Tesco Leaflet - Whittlesey

There is a Tesco leaflet being distributed in Whittlesey at the moment.  I don't know how many people will receive it, so I was going to publish it when I got a chance - but it is probably just as easy top link to the Cambs Times article about it, which is here.

I would add the same qualifier as I have done when I linked to the Sainsbury report over transport access to Station Road, that this is one side of the argument.  In particular, there has been some dispute about the legality of removing planning permission on a site that is in a separate location to the current planning application.

I am still distributing a supermarket survey around Whittlesey North, I am getting about a 12% return rate which is perfectly acceptable.  I will summarise the findings so far over the next week or so.

Possible Impact of Tesco on Station Road

I was sent a document last night prepared by Vectos, who are the highways consultants who act on behalf of Sainsbury.  The document was intended to inform the review of the impact of any Supermarket on Station Road and, in effect, challenge its viability because of that.

Vectos have given me permission to publish that document on my blog for discussion.  It contains some serious issues, including highlighting potential queues of up to 400m on Saturdays at Station Road level crossing.  A word of caution - because it is a representative of Sainsbury challenging Tesco - but it seems to be based on factual evidence and, as such, is worthy of debate, which is why I have mentioned it.

The document can be accessed here.

If the future is Whittlesey students, the future is good..

Last weekend I was part of a team of staff and students (with me as a token Governor) taking part in a 24 hour relay at Sir Harry Smith Community College, with five teams of four or five each keeping exercise bikes going for a total of 24 hours. Each person contributed at least 4 hours worth of cycling in half hour stints, suffering sleep deprivation, my sense of humour and some pretty sore backsides.

Of course it was great to raise money for a good cause, but actually there are more reasons than that to be lad to have taken part.  Top of the list has to be to observe and chat to the students, who despite tiredness, lack of sleep and a lack of sensible sleeping arrangements behaved impeccably, with no-one complaining and everyone joining in in some way or another in the spirit of the occasion.  I was so impressed with everything about the night, but especially how the students coped with the circumstances - and I should stress these were students of all ages, not just from the top years of the school.  I know they all went home feeling tired, I hope each and every one of them went home feeling proud, I certainly felt privileged to have been part of the event.

I would also like to thank Vesuvio for the marale boosting pizzas at aabout 9 o'clock Friday night.  A really nice and well appreciated gesture.

Politics in the Pub - 31st October Letter B

I have promised to try to do more about the boundary commission report.  Well here is news about my first politics in the pub event in Whittlesey, next Monday at 19.30 in the Letter B:

Boundary Commission Review of Constituencies

At midnight last night the Boundary Commission's review of parliamentary constituency boundaries was published - although it was leaked and was available on line way before that.  The implications for Whittlesey and Fenland are huge.


Basically, North East Cambridgeshire will be no more.  It is proposed that; Whittlesey will move into Peterborough South; March and Wisbech will move into a new Wisbech and Downham Market constituency and; Chatteris and surrounding area will move into Huntingdonshire.

Of course these are just proposals at the moment and, indeed, only affect Parliamentary Constituencies - but it is important that people respond to the consultation.  One serious issue that comes from this is that any subsequent review of Council Boundaries could lead to Whittlesey moving out of Fenland and into Peterborough City Council.

Whilst I have huge concerns about what this means for the people I serve, I am adamant that the reasons behind the review are absolutely right - that the sizes of constituencies need to be evened out so that we end the ludicrous situation where the Conservatives need to poll loads more votes than the Labour Party in order to get a majority in Parliament.  Largely because inner city parliamentary seats are smaller than rural ones - despite the fact that geography means that rural Constituencies are much harder to manage.

I could talk and type about this for hours - certainly there are lots of questions that need to be answered - such as how much future housing growth has been taken into account and how much of this has been the Boundary Commission simply playing with numbers without understand or asking questions about the implications for the tax payers who fund politicians and, indeed, the Boundary Commission itself.

Progress in Campaign for Improved Whittlesey Rail Services

Local MP Steve Barclay deserves our thanks for the work he is doing to get improved rail services in Fenland, including Whittlesey.  His progress is being reported in the Cambs Times.

