland District Council.
Will there be a change come May – Sorry no one has that crystal ball – but I doubt if there will be any UKIP candidates !!!

Anyway plenty of time for more debate and discussion and need I say little about the
‘Brexit factor’

Although the financial press has now elaborated somewhat as to how ‘they’ see Kier’s finances – ‘they’ say all is not quite a bad as originally reported –
Some may remember the collapse of the very large contractor and outsourcing company ‘Carillion’ last year, Kier it is said not to be in the same position.
From Sky News Business:-
See : FT Front Page Side Headline (left)

If you’re running a heavily-indebted company, and you’re obliged to ask shareholders for money to save the business, it is not exactly a vote of confidence when most decide against putting their hand in their pocket.
So Haydn Mursell, the chief executive of construction services group Kier, must have known he was on borrowed time when, in December, just 38% of Kier’s investors took up their rights to buy new shares in the company at a deeply discounted price.

It was the lowest take-up of a rights issue by a UK company in six years (the typical take-up is around 95%) and saddled the five bookrunners to the deal – Peel Hunt, Santander, Citi, Numis Securities and HSBC – and their sub-underwriters with nearly £135m worth of Kier shares that they had to buy at 409p each – compared with the 740p at which they were trading before the cash call was announced.

The share price then plunged further in anticipation of the brokers and underwriters selling their unwanted shares – sinking to as low as 335p on 20 December.

They have since recovered some ground but, shortly after Christmas, it emerged that Neil Woodford, the company’s biggest shareholder, was agitating for change.

Read complete article on Sky News – Here

So let us ‘all’ hope the finances being allocated by the Metro-Mayor Palmer and Cambs CC is ‘secured’ and will deliver the Bridge…..

As many of you are aware, I have been actively campaigning and lobbying for many years to see a ‘proper’ recycling regime in place (Not lip-service) many years means nearly 20….

So as can be seen above, ‘we’ are getting there – slowly….. It can only get better.

The operator East Midlands Waste Management of the recycling facility at the Saxon Pit site are to appeal the enforcement notice made to them by the Environment Agency.
There are 21 days for anyone to make representations in writing
Date and Venue of hearing – TBA – when known.

It is amazing that after most people get 10+ years of education, that a basic understanding of how Income Tax and its form filling is so difficult – don’t get me wrong I’m not having a go – some people indeed do not grasp the ins/out’s of our various tax raising regimes.
January 31st is the date when many have to submit a ‘self assessment’ for income tax purposes, miss the deadline and you could be in for a £100 charge.

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