Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

The weather being British/English or European depending how you will be voting this Thursday….It has been a couple of days since I was out and about on my Litter Picking campaign….I have a usual route and behold – – I always do the Bower Tow Path, some low life (again) overdosed on ‘Coke’ – I mean Coca Cola…as photo shows, pleased to say no alcohol picked up today.
After a quick ‘libation’ at the Manor Bowls I continued down Station Road – to find Fenlands ‘Purple Wagon’  a ‘Fairly New’ Truck/Van for our excellent Street Cleaners.
Maybe FDC are looking at £40 a year Brown Bin ‘Tax’ to fund their ‘New’ Purple Trucks!
Low and behold – ‘Lilly’ the Street Operative is cleaning like crazy at the Skate Park – which those who use it had left in its usual state….I collect rubbish for a hobby and like to see Whittlesey/Villages clean and tidy (The best we can do) – I would find it depressing to have to go to the Manor Field day on day to find the same amount of rubbish….maybe the experiment done by other councils – leave it for a couple of weeks and let the public see how much is really left in an area.

More on the Brown Bin ‘Tax’  tomorrow….

Firstly – Thank You – on Friday this web/blog received 1,414 ‘hits’, over the last few weeks, on several occasions, the ‘hit counter’ has exceeded 1,000 in a 24 hour period – I am very humbled that the site is slightly popular.
Nice to have (2) Monthly magazines delivered to our door – but the ‘News’ is somewhat ‘old’ by the time most people receive them.

I see on our ‘other’ popular websites/social media – some people are wanting a change in Council/Councillors!!!! -Hello – Wakey Wakey – Whittlesey/Fenland has ‘just’ had an election in May 2015 – there is NOT another planned election for another 3 years….Will any of the Social Media crowd be standing then – I would hope so, I could do with some help, more than one Whittlesey Ward was uncontested in the last elections – meaning the candidate who stood – was automatically elected – is that good democracy NO – and NO it is not the fault of the candidate – but that of the electorate for allowing this to happen.
Failed/Lost as I may have done I respect the voice of the electorate – and at least where I stood the electorate had a choice.

Secondly – This week is National Neighbourhood Watch Week – where the National Association will be promoting NHW.
Here in Whittlesey we have a small but robust group (Being a better Neighbour)
The group reformed around 6/7 years ago and I have been Chairman for 5 years.

It costs – nothing
Time – Very Little
Meetings – 4 times a year – attend or not – not mandatory
Get News – Crime and News Updates from Fenland/Cambs Police.
How to register –  2 minutes go to Ourwatch UK
Own Website with ALL the latest information Whittlesey NHW Website

Next meeting will be held on Tuesday 28th June at 7:00pm (AGM)
Venue Whittlesey Town Council Offices – Grosvenor Road
(Towards the Co-Op)
Side entrance up the stairs. (There is a Stair Lift)

NHW Week Link

I posted about this around 3 years ago, when all of a sudden the ‘quote’ for my bungalow more than doubled, it was the same on comparison websites.
I eventually got a quote for around 50% more than we had been paying for the same cover.
All agents and companies I contacted told me the same – the area/postcode had become a ‘Bigger Flood Risk’.
Now my neighbours are catching up, they also now have had some stinging quotes all with the same reasons.
What I don’t understand – and please I would like to hear from anyone – if Planners and Councils are ‘allowing’ permission to build hundreds of houses next to a ‘Flood Plane’ with advise from the environment agency that the area is only ‘likely’ to flood once in a hundred years – why are ‘Insurance Companies’ being so ‘nervous’ about the ‘risk’
Please if you have had issues and/or extremely high quotations, get in contact with me, I need to know your Street Name and Post Code.
Like many other things happening at present I doubt very much if ‘we’ can do anything about it. Maybe the Insurance Companies are using  different criteria/data than FDC.
e-mail me at Clix Here

There are clear signs about the weight limit within the town centre area.
Other than deliveries (The Flower Truck) there should be no HGV’s in our town.

We maybe Fenmen, but most of our goods historically and in the future is carried by sea.
Historically we were a Seafaring Nation – alas the demise of the British Merchant Navy started in the late 60’s.
However I support many charities both locally and nationally, and the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners are one charity I support.
Here is there latest fund raising campaign letter.

Click on picture to enlarge.

Here is the WTC Planning Agenda for next weeks meeting at Grosvenor House.
Planning-agenda-22nd-June-2016

Since our Library/Community Hub re-opened the Friends of Whittlesey Library (FOWL) has been very active, they organised (2) very good events (1) ‘Frozen’ and (2) The Opera Dudes both very well supported.
I attended as a committee member their meeting on Tuesday evening, 8 members and a representative from Library Service.
There are more events planned – with the taster session of the Ukulele Workshop on Saturday 25th/11:00am
With a coffee morning.
The ‘Little Prince’ (Mainly for Children) on August 13th – A free event to all.
FOWL have applied to put on the films ‘Goosebumps’,  ‘Star Wars -The Force Awakens’  and the interactive ‘Dark Tent’
All these events are to be confirmed – but please keep an eye open at the Library.
The group has also applied for some ‘Staging’ and also hope to supply the funds to replace the front window blinds. So all in all a lot going on and considering the group was formed in order to ‘Save the Library from being closed’ a few years ago.
I will also be attending the Friends AGM at St Neots along with another committee member.
Libraries/Learning Hubs/Community Hubs – what-ever you want to call them are still very much an important part of our Town and Villages.

Your Councillors attendances at Full Council, Community Projects Committee,
Planning Committee and Finance & Policy Committee.

    
My thanks to WTC And Sue Evans Clerk to the Council.

The above is (similar) to what someone who is on ‘Community Payback’ Service and given when they are convicted of crime(s) – On Probation at this present moment in time in Whittlesey are 40 such ‘people’ – frightening well maybe – these are the ones that the Police and Criminal Justice system have caught and processed – which is good news.
Now we come to Policing – well this has been brought up many times (our Police Station being ‘temporary closed’) both at Town Council and other levels.
I hope to have an update later next week….

Pity that the good old blighty weather – drizzle on/off…spoilt the event a bit.
Not that many people considering a BYO event…I was there for an hour from the start until 15:00 –  I did hear yet again that the social media trolls were moaning as they do – that the event was not advertised well ….. maybe they should share something useful for a change!!!!!

 
Nice music by ‘City of Peterborough Concert Band – Only about 65 people there at 14:45
©RG
Still you could have paid £150:00 to attend the Queens Birthday ‘Picnic’ on The Mall – with heavy rain – a wash out.

©BBC