I have reported on this before.  I am convinced that with the right sort of timetable, there is the potential for the operators to benefit from a significant increase in passenger numbers from Whittlesea.  There is evidence to back this up, with an increase of 8,000 passengers the year that Car Parking charges for users of Peterborough Station were hiked up.

Steve Barclay MP - Activities in Whittlesey

Thought I would link to a couple of posts from our local MP Steve Barclay's blog.   Both involve some of his activities in Whittlesey.

The first is his visit and commitment to Whittlesea railway station.   I totally applaud and support his ambitions here, as I suspect do most of the people in Whittlesey.

The second is the opening of the Enhanced Provision Centre at Sir Harry Smith.  The work going on to support some of our more difficult students in Whittlesey is excellent and it is good to see Steve recognising this (and indeed Cllr Kay Mayor).

Supermarket Applications for Whittlesey

Today's Evening Telegraph highlights the two competing Supermarket Applications for Whittlesey.

This is a very complex situation, two supermarkets would surely not be sustainable, therefore it almost seems a choice of one or the other, it is also true that either of the proposals have potential serious implications, mostly the impact on the A605 and the Town Centre.

It is also true that there is huge demand for a supermarket amongst residents - something that also cannot be ignored.

I received a PDF from Whiteacres about their scheme which can be found here.  Whilst it does not cover the most important issues sufficiently, it does provide some useful information (the important detail should be included with the application).

I would appreciate any feedback and thoughts you might have.

E-Cops Message about non-Rape in Whittlesey

You may have seen on this blog an article about an alleged rape in Whittlesey.  I did update that message to reflect a change in position which suggested this may not have happened.  Today I got this message via E-Cops:

Dear resident,
You may have seen or heard recent media coverage of a police investigation into a rape in a park off Station Road in Whittlesey, on Thursday night (June 16).
As with all reports of serious crime, we set up a crime scene and have been carrying out investigations in the area, including door-to-door enquiries.
As a result of our detailed investigations, I can reassure you that no rape, or any other crime, took place that night in the circumstances reported.
Two men who were arrested will have no action taken against them.


Whilst I am disappointed that I put out information about something that never happened - I was responding to a genuine request for information at that time.  Moreover, the fact that it turns out that such a hideous crime was not committed is good news because I know the concern that this would have created, particularly among women in Whittlesey.

Go to Shape Your Place and Comment on Whittlesey Transport

See this thread on Shape your Place.

Public transport is an area that needs challenge and the more people that make their views know the better - so please head over there and comment

Quiz Night at the Conservative Club

Whittlesey branch of North East Cambridgeshire Conservatives are holding a fund-raising quiz night this Friday. Tickets are £8.00 per person and include a fish and chip supper.  The event is being held at the Conservative Club, with the fun starting at 7.30.  Maximum team size is 6.

I suspect tickets will sell out - but if you want any, get in touch

New Mayor Elected

Last night was the first Town Council meeting after the election.  The first item of business on the agenda was to elect Cllr Kay Mayor as the new Mayor of Whittlesey (yes, Mayor Mayor!!).  Kay has been Deputy Mayor for the last two years, so she has worked her way into it and she will do a great job.

I had the privilege of being elected as Deputy Mayor.  It is always a privilege to represent Whittlesey in any capacity, but especially so in a role like this.  I shall do my best for our great Town in my new role.

Whittlesey Youth Club Sleepover

I had the pleasure of helping at the sleepover at the Youth Centre last night.  I have to say I had a fantastic time.

The event was held as part of a plan to raise funding for the Youth Centre, to try and make sure our youth provision is maintained in the light of the cuts that are being made, something the Whittlesey Action for Youth group is also trying to do (and which also met last night).

The Young People were excellent, they had great fun, enjoyed each others company and were an absolute credit to themselves.  It was a pleasure to spend time with such good kids.  And it is a credit to them that they have reacted to the funding issues in the Youth Centre in such a positive way.  There are a number of adults who could learn from their attitude.

