Been away for a few days at a nice hotel The Beechwood Hotel in North Walsham with an excellent Nouvelle cuisine menu for Connie & I @ our 42nd Wedding Anniversary.
Nice afternoon Tea (alcohol free).
A trip to the National Trust @ ‘Blickling’ with its Christmas theme.
3 Neighbourhood Police Team, along with Age UK, Fenland District Council + Robin S from Whittlesey NHW attended Whittlesey Library on Monday – only one member of the public with any issues and that was to do with ‘Parking’ – which Robin informs me was resolved.
This Friday between 10 – 12 o’clock at Whittlesey Library
There will be another Police and Community engagement event.
Charlotte Homent The Community Protection Manager from
Cambridgeshire CC.
Nigel Sutton Fraud and Cyber Security Advisor Specialist Crime Team (Serious & Organised, Fraud & Cyber) Intelligence and Specialist Crime Department Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
Plus our NHW Team will be on hand to advise and answer questions about Policing, Crime and Cyber related concerns and issues.
Please come along – if you can not make it – you can send questions to me – see my contact details.
Maybe the majority of our electorate are not that bothered, know or understand the ‘new’ set up of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.
It is another layer of local government which Cambs & Peterborough Councils lobbied the government for.
Copyright RMG Photography –
We had an election and Cllr James Palmer (Con) was duly elected under our democratic system. The turnout was very low 32.9% and it went to a second round count.
Elected Mayor Palmer ‘promised’ he would keep costs of this ‘new’ authority in check.
Since the election in May 2017 (less than 2 years) the running costs have escalated from a prediction of less than £1M to now £7M – when questioned Mayor Palmer apologised.
The press are having a field day with Mayor Palmer – but he has thicker skin than a rhino it would appear. His administration has gone through 4 financial directors in less than 18 months, the most recent being ‘sacked’ by Mayor Palmer.
James Palmer, mayor of the combined authority, said Mr Fenlon had been dismissed after making “misleading” statements about the funding of major projects at the authority’s overview and scrutiny committee on Monday. Mr Fenlon had cast doubt over whether major projects could be achieved within the authority’s budget.
Mr Palmer said he had to “have faith” in his officers, and said this had not been the case with Mr Fenlon.
When I read the article that Mr Fenton put out, it seemed quiet normal for a financial director to look at the ‘risk factors’ of so many large projects.
As you are aware I attended the meeting of the combined authority in October when the Kings Dyke Bridge funding was being ‘decided’. There was another item on the agenda also to do with infrastructure – Cllr Smith made a very good argument and presentation – was ‘slapped down’ by Mayor Palmer and I could almost sense the fright of the other committee members, Cllr Smiths proposal was unanimously rejected.
Now ‘we’ in Whittlesey – well most that is – think Mayor Palmer is our hero – The authority agreeing to fund all the shortfall £16+Million to build the Kings Dyke Bridge.
That may well be the case – however Mayor Palmer enlists his own committee’s – employs and dismisses people who don’t agree with him and takes little or no notice of his own scrutiny committee – in fact Councillors have been left “gobsmacked” and “disturbed” after the authority’s chief financial officer was dismissed according to the article in the Cambs Times©® this week.
Not finished – sorry – It was also Metro Mayor Palmer who said – that ‘people’ were not interested in the ‘pay-out’ he solely made to his recently departed deputy Martin Whiteley,
paying him off and apparently took £11,000 worth of legal advice – that’s some ‘advice’
Then of course there is the much lauded ‘enhanced lighting’ at Whittlesey Railway Station which received a lot of publicity – I’ll put back the photo of what £18,000 worth of LED lighting is doing – I questioned a Whittlesey councillor who said for me to ask Mayor Palmer about it.
I dare say there is more to come – but it would seem for many (even our hero for KD Bridge) that Mayor Palmer will see his time out and probably have the affront to stand again next time around….
Remember ALL this money that Mayor Palmer has is Tax Payers money – his extortionate running costs is Tax Payers money – the £Millions in running costs – becomes less to actually deliver much needed projects.
Another excellent event supported by Arts Alive at our Library last night saw around 40+ attend a variety of music and instrumental from duet Mambo Jambo who originate from East Yorkshire.
The for-ever on going issues and concerns about ‘Parking’ within our area, has raised it head yet again – This is to be discussed at January’s Business Form Meeting.
See my article below – The Do nothing option is beginning to be difficult to justify –
Do you have the answers – let me know –
Click on the small arrows in the bottom left hand corner to forward/reverse pages.
Parking Enforcement FenlandI do try not to make mistakes in my postings however sometimes I do and will always put things right.
