If you scroll down the right hand side cursor, you will now find a live feed from Cambs Police Twitter account…. like many I do not ‘do’ twitter® or face-book®’ but they both have certain positives in communicating with the public…
Like all information it is only as good as the person updating it….

Several updates on next weeks agenda….

After the improvements to our town centre which sparked a lot of comment at the time.
The ‘newish’ bus stop is missing a ‘safe place’ for pedestrians/school children and shoppers to cross.
I have had advance sight of a report from FDC on this issue, and aware it will be debated at the next WTC meeting, (this Wednesday 0th Feb @ 19:30)
I would encourage anyone interested to go along to the meeting (and possibly, if they wish, to speak in public session on the subject) and I hope to report what is debated on this very important safety issue.

I could write a book – but won’t – the debate on whether ‘we’ in Whittlesey would be better off ‘linking’ with Peterborough rather than Fenland has been brought up on many occasions. There are Pro’s and Con’s – however whenever I have raised the subject with Whittlesey Councillors, I have raised a ‘Toxic subject’. Most believe our/their allegiance lays with Fenland and I appreciate everyones views.
Certain services are now ‘shared’ in order to make ‘savings’
However looking at recent history – say the last 1/2/10 & 25 years and where as Fenland and Whittlesey has remained fairly stagnant – Peterborough has prospered in many, many ways, they have also had a certain amount of negative issues.
I’ll not go on too long – but considering the majority of working people from Whittlesey do so in Peterborough, the majority of people shop in Peterborough, the leisure and hospitality areas are in Peterborough and on and on.
I’ll highlight the latest ‘loss’ to our town – that being the historic findings at ‘Must Farm’
I’ve heard some small debate at WTC regarding what & how Whittlesey should benefit.
Just read the BBC story on this 01st February BBC News – Must Farm
Whittlesey is printed just once. Some of our Councillors have ‘tried’ to get this very important historical item to come to Whittlesey.
At one meeting it was even brought up by a benefactor that a stand alone Must Farm Museum could be built.
All very nice in theory and in my dreams but the realty is somewhat different.
No more history lessons, you and I can not have our cake and eat it – and I mean, a nice market town, free parking, reasonably good schools and health services. Relatively low crime, sport and leisure facilities.
I am sorry to be the deliverer of doom and gloom – but sorry Whittlesey – you can not have your cake and eat it – Peterborough is expanding at an alarming rate along with thousands of jobs…..and that means MONEY.

Just a correction from a previous post where I said that Fenland/Whittlesey had little money from the Local Enterprise Partnership to come our way – I stand corrected – they have published this week that some £8 Million has been allocated to the Kings Dyke Crossing.
MP Steve Barclay has today indicated that there is a lot more government money available to Fenland ‘if’ they go about it the right way.

I still maintain I like living in Whittlesey – where my passion lays – we can all dream of better things… talking about which there is news on a possible way forward of a ‘Pedestrian Crossing’ on Grosvenor Road/Co-Op Car Park area…more to follow.

A couple of interesting applications – one for the ‘Old Pings’ haulage yard – memories serve me correctly was this not the now applicant who – when – the Eastrea Village Hall applications were being made objected to that application of the grounds of ‘Traffic issues’ – so a haulage yard  of 50+years did not have traffic issues on the limited visibility A605.
Although I can not remember there being any serious incidents. Now housing is NOT going to cause any issues – probably not according to Cambs Highways – who will sure carry out a Desk Top Survey?
Agenda below….

Lets start with a very small but significant piece of good news…. FDC have at long last (years) and after a considerable amount of lobbying decided to increase Fixed Penalty Notices for ‘Fly Tipping’ – whether anyone is caught and will pay of course is yet another major on- going issue.
Of course my picture illustrates recent Fly-Tipping in Bedfordshire – so nowhere is ‘safe from this anti-social pass-time.
I’ve highlighted the forever on-going issues of ‘Plastic waste’ – some 6 Million tons ends up every year in rivers and oceans. I have published before my questioning of MP Steve Barclay on ‘Why we can not have a deposit and return scheme’ – he said it would be costly to the Tax payer –  I disagree – there need be NO cost to the Tax Payer! – Yes there is a cost but most will be out weighed by the improvement to the environment. This week the massif Coca Cola Co®™ is lobbying hard for Deposit and Return schemes to be ‘REJECTED’ – Boycott their products is one answer.
It reflects Coca-Cola’s assertive stance against the introduction of a DRS scheme, which is under consideration by the Scottish Government.
Such schemes have worked effectively in a number of European countries. A cost is added to the price of a drink, but the customer can reclaim a deposit upon returning the container to a shop or collection point.
I well remember as a child deposits on bottles and how we kids ‘hunted’ for pocket money.
Many other parts of the world have been doing this for years – time we caught up.
Enough now about these weekly issues – for a time anyway.
See full story on Sky News    –    Click Here

