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.

Agenda to this meeting was published on this site – 06th April
10 Councillors in attendance – absent Cllrs Whitwell & Garratt.

Thanks to my correspondent who sent these notes to me…

1/ Request made for Police drop ins to take place in villages.

2/ Problems on Thorney Road people going through barriers. Cllr D. Laws took over 30 registration #’s on Saturday, discussion took place as Police advised not enforceable as no guarantee owner driving.

3/ Cllr Curtis raised that 2 premises had a 1 rating hygiene. It took Fenland District Council 5/6 months delay to display the info not acceptable.

4/ Cllr Laws asked if could consider green ribbon campaign. She will find out more for next meeting.

5/ Street Pride – Asking about Zero tolerance on Rubbish and excrement – main thrust about Kings Dyke Lay-by which Cllr Curtis raised again later stating not acceptable human excrement. Cllr Boden suggested close lay-by and have a lorry park.
Cllr Butcher said will still park on road to save their overnight allowance – On-going.

6/ Then accounts discussed. WTC underspent by £32,000 but have bought property which means they have to go into a different category review.
Sundries Parish expenditure £1600. Notice boards.
Photocopier 50% over spent controls have been put in place.
Discussion about paperless – Some Cllrs not keen.
Discussion about clerk being data controller. (Haven’t got one yet??)
7/ Donation to food bank for shelves £222
8/ Summer reading challenge – £500
9/ Allotments had site meeting with fencing contractor re correct fencing awaiting prices. New contracts for allotments going out Friday.

10/ Cllr Mason reported on the  Business Forum Meeting re Saxon Recycling.
All agreed just a planning application and would prefer if had been submitted in normal manner.

11/ Cllr Mason attended Pub Watch meeting.

12/ Cllr Dorling reported that 25 tables had been booked for the forth coming Business Forum Fayre to be held at the Manor Leisure Centre.

13/ Must Farm Cllr Mason – Concerns project not listening to councillors had a meeting with Peterboro’ City Council and multi functional building could be viable.
Can it be sustainable? – Thinks back on track.

14/ Neighbourhood Plan – Cllr Laws – There is appetite for a major development which would give the public the facilities they want however previous questionnaire didn’t focus on development so a new one will have to be sent out asking about major development.  Combined Authority Mayor James Palmer not sure what master plan is yet!

15/ Rail partnership. Still going slowly extra trains to start Dec 2018.
But don’t want trains to stop at Whittlesey. (2) extra stops creates impact on others.

16/ Cllr Mason Syrian refugees going ahead WTC want to assist and support.
The new Town Council building now has to have 3 planning applications as 2 flats are separate applications. Cllr Boden – No responsibilities for integration but Whittlesey should take some responsibility for them.

17/ Cllr Mason – Master Plan – Can get £50,000 grant Whittlesey one of 9 other towns can get this base town on St Neots. Cllr Boden – St Neots not typical example so another meeting planned to discuss.

18/ Kings Dyke – Crossing -Cllr Butcher stated Next project meeting cancelled.
The next one would be in May.
Stage 1 detailed plan late autumn.
Stage 2 construction Sept
Target cost from Kier 11/08/18
Land purchases 1 exchanged, 2 ready to exchange wants to complete same time.
Contracts drafted to be sent to solicitors.
Design revised underpass and 4th arm agreed with planners – Bridge to be a bit lower.
Ecological survey commenced this week.
Target open spring 2020.

19/ Debate then about road closure while Wash flooded
Now will be closed nights with stop- go signs.

20/ Cllr Mason – Yellow lines outside of Park House police don’t have manpower Commissioner suggested WTC employ own traffic warden. To chase up again.
Windmill Street to go ahead soon.

21/ Resurfacing Ramsey Road Cllr Boden – July 18.
Closed for 1 month. Road to go down 2ft in depth.
(Delayed from 2017 – to January 2018 – to March 2018 to July 2018 !!!)

22/ Cllr Bristow – Residents of Lark Fleet want the roundabout moving and crossing instead as difficult when taking children to new road school. Some discussion about difficulty of these crossings.

23/ Cllr Laws – Delphi Flood Wardens doing brilliant job recognise in minutes.