In my article about the AGM of the New Queen Street Surgery, I said that Dr Dan Dhanushan was leaving the surgery – this is not the case.
I also spelt Chairman Mr Bernard Gray-Esson name incorrectly and am putting all this down to becoming old, slightly senile, hard of hearing in my left ear and that I had attended 3 meetings that day and was probably becoming confused – eh sorry folks -and not a drop of alcohol had passed my lips that day……must try harder.
Put me right if I am wrong – please.
Tonight 18 members attended the monthly Whittlesey Business Forum meeting, including Town & District Councillor Cllr Kay Mayor and Jonathan Digby for The Aspire learning Trust which includes Sir harry Smith.
An excellent presentation by guest speaker Natalie Branagan from ‘The Little Marketing Co’ about how she became involved in her business and how she can help and support small businesses with Marketing Tools and Information.
A robust discussion took place around ‘Parking Issues’ in/around our town and I informed the group of how #Fenland# is set up as far as the law goes.
I will post further information about this later on.
The group are planning to have a visit to The House of Commons early next year.
The AGM of the Business Forum will take place on 11th December @ The Falcon Hotel 6:30pm
Another excellent evening to network with other small businesses in our area.
On Friday December 07th @ 10:00am @ Whittlesey Library – Cyber Crime expert from Cambs Police Nigel Sutton will attend, as will be NHW and Safer Fenland Partnership.
Any help or information we can give only too happy to help – please come along if you have any concerns.
There is also an event on December 03rd.
Click on picture to enlarge…..
Last evening was the AGM of New Queen Street Surgery – Patients participation Group.
A very successful year for the group both in engagement with the surgery and patients, but also in raising money for equipment benefiting patients.
Sad new that Dr Gary Howsam will be leaving the surgery in December to take up a new GP role at the ‘Octagon Practice Group’ Dr H has been at the NQS for 11 years and is for the time being still Chairman of the Clincal Commissioning Group for P’boro & Cambs.
Also leaving NQS will Practice Manager Helena Papworth who also will be joining the ‘Octagon Group’
At patient level, it is hoped we shall see little or no effect, as the surgery is planning ahead for these changes.
Dr H was presented with a small gift from the group for his support since the PPGs inception.
At the meeting, Martin & Sandra Green presented a cheque to the PPG from monies they had raised selling cycle parts.
Mayor Julie Windle have a short speech recognising the valuable work the PPG is carrying out.
Information: There are still this years FLU Vaccine available – please phone surgery for an appointment – do it before they run out.
The present committee chaired by Bernard Gray-Esson were re-elected en-bloc.
The date of the next meeting will be:Monday 07th January 2019
Only 6 members of the public attending todays meeting in Chatteris with Police & Crime Commissioner Jason Ablewhite and newly appointed Chief Superintendent Nick Dean who took up his role in late September and Northern Sector Superintendent Andy Gipp, (Who had a meeting with some Whittlesey Councillors last week?).
Jason Ablewhite’s short presentation on where Cambs Policing is at present. Some good news being that Policing levels have not reduced below 2011 levels and that the 2018-19 increase in Police precept has resulted in a ‘Net gain’ of 105 extra Officers – this is now having an effect on all area’s of Cambs Policing.
There has been an overall saving of £27M in efficiency and joint purchasing of assets.
In Cambs we are paying 43 pence per day per person for our Policing where as the National average is 57 pence per day per person.
Recently a victim of ‘Cyber Crime’ was fleeced out of £330,000 over a long period of time before realising what had happened.
Myself and Robin Sutton attended from Whittlesey and as there were so few attending we had plenty of opportunity to ask and engage with all the Top Brass – They were aware of the incident last week – where an elderly lady was ‘mugged’ and they had arrested someone in connection with the incident.
Our main thrust was Neighbourhood Policing which they were all very supportive – encompassing many aspects of elderly, young and lonely people who are being targeted.
Overall it was a good meeting and we covered most aspects of what concerns residents have here in our community.
Visit Whittlesey Neighbourhood Watch Website – one of the best in Cambridgeshire –
The on-going issues of Parking around Schools, is a very emotive subject as parents want to drop off and collect their children from school.
However ‘a’ little consideration goes a long way – especially if your driveway is blocked.
WHITTLESEY SCHOOL PATROL (22nd Nov)
PCSO 7172 was at Alderman Jacobs Primary School, tickets were issued on Drybread Rd, with many drivers being educated on the Highway Code.
Please think about where you are leaving your car during the ‘school runs’ so together we can make it as safe as possible for the children
