Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

A very good event at this evenings New Queen Street Surgery – Patients Participation Group meeting, with 15 members attending.

Let me categorically say the the PPG is NOT primarily a fund raising group, there has been some insinuation on ‘Social Media’ that this is the case.
Having been involved with the PPG since its inception, the reasoning why the Government wants PPG’s is for ‘Patients’ to be given a platform to interface and meet with their surgery partners be it doctors/nurses or senior admin staff.

The ‘generous’ donations that individuals/patients make is their decision, all donations are used for the ‘whole’ benefit of the surgery and its patients.
So tonight we were pleased to have our local Whittlesey Lions present at cheque by president Steve Palmer for £500 – as Steve said, their group raises money to help ‘Local’ organisations and groups within Whittlesey and district.
It was decided to offer the NQS an opportunity to buy a state of the art Doppler Medical Machine.
[See below – description of a Doppler]

Amongst other items discussed was the recent and forthcoming ‘Flu Clinics’

Presentation of the Water Cooler by The PPG

Questions asked about whether the ‘Telephone Doctors appointment system’ is to be permanent and some feed back at the next meeting.

Several other topics were covered, perhaps those who make comments on ‘Social Media’ instead of ‘relying on hearsay’ would like to come along to this and any other meetings….
ie Town Council, and hear what is ‘actually’ said and discussed – then be informed correctly to make comments….

Finally NQS announce that Dr Gary Howsan is to leave the surgery at the end of December. Dr Howsan has played a very big part in The NQS by leading and taking forward many issues and challenges and has been both successful and inspirational in the delivery of these under sometimes very hard times.
We’re not sure where Dr Howsan will be going, but besides being a local GP he is involved in numerous other medically aligned positions – one being Chair & Chief Clinical Officer.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group.

I am sure ‘Gary’ will be somewhat missed at our Surgery and we wish him every success – where ever he goes.

[Doppler]
A Doppler ultrasound is a non -invasive test that can be used to estimate the blood flow through your blood vessels by bouncing high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) off circulating red blood cells. A regular ultrasound uses sound waves to produce images, but can’t show blood flow.

A Doppler ultrasound may help diagnose many conditions, including:

• Blood clots
• Poorly functioning valves in your leg veins, which can cause blood or other fluids to pool in your legs (venous insufficiency)
• Heart valve defects and congenital heart disease
• A blocked artery (arterial occlusion)
• Decreased blood circulation into your legs (peripheral artery disease)
• Bulging arteries (aneurysms)
• Narrowing of an artery, such as in your neck (carotid artery stenosis)

A Doppler ultrasound can estimate how fast blood flows by measuring the rate of change in its pitch (frequency). During a Doppler ultrasound, a technician trained in ultrasound imaging (sonographer) presses a small hand-held device (transducer), about the size of a bar of soap, against your skin over the area of your body being examined, moving from one area to another as necessary.

WARNING : It is not advisable to buy a ‘cheap’ Doppler for home use. (RG)

Whittlesey Neighbourhood Watch has been helping victims of crime in our area?

In February the Constabulary and County NHW launched a new pilot initiative where volunteer NHW Coordinators (19) were trained to visit consenting victims of domestic burglary.

The purpose of the visit, which takes place post police action at a date and time agreeable to both, is to offer some crime prevention advice and provide additional support and ‘sign posting’ where needed. Just making contact and demonstrating interest and empathy has proved to be very reassuring to victims. It also provides recruitment opportunities for new NHW schemes.

To date some 30 visits have taken place and the scheme has received positive feedback from victims, the police and NHW volunteers and we now have an opportunity to enrol and train more volunteers and help more victims.

Training is conducted by the police and can be at locations to suit local geography. It can be covered in around 2 hours. Once the level of interest is known we can work out locations etc.

Another initiative we have been promoting very heavily is that of Cyber Crime awareness,
both Robin Sutton and myself have attended a Police Cyber Awareness course by Cambs Police. We in conjunction with Cambs CC had a very successful morning in July at Whittlesey Library covering Cyber Crime.

