Fantastic results from the ‘A’ level students at Sir Harry Smith, congratulations to Headmaster Jonathan Digby, who deserves kudos for his motivation of staff and pupils,
the school has achieved very good results year on year….
Bit rich of Colin Gale who in his letter published in the Cambs Times© this week, goes on and on about ‘local’ issues should not be politically motivated – why then is ‘He’ standing on a ‘political platform’ – Labour for the upcoming Bassenhally election, Colin accuses councillors of arrogance – Colin as far as I am aware has NEVER attended a Whittlesey Town Council meeting – that a bit ‘rich’ using the term ‘Arrogance’.
Where does he, Mr Curtis & Chapman ‘think’ they are getting the #Bulk# of their votes from….their ‘Politically aligned friends !!!’ Naturally I and many others are pleased and happy that ‘someone’ has decided to stand against the Curtis factor, as said before at another cost to us the rate payer of Whittlesey – for the sake of open democracy which I all too often promote…
Colin Gale – stand on an Independent wicket…..or is that to difficult a ‘task’
The prolific avid writers on Street Life are at it yet again…. I say some!
The accusations that ALL councillors are corrupt ALL are useless and we need more police, it goes on and on….. where/what planet are some of these people been living on….
‘We’ have just had elections in May, I and a very few others made our stand, we were well beaten by the due democratic process, with a good turn out (66%). What about the (34%) that didn’t bother to vote, I thinks…many of the persistent complainants are in this group.
I stand/stood as the only ‘Independent’ as I am not politically aligned to anyone, the electorate decided to vote elsewhere and I’ve always accepted the results.
No faults, but again ‘some’ of the Street Lifers, perhaps do/did not realise that some councillors were elected unopposed – so ‘if’ they have so much compassion about our Town issues, why not PUT up or just SHUT up.
At least with the upcoming re-elections in the Bassenhally ward, Colin Gale and Dave Chapman are giving the electorate a ‘choice’ against the Conservative Martin Curtis, I don’t see any of the Street Life whingers names there – case closed…..
Got the email about the workshops being run by FDC on preserving wildlife.
It seems one department of FDC is showing how to conserve wildlife whilst another department is passing planning applications which are destroying huge swathes of natural habitat!
As one journalist would say, “you couldn’t make it up”.
From a regular reader….
With developer ‘Bruce Smith’ on his holidays until the 10th (We also) – I/we wait until his return to see if he makes any comment – Re – Sainsburys applying for changes to their application.
We wait and wait – come October or maybe before, will Sainsburys or their Agents commit one way or another as to whether they ‘will’ take up their options on even buying the land?
We wait and wait……
Continuing with waiting, it has been very quiet of late from Cllr Ralph Butcher the lead member on the Kings Dyke Railway Crossing Group, the last I heard was – All was going to plan!!!!! with still some £3 Million shortfall that Network Rail are supposed to cough up, small fry in comparison to what MP Steve Barclay is looking at for the Wisbech to March rail link….did I read correctly £100+ Million….
Whittlesey could have (2) Bridges and (2) By-passes for this sort of money….
I am carrying out a short survey into recent increases of House Insurance (Buildings) in Whittlesey. Initial feedback being quite a number of respondents are not declaring how far they live from ‘A Watercourse/River or Drain’ or if they live within 3 Km of a Flood Plain –
Most Insurance/Comparison Websites are asking these questions….
If answered truthfully, the quote X2 or even X3… I’ll post more when my research finishes.
Really…..Having seen the photograph of our two elected representatives for St Andrews/St Marys, and I having highlighted sometime ago the on-going issues of the Bower maintenance, although under normal circumstances, I would congratulate our two incumbents for their achieving a bit of a clean/clear up – However there is ONE Major omitment in the article – HOW MUCH DID IT COST….there was some discussion on a quote at a recent council meeting, however the public was not included in this part of the meeting. If this was for the same work I do not know. Maybe when I am back I’ll ask under the freedom of information act….? Just interested in how much Rate Payers money this was costing, as it could be a regular feature.
Carrying on in my Cynical mood…. Short Memories again some people have, or maybe my readers did not receive or see this document which was put out some months ago by Mr Roses Agents….Nice if you believe it….
Click on Pictures to enlarge….
Showfields Promo
Showfields Promo
The Whittlesey-In-Bloom group have worked tirelessly on many projects to enhance our town, Whittlesey Street Prides collection of over 40,000 Kgs of rubbish/litter removed along with 9 Gateway projects in the past 9 years. It is very disheartening to see wanton destruction of a project. I hope that ‘someone’ will be caught before they do even more damage.
Of course we can not point any fingers at any one group, but these ‘issues’ do seem to come about at certain times of the year!
