Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Not just me celebrating a birthday yesterday, our good friends Maria and Pepe at Vesuvio Italian restaurant were celebrating 4 years since they opened in Whittlesey.

Maria and Pepe, have given a lot of support to many local groups from the beginning of running their business. New décor…..Food and service excellent….

17:15 BST All I know is that Sainsburys latest planning application has been granted, what conditions if any I have not as yet seen. But if you read the application, it was not just about being able to make deliveries 24/7…..

16:50 BST.. Planning permission has gone through…. So now its up to Sainsburys to deliver….will they?
Confirmed by Bruce Smith

High Causeway, I see activity at the ‘old’ One Stop Shop….. builders/carpenters are inside, I saw boxes of what appeared to be ‘Pet Food’. Maybe we have a ‘new’ Pet Shop arriving or is our present one expanding/relocating.

Our ‘fairly’ newish toilets have been vandalised ‘again’ the centre toilet had what appears to be a smallish fire over the weekend.
There of course is a question! – Why was the ‘lock’ on this toilet broken and not repaired or seen too for many weeks allowing unrestricted access. (No Money!)
This toilet is presently ‘Out of Service’

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Swingeing = severe, extreme, serious, substantial, drastic, harsh, punishing, excessive…..
Both Cambs County Council (To save £114 Million in the next 5  years) Fenland District Council (To save £1.8 Million over the next 3 years) This can only mean one thing, core services are now at risk.
Both Councils have made substantial so called savings over the ‘past’ few years, staff cuts, redundancies etc.
All services, Police and Fire services are seeing reductions in funding.
Up until now, this has had little effect on ‘front line’ services, but with these planned substantial funding cutbacks, I expect there will be some drastic changes on the horizon.
Of course – FDC have a consultation out to the public – You can have Your say as to where You think cutbacks could happen….Go to www.fenland.gov.uk/consultation
(closing date 26th October)

Photo sent by a correspondent, tyres dumped Stonald/Green Wheel area, was reported and pleased to say FDC’s Rapid response team cleared away.
There is normally a £5:00 charge on the disposal of ‘old’ tyres, when you buy new ones from a reputable company.

Today see’s a 5p charge on plastic carrier bags, some confusion on when the charge will be made, why make it complicated – just charge 5p that’s the end of it. Of course the swindling chancellor will be making something like £17 million from charging VAT on the 5p, Steve Barclay our MP told me when I have asked him to support a charge on Cans and Bottles, ‘It would cost too much to administer’.
Now his Maths and mine differ somewhat – how does +£17 million equate to administer charges, it is the shops that is doing ALL the work and administration….
Still Mr Barclays ‘was’ a former banker – maybe that explains it? (Pun)

It is my understanding that the ‘Ram’ is closing this weekend. Not sure if/when it may re-open. So with the Ram, ‘temporary’ closed, the ‘Railway’ closed, because of licensing ‘issues’, the ‘Hero of Aliwal’ partially closed and up for sale, the ‘Bricklayer’ being re-developed for housing, the ‘Straw Bear’ closed and is under ‘consideration. This will leave very few pubs left in our town. Congratulations to the ‘Letter B’ and The ‘Bull’ who appear to have survived the latest cull.

I have been asked by a correspondent on ‘Councillors attendance’ at Whittlesey Town Council’ I have requested this information and due to the Town Clerk being unwell at present, there is a delay. Hope she recovers soon and I will update.
FDC publish their attendances and expenses in the public domain.
Maybe – just Maybe the WTC website we were promised a long while ago would have provided this information….another waiting game…..

Naturally I ‘watch’ StreetLife’® like many others. The latest ‘Brutal bout’ between ‘Willy L’ and Martin Curtis, shows the level that can be reached on this website. I am not favouring one or another, but I score on this occasion Willy L 1 : 0 Martin Curtis.
Martin being Martin, has taken the ‘hook’ – lock, stock and smoking barrel.
Like any ‘good’ politician he has ‘tried’ to make an open debate about a subject, only to be vilified for ‘his’ arguments – that I am afraid this is the risk of trying to convince the ‘public’ that ‘he’ knows best.

My congratulations to Willy L who on this occasion ‘appears’ to come out best.
Of course Willy L is a ‘previous’ Councillor – before my time, maybe we need a cv of Mr Willy L, to remind us who and when he stood as a ‘peoples champion’? I am waiting!
Photo’s © StreetLife.

I am very pleased to see that 3,000+ hits to this ‘website’ whilst we’ve been away.
Our ‘epic’ tour of the Outer Hebrides, was not without some excitement. My 2nd visit to the Stornoway Hospital is becoming the norm. Hopefully all is well now.

One of my favourite films ‘Whisky Galore’ – filmed on the island of Bara, I went looking but could not find any of the remnants of the famous incident –

Go to Fenland District Council website: http://www.fenland.gov.uk/
Go to Planning & Building
Go to Planning at the top
Go to view planning application details and documents
Type in F/YR15/0657/F

I was lead to believe that ‘they’ Sainsbury’s were only asking to change the hours that ‘they’ can deliver from the store, however they have asked for 3 conditions to be altered.
They state in their covering letter, following receipt of the decision notice, it has become apparent that a number of the conditions are overly onerous and will not allow Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd to operate from the store successfully.
Another condition they are asking to amend is that which states the Country Park must have various infra-structure in place before the ‘Store’ as allowed to trade. Sainsbury’s again are looking at changing this condition.

The date to submit any comment has now expired, FDC states the Target Determination Date is Thursday 29th Oct 2015
Within the application was 5 letters from members of the public, supporting the application, 1 letter of objection.
There is an in depth ‘Noise Report’ carried out by consultants on behalf of Sainsbury’s to substantiate their argument for +24 hour deliveries.
I have read and do understand the results.

There was ‘no’ letter from the ‘Whittlesey councillor’ re previous posts submitted.

Whittlesey-In-Bloom volunteers, which Street Pride supports, have done well again this year, results today – Whittlesey received ‘Silver Guilt’
The cemetery received ‘Silver Guilt’
The Garden of rest received ‘Silver Guilt’