We are planning another event covering both Cyber Awareness and other Crime subjects on the o7th December @ 10:00 – This will also be held at Whittlesey Library and is an informal event, we will try and answer and cover what-ever questions are raised.
Why not come along – I am sure you will learn something of interest.
More to follow closer the event.

Our recent journey to the US – Washington, the Skyline Drive, the Shenandoah Nation Park and the 500 mile drive along the Blue Ridge Rocky Mountains.
Then westwards to Nashville and I was invited by the senior technician at The Ryman Theatre to see behind the scenes at the original ‘Grand Old Opry’ with its now state of the art sound system.
Ending up in Memphis to visit Graceland – a wonderful experience for us ‘oldies’ and by the way this is a real picture…?

I suppose the long awaited decision on the next phase of the Kings Dyke Crossing – The possible funding by Mayor James Palmer of the considerable short-fall in financing the project. I am ‘told’ that Mayor Palmer may well fulfil he pre-election pledge – that The Bridge will happen, however 2 years ago the costing estimates were no where near what they are today – or next year.
So on the 31st October 10:30 – 12:30 at the Town Hall Bridge Street Peterborough the ‘Board’ of the combined authority have their meeting.

I may well go along – if the public are allowed to attend.
There are No Whittlesey Councillors on the ‘Board’ – however FDC’s Leader Cllr Chris Seaton and CCC Leader Cllr Steve Count do sit on this ‘Board’ and I would hope are supportive of our Bridge project moving forward.

Update: – Naturally maybe we the public are not always aware – But like it or not, our Councillors (Boden & Connor) have been driving this project forward, be it at Council level or with direct contact with people like Mayor Palmer.
Remembering that Cllr Nick Clarke lite the fuse to get this off the ground in 2013.

Behind the scenes of course are people like myself who have been lobbying for many years, on this and many other projects/issues.
It is just unfortunate that everything seem to take a very long time to get a result.

Next – I hear ‘Success’ for the launch of The Green Dog Walkers Scheme, promoted by FDC and Whittlesey NHW – lead member of the scheme Robin Sutton informs me that over 40 members of the public & 63 Dogs have so far signed up for the scheme.
Leaflets are available from WTC Council Office @ Grosvenor Road, Best Friends Vets, Phil’s Mart, Parkers Newsagents and the Not Just Café.
More information + Forms, Joining etc can be found on the Whittlesey NHW Website
https://www.whittleseynhw.org.uk/

I see that development ground works have begun on Church Street @ what was the vehicle recovery centre (Hemmerways) – then to build houses – if not major issues of access and parking along this piece of road historically for more than 20 years is not enough to contend with, there are several junctions within yards of the entry/exit – why I wonder is No one listening or that the Highways Authorities see no issue with developments like this – and if the Government gets it’s way – Planning will be even easier, irrespective of what ever Local Plans may be in effect.

Further to my post a couple of weeks ago – somewhat delayed I see that there is some slow progress in the opening up of our ‘Green/Healthy’ Shop come Café –
‘Antidote’ The gent doing the fixing, informed me it could be a couple of weeks before opening – that’s what I was told last time several weeks ago!

Then there was the much ‘lauded’ publicity about the ‘New LED’ lighting which is coming to Whittlesey Railway Station along with the ‘usual’ photo opportunity for some of those involved.
I am sorry to have to inform those, that I have attended the Hereward Community Rail Partnership meetings for well over 6 years (I was not invited and didn’t expect to be).
However it was ‘my’ suggestion that LED be a cost effective temporary lighting until a more permanent answer was found.
Fine – however this is the WRONG type of LED system that was suggested – no one wanted ‘Cats Eyes’ – we wanted ‘proper LED overhead lighting. }
Was communication an issue – I doubt it….still this maybe better than nothing for those in the dank darkness of our not so nice Railway Station.
By the way I and a few others clear up and litter-pick around the Station area quite regularly. The Station ‘adopter’ who lives in Manea – comes over and keeps the platforms clean and tidy – well done to him.