Picture Cambs Times©
Cambs Times© @ 16:06 …
Sainsbury’s bid to open a store in Whittlesey looked increasingly fragile tonight after their late efforts to overturn “onerous” planning conditions were rejected by Fenland District Council
I can not count on two hands the number of times ‘we’ Whittlesey residents/public – rate payer/ex councillors/present councillors have tried to do our very best for what the town wants or is crying out for….over 4 years of issues after issues, block after block.
Planning problems after problems, Tesco’s/Cemetery Road, Tesco’s Station Road on and on, I’ve never so far other than Tesco’s at Fakenham come across such an issue.
Now ‘we’ had all thought ‘a’ supermarket is finally coming, with some much needed small business park and a very welcomed ‘Country Park’ – everything looks as though it could be in the balance again.
I feel extremely sorry for the ‘dozens’ of people who have promoted and worked hard over the years to get something our town needs….Will we be left high and dry again….
Are we just very unlucky – Planning developments don’t go our way and now a big question whether our out of town development will ever happen….
I’m quoting myself again…..and again…. I’ll believe it when I see the first spade for the foundations dug out, I hope to be there to take the picture!
ps….Tesco’s took up their option in Chatteris, only not to occupy the building when finished!…
A bit of a re-run for the 20th August election,
David Chapman Lib Dem
Martin Curtis Con
Colin Gale Lab
Should be interesting in ‘who’ canvasses the most…will the Con Group pull out all the stops and get the ‘whole group’ to canvass for MC, will Colin Gale get the support from his
Wisbech Office, or will David Chapman bother to do a leaflet drop I wonder….
I am interested in the % turnout…..!!!!!
I do not ‘normally’ believe in ‘Blame Culture’, but now the dust is beginning to settle a week after this application….. ‘StreetLife’© is full of various comments blaming all and sundry. Not having attended myself (At a funeral) is it somewhat difficult to get a ‘complete’ picture of ‘what’ actually happened at this meeting. The ‘Fiasco’ comes about with the ‘fact’ that this is not the first time that a FDC planning committee have voted on something, only to change it after ‘Officers advice’ Cllr Mrs Mayor who held her stance to vote against the application and according to reports the rest of the ‘against’ committee members could not come up with a ‘reasonable’ planning rule to substantiate their refusal – surely if they were minded this way they would have done their ‘planning’ research…beforehand on such an important application. SteetLife© is full of comments, but the commentators in general forget that the original application at appeal failed on Flood Risk. Somehow Mr Rose/Showfields have managed along with the EA report (whether accurate or not) to persuade FDC Planning Officers to accept/recommend the application. The rest of the objections would not carry much weight as they had been accepted at the previous application. The ‘Drone’ evidence as I am aware was more or less a waste of Whittlesey rate payers money (£750.00) as when the ‘evidence’ was shot – Half of Alderman Jacobs school were somewhere else – so it did not show the potential for road/traffic issues….another lemon. Now we have Capt Curtis on SL© giving his ‘expert’ advice – MC is well trained in planning matters, why then was this ‘expert’ advice not sort after before the planning meeting. Why wasn’t MC at the planning meeting – to give his expert weight. MC has given evidence at previous controversial planning meetings, and for what ever reasons – not much notice was taken then –
On my own expertise I quote a favourite of mine from Oscar Wilde –
The Importance of being Earnest’ ” I know nothing“, (John Worthing to Lady Bracknell).
QED
You have a democratically elected council/councillors lobby them that’s what they are there for……
F/YR15/0134/0 Land North of Whittlesey East of East Delph, has been passed by FDC’s Planning committee today 22nd July 2015.
Considering what happened 2 years ago, when there was a phenomenal opposition from virtually ALL the town, an action group and £20K raised to fight the appeal that followed the original application.
Today saw empty seats at Fenland Hall (Not the expected standing room only), on my reading the application and taking the FDC’s Officers recommendation (To approve), it was always going to be an uphill battle to ‘reject’ the application, as the applicant Mr Rose had complied with everything that the planning inspector had highlighted.
Remember at appeal, the main objection was to do with ‘Flood Risk’ – it appears that the criteria for this has been met as far as the Officers at FDC are concerned.
The application went for some 3 hours and Whittlesey Town Council were represented.
There was a ‘sprinkling’ of other Whittlesey councillors, but noticeably a number were missing.
So this was for ‘outline planning – for 220 dwellings’
F/YR15/0143/F Land North and West of Moorhen Road – for public amenity space (Country Park) was also approved.
There was some conflict of what Whittlesey Town council figures on applications already passed for future development under the core strategy plan at 1063 houses and those of FDC planning officers at 816 approved for future development – the figures being a bit wide to say the least….I don’t know who maybe correct on this….
Whatever – this decision today has serious ramifications and effects on our town, its future, and serious infrastructural concerns for many years to come.
