TOWN COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2019

Councillor Michael Hill, Mayor of Wisbech 2019-2020

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to again serve Wisbech as its Mayor. This year will be the second time that I have the privilege to be the mayor of Wisbech and Chairman of Wisbech Town Council. I have been on this council for 16 years and in that time sat on most of its committees. I hope to bring my experience in serving this council well during my year of office.

I am proud to be part of a town that has a wonderful community spirit. The numerous volunteers who work tirelessly every day, offering their services are inspirational. It shows that the people truly care for their town.

I would like to welcome all the new councilors and give them my best wishes; I look forward to working with them all during this coming year.

I will be holding various fundraising events during my year, raising money for local organisations. Spoiler alert: as part of this I will be undertaking a head and beard shave early next year!

I am very proud to be Mayor of Wisbech. This time I will miss the support and guidance of my wife, Jane. However, with the assistance of the Town Council and councillors, and the good people of Wisbech, Capital of , I look forward to a successful and enjoyable year.

I thank you again for electing me.

Message from the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Peter Human.

We have had an incredible, fun-filled year. The Mayoress and I attended over 240 events; celebrating both 100 anniversaries of the end of World war One and the formation of the Royal Air Force. We have welcomed their Royal Highnesses Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke of Gloucester on their visits to our wonderful town.

We joined in the fun and games in schools and the Spinney adventure playground (but we did decline the offer of a go on the zip wire). We spent an amazing day with the Wisbech Detachment of the Army cadet Force at their training camp in Liverpool; and watched with pride all our cadet units remembering the fallen at the Remembrance Day services.

We even had the opportunity to attend a re-enactment of the last afternoon of the Titanic; enjoying afternoon tea and dancing a waltz. There was also an Irish jig where, unfortunately, Janet was wearing high heels, but bravely carried on.

During December our days were filled with carol services and nativity plays. They were all wonderful and there were so many highlights, but one of the most memorable was Meadowgate Academy’s first carol service, held at St Peter’s Church. During the summer we congratulated children who had completed the reading challenge, and presented over 150 certificates to Year 1 children who attended the annual Wisbech Reads Festival. We have opened fetes and shops, been to Christmas parties, plus celebrated the 104th birthday of a lovely lady at one of this town’s wonderful, residential facilities. All these celebrations and numerous afternoon teas … methinks the diet starts tomorrow.

It was with great pleasure that my Mayoral year saw Wisbech Town Council giving the Freedom of the Town to two volunteer groups; Wisbech In Bloom, and the Vivien Fire Engine Trust. Vivien, along with hardworking family and friends, attends many of the events held in our town, and represents Wisbech further afield. Wisbech In Bloom again won Gold in both Anglia and Britain In Bloom, and our town looked spectacular during the summer. During the Rose Fair we were overwhelmed by the number of people who gave such glowing compliments that it was an honour to give them the recognition they deserve. The hard work volunteers give to so many charities and organisations within Wisbech is truly fantastic; we have been inspired by their determination to create a positive impact upon the lives of so many residents in the town; children, young people, and adults.

We were also delighted to attend and support the events and festivals put on by Wisbech Town Council during the year such as WisBeach Day, the Rock Festival and Christmas Lights Switch On; and thank the councilors and volunteers through whose dedication these events take place.

Over £4,000 was raised during my Mayoral year, and it is with great pleasure that we have been able to donate to 17 local worthy causes.

We would like to thank Terry, Susanah and Tracy, and the wonderful team at the Town Hall who have supported and guided us throughout the year; including Trevor the Mace Bearer, who (along with ourselves) tried hard to look cool, calm and collected during the extremely hot summer.

Lastly, we would like to thank Michael Hill, who as my Deputy has supported us wonderfully. We both wish him well in his Mayoral year. Thank you.

