Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

It was only going to be…a matter of time before ‘someone’ got ……off about the closures of
the B1040 and North Bank, the issue is not about when the road is closed but educating people that although the ‘road(s)’ maybe clear … tides and water management takes place very rapidly. The road(s) can become ‘flooded within a very short time and the EA knows when to respond. The frustration comes when the road(s) are clear and there is no warnings in place – The road(s) remain closed….. NO MONEY for electronic signage???
We have asked till blue in the face…..so now there will be costs repairing/replacing the Gates/Posts etc….
Pictures coming later …..

    
After many many months, our Library/Hub opens (briefly see poster above), with the Roof fixed (hopefully), new ceiling, new carpet and some re-arranging.
Invited to go and see this afternoon…..

As usual click on picture to enlarge

Cycle Tour of Cambridgeshire – Cllr E Dorling gave an update on the public consultation.
72% were in favour and 28% were against the event taking place in/around Whittlesey.
The event (if it happens) will take place in 2017
Cllr R Whitwell was congratulated on all his work involved thus far. The rest of the councillors were extremely ‘Happy’ with the way the public consultation had engaged.
The actual numbers of those who voted will be available on the WTC website at some stage.

Councillor surgeries (which has been tried before), would continue for the time being, the feeling was it makes councillors accessible and transparent with the public/electorate.

Reports from Street Scene & Environmental Team @ FDC

(Click on pictures to enlarge)
  

Picture taken this morning at around 09:28

At last night’s WTC council meeting, Mr Bernard Gray-Esson (Vice Chairman Whittlesea Street Pride). Highlighted the increase in reported Fly-Tipping within the area. He told the council that it was all well, reporting and the Street Scene/Rapid Response acting – there needs to be a more pro-active roll in catching and making an example of those responsible.
The latest being found by RB again near Lattersley Hill and Turning Tree Road
Mr Gray-Esson reported on the (2) latest events, which were well advertised, both events he said were dis-appointing in that NO members of the public attended.
The events being The Clean up at the Railway Station and Clean up for the Queen event, both being well supported by Street Pride members. As usual a ‘lot’ of rubbish and litter was removed on both events.~

Cllr Mrs Mayor reported that she was disappointed that other than herself, NO other councillor attended the Railway clean up.
She reported that there is an open meeting regarding Railway issues and a presentation will be held at Fenland Hall – Wednesday 16th March between 18:00 to 20:00

(Thanks to RB for the photos)

Tomorrow (10th) CCC are holding a planning meeting of which the proposed Kings Dyke Crossing will be debated. Cllr R Butcher attended a site meeting with CCC planning dept today (09th) ….. Whilst the group were there, (only a relatively short time) the gates closed 8 times, including 2 quite lengthy delays.
Maybe more coming tomorrow…..watch the news.

09th March @ 22:00 – So not only North Bank closed until further notice, but Kings Dyke crossing is due to close tomorrow (10th) night.

There is quite a lot to cover, therefor several parts will be published over the next couple of days.
8 members of the public attended, there was no demonstration from members of Street Life© in regards to the Showfield development.
Mr Bruce Smith (pictured this evening) gave a brief but intense presentation to the council and public.
Also attending was Mr Martin Whitwell the land owner of the proposed development site.
The important part was that Mr Smith has served notice to Sainsburys© about their contract obligations. Sainsburys© have 28 days to respond.
Over 5 years of hard work, Mr Smith pointed out that both he and ‘Whittlesey’ had little or no support from the MP Mr Steve Barclay.
Fenland District Council (FDC) has decided not to hold an independent inquiry into planning matters concerning this application. ( RG – Letters about this will come later)
Mr Smith said “He was not driven by financial gain”
He is actively looking at other retailers and there has been some communication.
If another retailer were to come on the scene, there maybe scope for the Land for the Country Park, to be gifted by Mr Whitwell.
Mr Smith was passionate in perhaps incorporating some of the ‘Must Farm’ artefacts in what he hoped ‘could’ be a museum and heritage site within the Country Park.
This ‘vision’ was supported by a number of councillors.
It was also stated the Peterborough Vivacity had already a done deal on many of the artefacts. Cllr Butcher informed that it takes 5 years of more to prepare things like ‘boats’
before they can be displayed.
There is also the road infra-structure around the area to be sorted out.