I also take my hat off to those who helped offered their own time helping out time last night.  I did a shift until midnight, but people stayed much, much longer than I did. Lovely, dedicated people who want the best for the Young People in Whittlesey.

So, the question is, should the "soak the youth worker" I have photos be published?  I suppose if I do photos of sleeping bag racing might emerge!

Whittlesey Community Car Scheme

I was sent this email about the Whittlesey Community Car Scheme and was asked to promote it, which of course, I am delighted to do:

"In view of the ongoing Transport Strategy review for Cambridgeshire and the recent Transport Survey for Whittlesey, I wonder if you’re aware of the Whittlesey Community Car Scheme, set up by Care Network in December 2009 and supported by the County Council (Passenger Transport), Care Network Cambridgeshire and Whittlesey Charities? 

This is a flourishing volunteer scheme which helps local people from Whittlesey and the surrounding villages who don’t drive or who are unable to easily access public transport, to get to hospital/GP appointments or to make social journeys.  The majority of our passengers are elderly or disabled, and our drivers are all retired people who give freely of their time and use of their vehicles.  We currently have a bank of 5 volunteer drivers, most of whom are available every weekday.  The passengers pay 25 pence per mile to cover fuel and some wear and tear on the vehicle directly to the drivers, who can then claim an additional 15 pence per mile from the County Council.  The County also provides additional insurance cover.  

Since its inception, the scheme has had almost 800 requests for transport which places a huge demand on our drivers, so we’re always hoping for more volunteers to come forward.  As the locally based co-ordinator, I’ve placed articles about our service in the press and free publications as well as posters around the town hoping for more volunteers, but with limited response, I’m sorry to say.  Which is where I hope you’d be able to help!  Perhaps you could mention the scheme and our need for volunteer drivers in your newsletter/blog or at local council meetings?

If anyone would like to volunteer and give a few hours a week to a very worthwhile cause, or knows of anyone who is looking to give a little back to the community, they can contact me in the first instance on XXXXX or 07810 427483.

Very many thanks.

Regards

Anne Hogan

Co-ordinator

Whittlesey Community Car Scheme"

Apologies for deleting one of the phone numbers.  I was given permission to use both, but one is a personal number so I decided not to publish it.

Whittlesey Transport Survey

I have blogged before about the Transport strategy for Whittlesey, a piece of work that is looking at all aspects of transport for the Town, including bypass, market square and bus stops.

Part of that strategy is a survey, for which leaflets are soon going  to be available in various places around Town.

That survey is also available online - can I please encourage you to follow this link and fill it out.

Whittlesey Market Square - What to do?

Recently the Town Council has been mulling over whether to try and do something different with the market square.

With a new bistro opening and The George thriving, there is the potential to do something really different; allowing tables and chairs to spill out onto the square to create something of a continental feel.  With a bit of imagination I am sure there are all sorts of things this could lead to.

The biggest barrier is, of course, that this is an important bus stop.  So if we were to make these changes, we would need to find an alternative place for buses, preferably one where we could provide shelter for passengers
while they are waiting.

No decisions have been made about this yet, we have had some initial chats and thrown around some ideas, but nothing more.  So now is the time to throw things out in the open so people can tell me what they think of the idea, give me ideas about what we could do with buses and to give me any other thoughts.


I can be contacted here.

Fenland's State of the District Debate

We had Fenland's "State of the District Debate" this afternoon.  Basically, a Council meeting that is help once a year to discuss how things are going.   Part of it included a summary of the financial challenges facing Fenland District council, something I am also dealing with as a County Councillor.  More of that another time.

Another part was a presentation from Alan Melton, the Leader, about opportunities moving forwards.  I was quite heartened that once again he gave great credence to some of my ideas about a large business park in the centre of Fenland as a means of funding an A605 Whittlesey Bypass -given that a bypass would provide rapid access from Fenland to the A1.   He was also kind enough to mention it as my idea.

He also talked about plans that have been put to the new Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough LEP to upgrade Chesterton railway station and potentially improve railway lines from Cambridge to Peterborough.   I made the point during the debate about the increase in rail usage from Whittlesey over the last few years (since Peterborough decided to charge extortionate rates for Station Parking!!) basically making the point about hte need for more trains to stop.