COMMUNITY EVENTS 2019

SUNDAY 2 JUNE – WISBEACH DAY – WISBECH MARKET PLACE

SUNDAY 23 JUNE – ARMED FORCES DAY – WISBECH MARKET PLACE

WEDNESDAY 3 JULY – SUNDAY 6 JULY – WISBECH ROSE FAIR

SUNDAY 4 AUGUST – WISBECH ROCK FESTIVAL - WISBECH PARK

SEPTEMBER – HERITAGE OPEN DAYS – ACROSS THE TOWN

SUNDAY 24 NOVEMBER – CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH ON –MARKET PLACE

SUNDAY 8 DECEMBER – WISBECH CHRISTMAS FAYRE – TOWN CENTRE

For more details and local events go to the wisbech town council what’s on calendar

https://www.wisbechtowncouncil.gov.uk/local-events.html

As well as What’s On, you can find lots of local information on our website including an A-Z of useful links to who can help you with what service in Wisbech. www.wisbechtowncouncil.gov.uk

You can also keep up to date with our Twitter and Facebook pages

COUNCILLOR CONTACT DETAILS For more information about councillors and wards, the council and its committees, please see the website https://www.wisbechtowncouncil.gov.uk/the-council.html

NAME CONTACT DETAILS WARD

Cllr Andy Lynn Correspondence preferred by email. Cllr Lynn is also Fenland District 07833776219 Clarkson Councillor for Clarkson Ward [email protected] 18 Colvile Road PE13 2EL Cllr Ben Prest 07935 147584 Clarkson [email protected] Cllr Samantha Hoy Cllr Miss Hoy is also Fenland 24 Copperfields PE13 2HJ District Councillor for Octavia Hill 07507 896114 Octavia Hill Ward and [email protected] County Councillor for Wisbech East Division

Cllr Susan Wallwork 41 Outwell Road Elm PE14 0DU Cllr Mrs Wallwork is also Fenland 07837 410998 Octavia Hill District Councillor for Octavia Hill [email protected] Ward

86 Elm Road PE13 2TB Cllr Peter Human 07725 544726 Octavia Hill [email protected] 37 Copperfields PE13 2HJ Cllr Philip Wing 07748 844628 Octavia Hill [email protected]

Cllr David Patrick 12 Limes Avenue Elm PE14 0BG Cllr Patrick is also a Fenland 01945 474270 Kirkgate District Councillor for Kirkgate [email protected] Ward

258 Road PE13 3UT Cllr Garry Tibbs 07500 558031 Kirkgate

[email protected] Cllr S (Steve) Tierney Cllr Tierney is also a Fenland 6 Alexandra Road PE13 1HQ District Councillor for Medworth 07831 616127 Medworth Ward and Cambridgeshire [email protected] County Councillor for Wisbech West Division

23 Alexandra Road PE13 1HS Cllr Michael Hill 01945 584971 Cllr Hill is Mayor of Wisbech Medworth [email protected] 2019-2020

NAME CONTACT DETAILS WARD Cllr Nick Meekins 42 Pickards Way PE13 1SD Cllr Meekins is also a Fenland [email protected] Peckover District Councillor for Peckover

Ward

39 West Parade PE13 1QB Cllr David Oliver 01945 587437 Peckover [email protected]

Cllr Dave Topgood Cllr Topgood is also a Fenland 27 Holmes Drive PE13 3TJ District Councillor for Staithe 07746 192441 Staithe Ward [email protected]

13 Timber Yard Gardens PE13 3JZ Cllr Boryana Pehlivanova 07480 645656 Staithe [email protected]

Cllr Aigars Balsevics 60 Burcroft Road PE13 1PW Waterlees Cllr Balsevics is Deputy Mayor of 07912 083334 Village Wisbech 2019-2020 [email protected]

Cllr Andy Maul 18 Albany Road PE13 3AY Cllr Maul is also a Fenland Waterlees 01945 429796 District Councillor for Waterlees Village [email protected] Village Ward Cllr Billy Rackley 4 Henry Street PE13 3AG Cllr Rackley is also a Fenland Waterlees 07887 874313 District Councillor for Waterlees Village [email protected] Village Ward

Flat C Furriers Warren, Waterlees Cllr Trevor Ketteringham Alexandra Road PE13 1HQ Village [email protected]

Wisbech Town Council is the Parish Council for Wisbech. It has 18 COUNCILLORS and four members of staff. It manages:- Allotments (various sites about Wisbech) - Wisbech Market - Wisbech Castle - Public toilets (Wisbech Park and Exchange Square). NB Exchange Square toilets are currently closed - One car park (behind the Queen Mary Centre). Further details can be found on the website.

