Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Seeing the agenda for WTC Full Council meeting this Wednesday – I wonder what will be revealed on the update of the Kings Dyke Crossing….Yes were are aware that there are/is on-going surveys being carried out – I think it is high time for our Councillors to come clean – on whether the Land purchase(s) have at last been settled and by that I mean has the ink dried on the exchange of contracts…..That will be a monumental step forward.
So like the Ely bypass being vastly over budget – Kings Dyke Bridge is heading the same way – off course the hold ups have nothing to do with the increase costing -?
We live adjacent to a ‘Managed’ Flood Plain – most of us have lived with this all our lives and have come to accept it – by the way – No Flooding in Whittlesey for many a year.
Of course it puts something like 8,000 extra vehicle movements on our other (2) access roads to Peterborough.
Then we have to put up with the Silly Billies who insist on still parking on the new Double Yellow lines on Church Street – beware our Police have been made aware.
The late spring weather has allowed the some 20,000 daffodils planted around the town and villages to out last their normal few weeks – some still looking very good.

Have a peaceful and pleasant weekend….

Might as well start with a ‘little bit’ of good news – my campaign along with many others and millions of silent supporters on Plastics/Cans Bottles/Polystyrene to have a deposit scheme placed in order to reduce Waste/Litter Landfill/Rubbish – has and is slowing getting through to the Government and other large retail groups.
Several Supermarkets are now making plans to help reduce packaging, plastics and glass, along with supporting better recycling from their own sources.

(l) Chemical make-up = Polystyrene

Tesco Ban Plastic Straws 272,000 signed petition to get Tesco’s to take notice.
It can be done if enough people join the campaign https://www.change.org/
Due to this campaign, Tesco announced this week that all disposable plastic straws will be removed from their shelves by the end of 2019 and their entire range will be replaced by eco-friendly alternatives.
(l) Clare Jones Campaigner Click Here

Plastic straws will also be phased out from all of their cafes, which will take over 1 million plastic straws out of circulation every year.

It’s taken over a year to come this far and I can’t thank you all enough – your signatures, shares and social media action made every bit of difference. This reduction of plastic waste will give our seabirds and marine life a better chance of survival and our rivers and coastlines will soon be much cleaner thanks to you.

Now I am a practical person I realise that the UK on it’s own is only a start – The vast amount of Rubbish & Plastics from India, China, Vietnam and a host of other countries need to do their part – will they I doubt it.
Most of what has happened recently has come about by people power and a relentless campaign by Sky News/TV who have been highlighting this major concern for a number of years.

The campaign carries on…. on my own if need be and by the many silent…RG

A deposit return scheme for single-use bottles is going to be introduced in England subject to consultation, the Government has confirmed.
Plastic, glass and metal containers would be included in the scheme with a goal of increasing recycling rates and slashing the amount of waste polluting the planet.
A consultation held later this year will examine the details of how such a scheme would work, but it is likely to be in place by the end of this Parliament.

Recently (Last year & this year) the signage indicating whether the B1040 and/or North Bank is open or closed has been much more accurate – (still not 100%). So why when I went and had a look at the ‘Newly installed gates’ some 18 cars/drivers came as far as the barriers, immediately turned around and
sped off back into town in a space of around 10 minutes. There are substantial concrete barriers and a ‘locked gate’
Yes ‘we’ are still all waiting for an accurate up to date electronic sign – Cllr Mrs Dee Laws is on the case…. remember it took 35+ years to get yellow lines in Church Street..

You can sign up to the Environment Agencies flood warnings –
Sign up to get warnings in England by phone, email or text message if your home or business is at risk of flooding. The service is free.

You’ll need to provide:
the address you’re registering
a phone number you can be contacted on day or night
an email address
©RG

My thanks to GW who sent me these pictures taken this morning…

After ‘years’ of lobbying and campaigning to get ‘parking issues/concerns’ sorted out along Ramsey Road/Church Street…(there was a public meeting – result !!!!).
Only last night Cllr David Mason was so ‘Happy’ that the ‘Double Yellow’ lines outside ‘Park House’ – Church Street was at last in place, I reminded David that he can not take all the credit for this – but he has been on the case for some 2 years.
So in just over a week, we are now back to where we started, several informing me – that some are parking on these newly instated ‘Double Yellows’.
They were placed so that traffic does not have to overtake these vehicles and then meet traffic/HGV’s/Buses on the ‘Blind Corner’ by the Letter ‘B’ Public House.
We’ve had a week when the road was clear – and what a difference it made.
Yes I have contacted my councillors and yes I have informed the Police – and will continue doing so.

B1040 Closure..
Horrendous is an under-statement – but there is not a lot that can be done.
We came back from Peterborough on Tuesday evening and it took over 1½ hours to get from Amazon Round-About back into Whittlesey.
I’ve got a shed load of people phoning me up! asking me what’s going on – why not phone your councillor… they might have information that I don’t have.
There is nothing ‘new’ with the issues…. and it’s probably going to get worse.
Now I am told at long last Cambs CC contractors are –  re-instating the Gating along the B1040 out of Whittlesey/Dog-In-The-Doublet…. bit late in the day – again.
I and others will ask if the installation this time is any better than before – ie theft and vandal resistant.
Why is it no one is being held to account – plenty of excuses as usual – sorry not good enough.

6 Councillors present, 2 absent and one member of the public – myself.
I questioned about item (1) on the agenda – F/YR18/0015/F – Re Morleys old garage site.
This appears to have been an ‘administration error’ – as I already posted yesterday – the decision has already been made by FDC’s Planning Committee.
All the other applications on the agenda were recommended for approval.