It is good to see positive ideas still coming forward despite the financial tough times that Councils face.  We have to keep trying to look forwards and move forwards.

Helping Hampton's Profits

Some views about Car Parking charges (which I expressed in private) were (kindly!!) leaked to the Cambs Times today.  So I thought it was important that I provided an update and some clarity.

Firstly the fact that this issue was being debated at Fenland’s Cabinet meeting yesterday slipped my mind last night - and it meant I misled a few people on Twitter.  For that I apologise and thank John Elworthy for setting me straight.  I also had the expectation that only Wisbech and March were on the radar - but a last minute amendment at Cabinet (that I had absolutely no advance warning of) meant that is no longer the case and Whittlesey is now part of the proposal.

Civil Parking Enforcement is a way of providing enforcement of parking offences through charging for on-street parking -( i.e. such as along Market Street), however, it cannot  and will not work without the use of off street charging (i.e. it has to include Car Parks) and, if the charging regime is right, Fenland could make a profit out of it - something that is an important part of the debate given that we face serious financial challenges in the near future.   But, to me, the important point is the word Enforcement.  In my opinion Whittlesey does not have serious enforcement issues.  Moreover, there is the possibility for CPE to provide some minimal support to areas like ours without a charging regime.  Police Officers will also retain the right to issue tickets in certain circumstances.

So, from where I sit, no serious enforcement issues, no need for CPE or the Car Parking charges that go along with it.    When CPE was discussed at the County Council I pushed this point of view that there should be flexibility in the scheme so that those Towns/Districts that didn’t want or need CPE had the ability not to introduce it.

The reason I am fundamentally opposed to general car parking charges is because of Whittlesey’s unique position in Fenland.  It’s proximity to Peterborough (and especially to Hampton) mean that it has to find ways of standing out and selling the things that are unique about it in order to preserve our Town centre.  We need to build on our USPs not get rid of them, otherwise, we might as well just put “Please shop at Hampton” signs on our roundabouts.

There are other things that are worthy of discussion - but they are NOT related to CPE.   We do sometimes suffer from lack of parking space because of the number of people that park in Town all day and take the bus into Peterborough.  That lack of space deters some people from coming into Town.  One answer to that could be (could be) to introduce car parking charges after 2 or 3 hours.   But at the moment there are too many unanswered questions to even consider moving towards this, such as: 

• How would this impact on the side streets close to the Town - such as London Street, High Causeway, Gracious Street.  I know some of the residents in those areas are interested in a residents parking scheme - but we don’t know how universal that wish is (this issue wrt parking in side streets is true of all parking charges).  
• How would the New Queen Street Surgery car park fit into the equation? 

  

I am also pretty sure that CPE will not be affordable with a charging scheme that only makes money from people who park for longer than two hours and therefore that CPE is not the appropriate way of bringing this issue forwards.  I am willing to be proven wrong on this - but I don’t think I will be.

But, above all we need to have a better idea about the impact of any charging regime on the Town Centre. 

I know there are loads of people in Whittlesey who have strong views about this - please, please let me know what they are - whether they support Car Parking charges or not.   This decision has now been called in by our scrutiny committee and the better informed I am about the views of Whittlesey people the better I will be able to represent them at that meeting.

Unnecessary Signs

Some of you will have seen Eric Pickles' comments today about getting rid of unnecessary signs which can cause confusion and clutter.  The County Council are waiting for further clarification on this, but actually it is an announcement to be welcomed.  

So, over to you.   If you see or know of any in the Whittlesey area, please get in touch and let me know.

Closure of North Bank Road Part 2

This came in today on the ECops Email:

"Just to make everyone aware the North Bank road that leads from the B1040 from Whittlesey out towards Peterborough will be closed for 22 weeks as from 2nd August 2010 due to repairs being carried out on the hump bridge at the Peterborough end of Wash Road. 

Please be mindful that anyone caught contravening the temporary road closure will be issued with a £30 pound fixed penalty ticket."

I look forward to the police taking an equally vigorous approach to the speeding issues that residents have badgered them about along the A605.