Yet another major blow to our town and what economy we have in Whittlesey – not surprised as some! – the Norwich & Peterborough Building Society and Lloyds-TSB about to close shop in the near future. It is very laudable some local councillors attempting to make a stand – Good – however you are 20+ years too late – Several reasons which I am sure everyone is aware of – but lets just take a minute.
The N&P, Chelsea B.S. – The Northern Rock, Dunfermline B.S (The Government gave Nationwide £1:6 BILLION to take Dunfermline on) – just to name a few.
I had accounts at some of these ‘safe’ institutions – we were told on many occasions by the ‘Rich/Well paid’ CEO’s that ‘They had NO Toxic debts/loans’ – this including the N&P – dozens of Banks & Building Societies suffered – and are still in some cases not in the Black.
Luckily for most of us – they were taken over at Billions of Tax Payers money (again) and I personally as many did not loose any investment.
‘Sorry’ it is a sign of the times – Internet Banking has been around for 20 years, people use Banks & Building Societies less frequently – and the Banking crisis all have contributed to where we are now – and there will be more closures.
Naturally I am sympathetic to those who have for-what-ever reason not embraced technology or can not get to a main branch in Peterborough.
On answer is change to what ever remains open for the time being.
Norwich & Peterborough Building Society™ opened in 1852 (Don’t know about Whittlesey) and had assets of £4:9 Billion when taken over by the Yorkshire Bank™
They have to say ‘A Palace of a Head Office’ in Lynchwood (I’ve been there) and a branch in Gibraltar! – of course I would not suggest any sort of #laundering# going on….
Why does a ‘smallish’ B.S. need a branch in Gib!
My concerns naturally are for their loyal staff – especially in our own branch – who have given excellent customer service and raised and contributed a great amount of money for local groups.
     

Another fantastic week for us – sorry Whittlesey I will return…!
A 3 day cruise on a wooden boat in/around the Mekong, 5* food as usual – the ‘delight this week’ being An elephant eared fish!
Connie, having a go at navigating the Bassac II.
Back to Saigon for a few days celebrating the ‘Lunar New Year’

A Healthy – Happy – Prosperous – Year of the ‘Rooster’

Coming next week – why it is all happening in Peterborough ~ Jobs # Investments
$ Infrastructure ~ Housing – Supermarkets -+ Warehousing % Building on and on –
Peterborough is where it is happening – especially Jobs –
We have a newly  revitalised Business Forum of which I am a member (Not a businessman) and I promote all can can for our town – but Peterborough has the £££££
Millions being invested – Not Fenland and Not Whittlesey.

             Friends of Whittlesey Library
QUIZ  NIGHT

 I’ll start with my usual ‘rant’ of Fly-Tipping – yes it will just not go away – and of course this is long before the reality of the ‘Brown Bin’ issues come into effect – just because ‘other’ councils state that the introduction of the ‘Tax’ has not increased fly-tipping – does not mean it will not happen in Fenland for us in Whittlesey.

This weeks very kind person(s) decided to dump an old mattress near Decoy Lakes and an old settee on Turningtree Road.

My correspondent informs me that again thanks to FDC’s Rapid Response Team – the said items were quickly removed.
Fantastic work guys – but we the tax/rate payer are having to fund this.
I don’t often get involved in other area’s Councillor problem, but the never ending character assassination of individuals becomes a bit tiresome – namely Councillors in Wisbech forever hacking on another – nothing wrong with holding councillors to account or questioning, but I would have thought with all the so called problems that Wisbech has – they would be better off addressing these instead of each other.

I’ll give MP Steve Barclay some well deserved kudos this week for having had a go at The Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP (GCGP) for what ‘appears’ to be ‘Quango’s gone a bit crazy again. Looks like a lot of money (yours and mine again) going almost everywhere except Fenland which received a mini amount
of £46,000 in a total of 1 grant – Cambridge Council receiving 12 grants of over £1 Million, seems to me that Fenland has lost out again – and thanks Mr Barclays for trying to hold another Quango to account – of course
they will attempt to defend themselves?

I have to report this week, that yet another sad person(s) have removed flowers from the Whittlesey Cemetery – have these poor people got nothing better to do with their bored lives.

Still Connie & I are still enjoying sunshine – we are in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) where I last visited as a 21 year old in 1972 during the Viet War. A vibrant and very clean city.

   
7 Million Motorbikes Cocktail Hour              Fresh Coconuts            Notre Dame Cathedral

       
The wonderful ‘Majestic Saigon’ build 1925   Full of history                Connie

Many will remember (maybe) the controversy with Tesco™ wanting to build a supermarket along Cemetery Road, they wanted to knock down houses, they were ‘offering’ inducements to residents to sell, they wanted to knock down and re-locate the Fire Station…these were just some of the issues at the time. The planning application failed and they then moved to the next site on the Industrial Estate on Station Road.

Since then (History over) they have ‘banked the land’ – recently they came to WTC with their latest proposals, I was at the meeting were they did a presentation, I was not allowed to take away the ‘plan’ – however, many Councillors were very concerned about access and the number/types of dwellings that they were proposing. Several WTC Councillors were quite vocal in the respect that there should be NO houses backing onto James Gardens – which are bungalows, the agents for Tesco ‘appeared’ to be sympathetic with the Councillors and said they would take it away.

Now I understand FDC Planning last week F/YR16/0704  the consideration of the application for the land by the New Queen Street Surgery was, rather unusually, deferred for further information. Vote for deferral by 4 votes to 2. The whole application, with the additional information required, will need to be reheard at a future Planning Committee meeting.

In the additional report, Muntjac Dear are on the site, although not a protected species,
they apparently have some level of protection.
Despite Planning Officers’ recommendations on this application, —- all is not lost!

So the application lives another day…..

Very interesting and again Kudos to our WTC councillors in calling the application in.

The report (2Mb)

Update Report

Some comments in respect of F/YR16/1163