Next meeting 09th May 2018

e&oe – errors and omissions excepted – If you think any item needs correcting because of its ‘factual’ content – then please let me know, I will make the necessary correction.
R.G.

My thanks to Cllr Dee laws for the following:

Just received a call from the Environment Agency, Duty Officer.
Road Closure Notice in force for Northbank Road, Peterborough
and will certainly remain in place over night due to high levels of water now and expected.

Flood Resilience Team continuing to monitor and will up date me in the morning ..  hopefully, water levels will drop enabling the Environment Agency to lift the road closure notice for Northbank, Peterborough, sometime tomorrow.

The B1040/Whittlesey Wash Road has been open to all traffic from late afternoon/early evening yesterday and remains open.
Yesterday, The Environment Agency/CCC Highways had contacted BBC Radio Cambridgeshire to remove the traffic announcement stating B1040 – Whittlesey Wash Road is closed.
This afternoon, The Environment Agency/CCC Highways called BBC Radio Cambridgeshire to ensure an accurate traffic announcement is being reported – Northbank Road, Peterborough closed to all traffic.

Kind regards,
Dee

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Our Class of 67 were on the whole a ‘happy bunch of teenagers’ the 60’s had opened up a great deal of freedom for us – especially music, motorbikes/scooters and girls.
In 1997 I was working for the in the USA – my school friends asked if I could organise a ‘School Reunion’ – I said I was probably not in the best position to do it, however I went to Sir Harry Smiths School and got our school register for the intake of 1963 – from then on we had weekly meetings on whole had been ‘found and contacted’
I went away for my 4 month contract and on return, the group had the Reunion all set up for April 11th 1997 at the Falcon in Whittlesey.

A fantastic night had by all, old friends and new friendships made, including two who became ‘very’ good friends again.
Happy Days – Happy Memories – we have had 2 further Reunions, but the first was always the best one…

Pictures taken late afternoon today 10th April – Gates Open, although one sign still said Road Closed.

Next challenge to motorists using East Delph – Road Resurfacing works which will last a number of days, (Did it read 11)causing delays.

Still nice new road surface.

It is planned to re-open the North bank/B1040 after contractors have swept and cleared the road – sometime after 5:30 this evening….

It is my understanding that everyone involved in the traffic concerns are on the case. Yesterday the Traffic Lights had gone by 15:45 well before peak traffic. The EA are monitoring constantly the state of water now and to be expected. Road clearance team is on stand-by to clear rubbish from the B1040 when the EA give clearance. Yesterday morning the Town Clerk told me it had been quiet on the telephone with no great volume of calls about traffic issues.

By having the surveys done which was well planned ahead – to delay or ‘re schedule will cause even greater delays to starting the KD Bridge.

I currently have poor internet connection and will try and update when I receive any information.

As of 9:00am this morning, we are told by CC Bates on BBC Cambridgeshire Radio – works starts on the A605 at Kings Dyke for exploratory bore holes and that Traffic Lights would be in operation 09:30 – 15:30 all week – I was told last night that WTC Councillors were looking at getting this worked put back due to the B1040/North Bank being closed.
Potential traffic issues…… at this moment I am travelling in another direction out of Whittlesey so I can not see at first hand whether the contractors have installed the Traffic Lights.
Delaying this work could also have a bigger knock on effect for when the Bridge works starts.
Must be The Whittlesey Effect – again (Supermarkets et al)

My thanks to our correspondent – who informs that – Cllr Dee Laws is in contact with the Environment Agency (EA) are aware that Northampton, and surrounding area, were pushing water down to Peterborough and additional rainfall is predicted, so the North Bank will remain closed as will the B1040 all Sunday and Monday, then they will take advice on whether to remain closed on Tuesday.
The contractors can be called in at any time to clear debris off the road (and currently there is quite a bit), the concrete blocks need shifting and gates unlocked but as I say this is unlikely to happen before Tuesday – Some individuals are getting upset when ‘strangely enough’ the A605 is not a fast commute in the morning.
We found out that contractors are due to set up traffic light controlled work to drill holes in the A605 (bridge testing work?) on Monday totally oblivious about the closed roads!
I think that this has now been put back along with the resurfacing of East Delph.

The latest updates can be found in several places try this one
https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings

Lots of people walking along the B1040 Thorney Road
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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.