Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

The latest I hear – is that ‘We’ (That is Fenland District Council) are nearly there?
One YEAR since the ‘application’ was approved (and that was after several attempts)….FDC indicate (No time given) that most of the 106 agreement and access issues have been solved…
I also ‘heard’ that Sainsburys have Eastrea Road factored into their planned building program for 2014 – Lets keep on waiting and see when/if it comes sooner rather than later.

Well it is congratulations to ‘People Power’ getting together a small but vocal group to voice and fight the Planning Application off the Wash Road…..this application has been refused, by Planners at FDC – but the applicant has gone to appeal.
This is where the Nitty-Gritty starts.
The applicants (Rose family -No connection to Whittlesey based Rose Homes) will fight this all the way.
One tragedy in this wholly unwelcome application is that one Rose Brother is a ‘local councillor’ in Oundle – he and his family are well versed with planning rules and law and will flight this application to the very end.

As for my part I totally agree with most of the Whittlesey councillors, that this application is totally inappropriate….I will support in any way possible the objectors to this application.

Although I do hear a lot of things coming my way? – I have to be very careful that I am not being fed something deliberately so I can drop myself in it ? from a great height ?
Today I hear the there is to be a Northeast Cambs UKIP Group being formed.

The next  application to come forward is the 249 houses that the ‘old’ Rose Family want to build of the old showground site off Thorney Road. I am extremely pleased how this went and how our Council engaged with the public and nearby residents,
This was primarily lead by Mrs Dee Laws the Ward Councillor and Chair of Whittlesey Town Councils Planning committee. A lot of work has been put in.
The decision not only to hold the public meeting last Wednesday (23rd) but the amount of engagement and work put in prior to that meeting.
The meeting itself went ‘fairly’ well other than one member of the public accusing ‘some’ councillors of receiving ‘Brown Envelopes’ – to which I personally took exception too and made it known – to be fair she did apologise to me personally after the meeting.
At Thursdays WTC Planning meeting we spent some considerable time debating and formulating a response, which I again am pleased to say was a robust recommendation to REFUSE….. our response was an 8 page letter to FDC Planning.
Again I am sorry to say, that if/when the application comes to FDC, even if it is refused in the first instance – the applicant has the right to appeal.

The recent planning application for some 150+ houses at Snowley Park near Glenfields has received publicity, however there has been a very robust people lead group/action group who put together some good arguments to Refuse this application.
Your/our Town Council, whom I supported all the way on this application made a good deposition on the arguments also. I am part of the Whittlesey Planning Committee.
At the Fenland Planning meeting I am pleased that ALL our arguments as to why this application should be refused were correctly listened too.
The Planning Officers at Fenland Do not live here and recommended to ‘Approve’ the application am pleased to say it was a unanimous vote to REFUSE.

However as always this is only the beginning, rest assured the applicant WILL appeal the decision…we wait to see… and will fight the case when/if it comes to appeal.

Daily, Weekly, Monthly I get told about ‘Speeding’ alone various roads in and around the town. New Road/Stonald Road/Outside Schools/Drybread Road/Bassenhally Road on and on. For several YEARS we have been trying to put together a ‘Speed Watch Team’ I/we have tried via Neighbourhood Watch and various other mediums alas to no success.
Everyone complains but no one wants to get involved for a variety of reasons…..
I am and will get involved and I don’t care about any controversy Speeding is Speeding….we can not give out tickets but are trying to make Speeding Motorists Aware.
Why Not come along to the next Speed Watch campaign.
Meet at Whittlesey Police Station 12:00

As there has been a vast amount of publicity about this application and letters delivered to all residents adjacent to the site  – I/we as Town Councillors are very ‘aware’ of the majority of the publics opinions and concerns. Duly of course the Town Council has called for a ‘public meeting’ to gauge and more importantly ‘listen’ to residents concerns.
Naturally we are very ‘aware’ of the major issues ie…. Traffic, Flooding, Environmental, and ‘Infrastructural issues.
Again as has been advertised : Grounds for objections must be ‘planning based’ not just a general not liking the application.
After the meeting – We as a Town Council will make the case for or against the application dependent on the publics opinions…..However…..
It is important to accept that we as a Town Council act as consultee only.
Your individual weight in writing to Fenland District Council about this or any other planning application actual will make a much bigger difference – so I urge as many people who have opinions to do so – sooner rather than later.
Personally I am very aware of what and how this application is going….

