Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Disclaimer: These observations are not the ‘official’ minutes of the meeting, these are supplied by Whittlesey Town Council, normally (1) month following the meeting and can be viewed on their website.

4 members of WTC Planning Committee in attendance – 3 sent apologies.

As the only member of the public attending this month’s planning meeting at Whittlesey Town Council – which is pretty usual – no one who may be interested in becoming a Councillor in next May’s local elections – to see ‘how’ local council debate and decide what is put in front of them!

At the public forum – which any member of the public have 15 minutes (in total) to speak to the committee – in this case about ‘Planning’
I asked about Section 106 monies due from Larkfleet Homes on their major building site on Eastrea Road – I had done so 3 times before, and Cllr Mrs Mayor took up the case for me then informed me last month that monies due were still outstanding and overdue, as I asked where it stood now, I saw a nodding head, which I took as this money has now been paid.

Recently several developers have managed to opt out of their original agreements, various reasons, one being ‘unable to afford’ – due to market forces etc.
On the agenda yesterday was F/TY18/0496/PLOBBA – where the now developer ‘Axiom Homes’™ – they have took over the development (Westhaven Nursery Peterboro Road) and want to change/eliminate the previous section S106 contributions.
Their reasoning being that the land will take much greater clearance than they had realised!
They are building many more social/affordable housing and therefor mitigate their requirements for S106 contributions.
So WTC planning committee had to vote to accept the revised application.
This is another example of planning anomaly which we the residents and ratepayer looses out, where this would have been contributions for pre-school & secondary fenland rail contribution, libraries, life long learning county waste and public open spaces.

Surely when there is a legal binding agreement between the planning authority and the developer – this should remain, even when the project is then sold on.
Alas this is not the case.

Under S106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, contributions can be sought from developers towards the costs of providing community and social infrastructure, the need for which has arisen as a result of a new development taking place. This funding is commonly known as ‘Section 106‘.

After several months of hard work by the Museum Volunteers, they have put together a small room full of World War One artefacts.
The ‘Poppy Wreath’ for example contains 244 Poppy Petals – One for each of those who died either in action or from wounds they received during WW1 – Each one with the name of the deceased. Much research has been carried out – and the 244 include those from Coastes, Eastrea, Pondersbridge and Turves.

Whittlesey Museum Website – Click Here

Whittlesey War Memorial history and original dedication leaflet 25th February 1923
Act of Remembrance will be held at Turves, Coates and Eastrea on Sunday morning.
Act of Remembrance will be held at Whittlesey War Memorial at 11:00am

The remembrance parade will leave the Ivy Leaf Club/Car Park @ 2pm
Act of remembrance at the War Memorial 2:30pm
Followed by Church Service at St Marys.

Further to my post about ‘The Painted Room of Whittlesey’ – of course we have fairly unique historical Mud Walls – of which there is a fantastic booklet which has been printed this year – surveying all the surviving walls in Whittlesey (+1 in Eastrea).
Today at the Town Hall 8 members of the group had their monthly meeting.
The next steps being taking the information out to educate children locally about this piece of history. The booklet is ‘free’ and available at Whittlesey Library/Learning Centre.

A wonderful night is to be expected as always – raising money for local charity to help Children –

The David Hill Charity Quiz
includes :-
A Hot Sausage Supper…..

Stephen Hodson has organised this event for many years.

I’ve been a supporter of this event for many years and my thanks to fellow quizzers in joining me in our team again this year – We go for the fun….fun…fun
Applications now closed

Photo’s © Whittlesey Rotary

Initial report by ‘OPUS’ (C) is given below. This discovery was at what is locally known as The ‘Monastery’ on Market Street Whittlesey. There is a detailed report that can be found on Whittlesey Town Council Website.
The-Painted-Room-initial-report

OK so The Cambs Times has all bells ringing on its article about Whittlesey Conservatives,
in todays article (06th)
I said on the 3rd November I wasn’t going into the details, why because I see no purpose in washing out the on-going issues the group is temporarily going through – even though I was in procession of several emails.
I note in John E’s article, that he has had many e-mails coming his way – with what I presume has been flying about amongst the group.
As Ex PM Dave C’s favourite phrase was ‘Lessons must be learnt’ as an answer to everything that went wrong – surely the ‘experienced’ Councillors should well know by now… there is nothing more than Mr E likes is the sordid details – which makes and sells newspapers.
I am not a newspaper – or a journalist – my information comes from various sources and as I quite often quote – No hearsay or rumors here – Facts only.
So on this occasion those who read the article on the 3rd November read it first here.
The fallout of the Conservatives here in Whittlesey will rumble on for a while, and as I said above – is a temporary glitch – maybe!

RB found a bunch of keys along Benwick Road this morning along with a load of rubbish that appears to have been thrown out of a car!!!!! – want your keys back – please ask and you can have your rubbish back as well.

The two Flu Clinics has been a success at New Queen Street Surgery.
Last Saturday 730 Jabs were given with the Patients Group raising £110:14 for a future
project to enhance the Patients of the surgery.

On this months Planning Agenda at WTC – F/YR18/0881F 4 x Gas Powered Generators to be installed on the Aaron Road Industrial Estate.
I’ve looked at this application and it tickets all the boxes OK, they’ve done ‘noise/sound’ mathematics which all comes out well within H&S Specifications.
These 4 Gas Powered (Gas from the mains) will produce some 10 MegaWatts of power, not a big number in electrical power terms.
(For illustration CAT 2.5 MW Generator – Runs at approx. 47% efficiency)

The generators the applicant says will be used for standby generation when the ‘Grid’ requires it…..under normal circumstances will not be used at night-time.
We all expect to flick a switch / put the kettle on / power up computers at an instant – that all takes power generation.
The 4 generators will be in self contained units.
An industrial site is the best place for these small power plants….
As an example only a 10 MW will power roughly 1,000 to 1,500 households depending on consumption of course.

So ‘if’ you read my article about the Kings Dyke Crossing, I never said the Bridge is being built – what I have said is – I have always promoted this plan and if you go back on this site 6+ years you can see what was said….I’ve said it has got as far as it ever has done….
The building of a Bridge across Kings Dyke still has a number of huddles to get over.
I would say on a scale of 1 to 10 it looks like we are about to reach 6.
Once all the signing of land/contracts have been completed I’ll say 7.
6 years to get this far – with Councillors still quoting there are ‘Risk Factors’
China has just completed a Bridge of 16.6 miles long in the 6 years – Cambs CC have been on this project – and the KD Bridge (itself is only 80 metres).

The safer Neighbourhood Team will be at Whittlesey Library/Learning Centre this Friday from 2pm -3pm

Health is very much on many peoples minds, again I attend several groups in order to be abreast of what is happening.

Caroline Walker, the new Chief Executive of North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust will be hosting a meeting for Foundation Trust members on Wednesday 28 November at Stamford and Rutland Hospital. Caroline took up her role as the Chief Executive of the Trust that runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford Hospitals on 1 October 2018. At the meeting, she will be sharing her experiences so far and also hopes to hear feedback from Trust members, and members of the public, on their recent hospital experiences. 

As a member of our Foundation Trust, you are cordially invited to the event, which will be held in the New Meeting Hall at Stamford Hospital on Wednesday 28 November from 6pm to 7.30pm.