Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

As usual, it is only fair to thank the organisers of this event, there is a lot of planning and pre-event meetings that go of to make this all go smoothly. Pity that this year the weather – only just held up…. I did go with my co-members and set up a very small stall for the Whittlesea Street Pride Group. This Group as you know I am very proud to be part of.
We were thanked by many members of the public for the work that the Group carry out in and around the town and villages.
Whittlesea Street Priders will be having a ‘BIG DIG’ on Saturday October 19th at 10:00 meeting at Kings Delph Lay-By. We will be plantings some 20,000+ Daffodil Bulbs at 3 or 4 different locations along with 5,000 Crocus and 5,000 Snowdrops.
Why not come and help us… bring a spade !!!!!
If you need any further information or would like to donate some Bulbs… please contact me on 07923 244935

So now we know….. at Whittlesey Town Council meeting last Wednesday (11th) it was proposed that ALL Ex Mayors and Chairman/Chairwomen should receive a ‘Medal’ for their services. All this had been more than well trashed by the 13 conservative councillors over the last couple of weeks. A ‘few’ of them were against the idea, however at this meeting the ‘get-out’ was a declaration of interest to those ex Mayors/Chairs, so that they could abstain from the vote. I voted (The only one) against the proposal on the grounds, of the cost… £75:00 each (minimum order of 10 medals) + vat (which maybe recoverable) and post and packaging…..so still over £750:00 of WHITTLESEY rate payers money. If these ex Mayors/Chairs of the council would like the ‘privilege’ of a medal, why not fund it themselves. In todays economy of so called thrift,  this is a slight insult to you the electorate….and I hope your memory will remember this at the next election…. if not I will certainly be reminding you…..

All we have been told is that there is a Planning appeal to be heard on behalf of Harrier Developments…. (Tesco) starting we think around November/December, with the appeal notice provisionally on Friday 17th January 2014 at the Boathouse in Wisbech.
We have tried and are still making noise to have the result/appeal heard in Whittlesey.
Nothing heard back about this as yet……

August is a slow month, as many go on holidays, the town clerk also has her deserved break….. so we are back….the usual things have been rumbling along, nothing happening very quickly…. however… Discord amongst our 13 conservatives – never !!!!, Dave Mason has had his Bull whip out to give those councillors who are not agreeing with everything some want. It is a BIG WHIP as the discord goes deep on this occasion – I wonder what it is !!!! – Maybe able to report some news after tonights full council meet.

Not directly involved, but it was supported by Whittlesey Town Council. I and some of the Street Priders did go along and they did their bit for keeping thing clean and tidy.
I thought it was a very good event, professionally organised and good weather for everyone.

There are as usual a ‘few’ whingers, who are moaning about the road closures, or that it wasn’t well advertised. We they made it know pretty quickly after the event…so why did they not find out beforehand?

I dare say the advertising could have been more ‘advanced’ but the road closures were well posted in advance.

Sorry to have been ‘off’ the scene as such but my poor ill Dad died at the age of 88 a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been busy sorting our/his things out. I have been out and about and contactable, now back in full time business….

Rail Strategy ?….This so called plan has been around for sometime now…. My friends that went along and attended at WTC Offices, came back very disillusioned to say the least…not one question was given an answer? It was well maybe, well in 2020 or maybe 2024. What is being done in the short term….well another clean up campaign…this has been done in a semi big way twice before, on one occasion myself, the Street Priders, The payback Team and Network rail spend 3 days cleaning and clearing up…. way back on the site can be seen (July 2011). Only at the very end did Mr Barclay turn up and no chance of him getting his hands dirty. We asked to follow up on regular basis….well guess what none materialised….This is a major job that needs a lot of man-power…..so we ended up as we had started…..not a very nice place to be at….

Just picked up that ‘Harrier Developments’ have ‘won’ planning permission to build yet another Supermarket (Or will they Bank on it) in Soham – East Cambs, although part of the condition is that they name the Supermarket they plan to rent too…..
We in the meantime we are still (yawn) waiting for the final decisions to be signed off by FDC Planners…….. Did you know that we have 16 – that’s correct 16 Supermarkets of various disguise within a radius of 10 miles , so having one more will give us more choice then…..
(Counting Co-Op, Tesco, Morrison’s, Sainsburys, Waitrose & Asda) (Not counting Aldi, Lidl or NISA)…

So the uncertainty continues with Cambs CC (Councillors) about what administration we will end up with…..Everyone ‘appears to be ‘talking to each other’. It wasn’t that long ago that ‘Most’ of our councillors wrote off anyone/independents that were ‘In there way’ – Now all of a sudden we are ‘counted’ as being of use? only when it suites them…..
Fortunately I am party to this Jockeying about….

Passing by Martin Curtis Blog/Website on my monthly visit, I can not agree more with him about the ‘quality’ of those hopefuls wishing to make their mark.
Questions you the electorate need to ask – are some of these candidates really serious to work on your behalf.
It has come to my attention that one of those standing in the Whittlesey area – went off ‘fishing’ for the day of the election.
No election material.
Not in our local public domain
Seen very little of their involvement in local community meetings
Seen no activity within the community

Expect to make their mark purely on either being a ‘paper candidate’ or protest candidate.
You the elector are being seriously ripped off – I admit their was little choice in this election, and that is why 70% of the disillusioned electorate do not bother to vote.

At least vote for someone who has a voice and influence within the community.
If you don’t want to vote on a party line – which even those within the political parties agree – Vote ‘Independent’

I totally disagree with disposed of ‘Nick Clarks’ argument about the influence of Independent candidates……. they only bring up these arguments when worried.

With the conservative group loosing ‘overall’ control of CCC, and their Ex leader Nick Clarke ‘disposed of’ – there is a lot of ‘jockeying’ for the leadership…. it looks likely the Whittlesey CC Martin Curtis will be one of the Jockeys – Martins day may come….? However there are some other short odds….? However it remains that our (2) County Councillors MUST keep the momentum on the ‘Bridge over Kings Dyke’ issue…..
Remember we were ‘promised’ by Mr Nick Clarke that the bridge would be built within 3 years (less now).

Congratulations to both Cllr David Mason on being elected as the new Chairman/Mayor of WTC, along with Cllr Dee Laws as Vice Chair/Deputy Mayor.
Although I am not a supporter or member of any political group and have always disliked the ‘dream team – dumb & dumber’ Clegg and Cameron along with the likes of Ken Clarke (A good man in his prime). I support many of our local councillors, many are very hard working and passionate about our area – its just a pity that without them being aligned to national politics – I would be even a bigger supporter.
I look forward to Cllrs Mason and Laws ‘flying’ the flag for Whittlesey.

I do not normally get to have a ‘crack’ at Mr. B…. and in any case I know when I am outside my league?

However Mr. B made big issue of the fact that some candidates and some of those who the electorate had duly elected failed to turn up for the ‘count’ at the County elections.
He ‘thought’ it was a bit off…..well Mr. B – some of your own group in several previous elections locally have also failed to give their electors any credit by also not turning up for the count, including many who took it as their right to ‘think’ they should automatically be elected – many are still unfortunately still here ….. Better do some homework Mr. B…..