There is more information on http://whittlesey.shapeyourplace.org/

Lots of so called ‘none news’ emitting from the Cambs Times about the so called power struggle with leader Cllr Melton. I doubt if much will come of it, as there are several camps, but when it comes to push and shove, ‘they’ will stick it out. The last so called ‘no confidence’ fizzed out within a few days and never came to a vote.
Of course there is conference time at present with all the main parties making all sorts of ‘promises’ as usual…..all vote catching in a build up to the next election.
They can’t keep promises made before the last election – so why should we believe this latest load of !!!!
15th September saw our local conservatives having to declare whether they intend to stand at the next local elections….. Doesn’t bother me too much, I am all in favour of local democracy and am pleased to note there are one or two areas that will be slogged out between a sitting councillor and a would be pretender….!!
We know that in general Whittlesey has a very strong conservative following, nothing wrong with that….but maybe at some stage a young local charismatic pretender with a bit of local knowledge will come along and knock someone of their perch…..and I am too old and not charismatic enough so I am told !….Bah

A developer wants to build nearly 250 homes on the old showground site – East of East Delph in Whittlesey. We have at Town Council already discussed this area quite extensively. Access, Flood risk…which is deemed as ‘low risk’? – Well although I have to admit, this year was probably the worst on record for the B1040 & North Bank Road being closed, this is not to say, that it could become more regular in future.
Limited access onto Teal road is not the answer. The developer ‘thinks’ most of the 250 new home residents (that’s probably in excess of 350 vehicles) will all go out along the B1040. I don’t think so and of course where are all these vehicles going when the road is ‘closed’. I live on the South side of Whittlesey, never been flooded, but this year my house/contents insurance quotation went up over 400% all because I live within 3 kms of a controlled ‘Flood Plane’ I found it very time consuming to get a quote a bit more reasonable. I certainly hope the ‘prospective’ buyers of these homes – should FDC be minded to grant permission – look into what their insurance costs maybe before buying?
I sincerely hope that this application is ‘refused’.

At last nights PPG (New Queen Street Surgery) it was revealed that Hinchingbrooke Hospital will be providing some of its services to NQS, at I understand no cost to NQS, they will be initially a small base. Here we will be able to be referred by our own doctors for some disciplines such as orthopedics for having Hinchingbrooke take on the case.
Maybe we will be able to get things done a bit quicker than having to go to PCH.
Initial referral, pre assessment at NQS#
Operation at Hinchingbrooke  (With I understand Free Parking)
Post Operation back at NQS

It all sounds very positive at present – we wait and see….should start soon….

In the latest round of ‘Policing Assets’! – I understand that Whittlesey Police Station has been spared the chop once more !!!….Almost every 6 months the powers that be…have yet another look at where and what ‘they’ can save money on.
Orton is to go, along with Bretton and more importantly the larger one at Huntingdon, there is a substantial custody unit based in Huntingdon – I hope that my information is correct.

The format on how and when public engagement takes place for Neighbourhood Policing priorities are forever ‘Changing’.
Our PCSO Ian Moll (The last remaining out of the 4 we had at one time) is very pro-active and engages very well. He recently had his ‘engagement’ on the Markey Place and later at the Council offices for those who are at work.
Here are his stats…of what the ‘peoples’ concerns area….

30 speeding
29 dog fouling
12 general ASB
11 fly tipping-littering
8 street drinking
6 parking
3 vandalism
2 graffiti
1 vehicle crime
1 burglary

I’m pleased with this as clearly shows that the time I spend with parking has paid off with it not getting many concerns.
The Police will concentrate on speeding and will work with FDC on the issue of dog fouling.

If you have any concerns, please don’t just moan about it – either let your ‘Own’ Councillor know, let me know or why not join in with ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ – another very pro-active group within Whittlesey & Villages.