RG – This is a very long haul ahead still – but it appears that the passion from Mr Smith lives on.

I started this website/blog long before (Years) StreetLife© came into being.
I hope(d) it would be an informative, without being overly political platform.
My continuing stance as being ‘Independent’ from political party influence.
Not only (me) but at least 10 of your WTC councillors DO NOT take part in any form of debate on SL© – why – I have asked some of them and their answers are (like it or not).
That ‘some‘ of the ‘silly/childish’ comments they have no time to get involved in.
The few councillors that do post, make in general a very good case.
However as I have reported on many occasions, some quite nasty brutal exchanges have taken place, where no one came out a victor.
There are on SL© a number of ‘Trolls’, who enjoy winding people up on SL©,
SL along with other social media (That includes ‘Faceless Book’) do have a place in our modern world. Many high profile people have come off social media for the reasons above.
I pay for my website, (SL© is more or less unmoderated).

As I have said so many times before, please read ALL before making comments.
I am very open to Constructive criticism, open to debate and contactable (even when away).
I do not force people to come and look at my website, no more than I am forced to go to SL© – I question – NO Whittlesey Councillor keeps not only their own area/ward fully, updated with issues, concerns and information.
I am not a councillor but I DO try and keep people informed with facts as I and in some cases my friends and supporters find them.
This website regularly gets between 200 to 400 hits/views a days – Heh that’s not bad for
the regular underdog like myself.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in the past, present and future.
I/we are back to a cold Whittlesey this week.

Thank you for your most recent posting, I respect your views.
My open invitation is for anyone to contact me with any concerns.

Like many sad things, the family of Hedgehogs in the field at the rear of me, have now disappeared, one got run over
Then we found another down the drain. During the campaign to relocate thousands of Hedgehogs a few years ago from the Outer Hebrides, I financially supported the group that were trying to ‘save’ them – alas I never heard what happened in the end.

Our Hogs and Hoglets, would go from garden to garden to see what was on the ‘menu’ – We would leave all our chicken left overs, they would chomp and munch for an hour or more.
Back and forth all night, they of course had competition from the local cat community.

By the way there is an extremely informative article on the BBC website about Ladybirds…… http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35603972 dated 5th March this year.

“He claims never to have seen deer there and I quote “only a few ladybirds”!.
Am I the only person who feels that this gentleman has no idea of how precious any wildlife is.”

Like many/most on Street Life© people ‘hide’ anonymously behind pseudo names.
I do not.
Will the ‘lady’ who is very active on SL© please read the article fully and correctly, what I said was…

At NO time did I see any ‘wild’ animals or birds nests ‘vandalised’ there maybe have been a few ladybirds.
At NO time did I see any deer, although Muntjac  have been seen at various times – they do not live there permanently?

Off course there is a proliferation of wildlife in the area.
The article was about the ‘one time event held’

Will you please correct your article on SL© I would very much hope so, I am on the same side as yourself, we are all trying our very best.
Gillie B my contact details are readily available – you are more than welcome to contact me, talk to me, phone me or meet face to face to better our town and villages.
Please, please read fully first before condemning people like myself.
Yes I am accountable for what I do and say, and have done so for the last 30 odd years as a campaigner and activist.
Thank you – I look forward to hearing from you.

I plan to attend.
The agenda includes a presentation by Mr Bruce Smith (Whiteacre Management) who is/was the developer in conjunction with other parties to develop land on Eastrea Road for a Supermarket, Business Park and Country Park.
Click on link below to see the full agenda.

FC-Agenda-9th-March-2016