Next week,  Monday – I’ll be attending the New Queen Street Surgery Patients Participation Group meeting where there will be some breaking news for us patients being announced.
Wednesday The Whittlesey Business Forum have their meeting at the Falcon Hotel – want to network with fellow businesses in our area – this is the place to be @ 18:30

‘Good News’ is hard to come by on the KD Crossing, but things are moving forward.
At Cambs County Council E&E Committee (Economy & Environmental) the decision was passed to go ahead with the scheme as planned.
That said, it is subject to finding the Large (shortfall in funding) – from Metro Mayor
James Palmers Combined Authority – who will be having a meeting of their board to discuss and hopefully make a decision on the 31st October.
Should ‘He/They’ commit to funding the shortfall – The start of the building ‘could be early next near with a completion in 2020.
These are ‘facts’ I have been given this morning, they may not take into account any further ‘slippage’ that may occur….Watch this space..

The planned Flu Clinic to have been held at New Queen Street Surgery has been POSTPONED until Saturday 03rd November.

This is because of the success of this weeks clinic, leaving a shortfall in vaccine.
Once fully confirmed I will re-post…

Flu clinics at New Queen Street Surgery tomorrow Saturday 13th between 08:30 and 11:00

For more information about the scheme contact
Robin Sutton email – robin55@btopenworld.com

A successful launch engagement today Friday at the Whittlesey Market Place/Buttercross.

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.

I was unable to attend last nights WTC meeting but am happy to say in my ‘Letter from America’ – (Who remembers Alistair Cook’s Letter from America I wonder) – my thanks to our correspondent who reports the following….

CC Boden gave an update as to the ‘situation’ at Saxon Pit.

He mentioned that as we know the un-authorised waste is considerable and it has now materialised that there is so much waste there that requires moving if in fact it is moved will de stabilise the wall of the pit even further!
Planning permission was granted to stabilise this wall!!!!!!
Further another planning application is imminent to stabilise the Northern face (Southern) but current breaches cannot be taken into account because the new application will be from a different company – (possibly the current owners)

Whilst CC Boden assured everyone the Environment Agency “were all over”
This is not very reassuring.

My correspondent states – In a current political environment where saving the planet is key the current situation at Saxon has been allowed to happen. If it was not for the fact that the current operator could not source enough top soil to cover up the refuse and residents (neighbours of the site) complained about the smell persistently this event would have gone unnoticed by both the environment agency and the county council. Which brings the next question what monitoring of the site by both parties and the work carried out there actually took place before the complaints were received ????

(RG) I can not go into much further details as there are investigations on-going by the Environment Agency (Since February this year) and possible legal proceeding may take place.

Dawn Sadler. (FDC) H&S is  good in Whittlesey looking into land ownership round railway station to resolve build up of rubbish.  Dog poo discussed again.
See article re Green Dog Walkers which launches tomorrow 12th October – Here in Whittlesey.

CC Boden gave details of his comprehensive work re change in wards. This would be boundary changes for next years local elections.

Minerals and waste plan no response as doesn’t affect Whittlesey.

Must Farm -Good – plan A rejected bid not successful therefore plan B bid going forward for visitor centre and artefacts to be at Kings Dyke reserve.

Kings Dyke Bridge Crossing. A meeting 11th October by the Finance Committee to authorise the spend/cost of the project. Then another meeting with the Metro/Combined Mayor James Palmer to see they will make up the shortfall>
Councillor Curtis wants to raise issues regarding inaccurate reports – re- volume of traffic and impact assessment with Cambs County Council.
These reports may have been vastly underestimated to the point of not taking into account volumes of traffic when the North Bank is closed.

In regards to the above…there is of course the as yet unpublished letter by campaigner Peter Baxter in the respect of a Strategic Environmental Assessment not have been carried out. There was correspondence regarding this and it was ‘stated’ using – Wikipedia as its source that ‘One was not required’ – Peter Baxter refutes this statement and I am waiting for his letter to be published…..(RG)