Wisbech Town Council organises several Festivals and events in the town each year - watch the website and local press for details.

Report from Cllr Samantha Hoy, Leader of Wisbech Town Council The council’s committees continue to work very hard. The municipal year 2018/19 was an extremely busy one for Wisbech Town Council and it is looking as though 2019/20 will be the same.

The Town Council continues to organise and support a number of community events and festivals in the town. A number of events took place during 2018, including the WisBEACH Day, the annual Rock Festival, the Halloween Spooktacular and the Christmas Lights Extravaganza; all were very successful. In addition, a number of events for Halloween, Christmas and Easter were held at Wisbech Castle. A similar programme of events is planned for 2019 and arrangements are well advanced for the delivery of the 2019 WisBEACH Day (on 2 June) and Rock Festival (on 4 August). The council has an ambition to make its events bigger and better each year.

In the financial year 2017/18 Wisbech Town Council introduced a scheme to recognise the “unsung heroes” of Wisbech; i.e. those members of the public who support, without financial reward, the community of Wisbech. Because of its success, the council decided that it would take place on an annual basis. Work is in hand to hold such a ceremony in the summer of this year.

Wisbech Town Council continues to support a number of community projects and initiatives and wants to help make Wisbech a better place to live, visit and work; these include Wisbech 2020 Vision, Wisbech Reads, the Community Led Local Development project and the initiative to achieve renovation of the dilapidated buildings on Wisbech High Street.

I am very pleased that the council has made available approximately seven acres of its allotments land at Lynn Road for People and Animals UK to develop into a community farm. A lease between People and Animals UK and Wisbech Town Council came into effect on 1 September 2018 and on- site works are underway.

The Town Council continues to operate grants budgets to support community groups; some of the local groups and organisations/events/projects which benefit are: Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech Reads, Rose Fair, Wisbech in Bloom, Wisbech Music Society and local youth cadet groups.

The council has trading on Wisbech Market seven days a week and the Thursday and Sunday trading features a market and car boot event. The Saturday market is now bigger than ever before; it all adds to the vitality and vibrancy of the town centre. The Town Council proposes to deliver an enhancement scheme for Wisbech Market Place. The rationale behind the initiative is to deliver something, in this key area of Wisbech, which would add to the vitality and vibrancy of the town. The scheme which the council is endeavouring to implement (subject to further liaison with the Local Planning Authority) is based upon comments received from members of the public as part of a consultation exercise.

Since acquiring Wisbech Castle from Cambridgeshire County Council in February 2018, a considerable amount of work, the significant majority of which has been achieved through volunteering, has been undertaken to renovate the main building, its outbuildings and the garden, with the aim of developing the use of this building as a community venue.

Wisbech Town Council is also working with Fenland District Council on proposals to improve the level of recreational equipment in Wisbech, and helped develop and fund the refurbishment of the skate park at Bath Road.

ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2018-2019 638.60 IMPROVEMENTS INCOME 430.00 SUNDAY STAFF TOTAL % 549.00 36.60% PROMOTION 7170.80 115.66% ALLOT RENT TOILETS 75.00 150.00% ALLOT ADMIN 1392.00 99.43% RATES 160.00 160.00% ALLOT KEYS 2277.81 151.85% MAINTENANCE 37521.85 MARKET STALLS 0.00 0.00% IMPROVEMENTS 5549.00 68.37% CAR BOOT 1065.76 71.05% UTILITIES 364237.00 100.00% PRECEPT 14861.56 67.55% CLEANSING 12283.00 100.00% FDC CTSG 443.70 44.37% EQUIPMENT 150000.00 CASTLE GRANT 14390.31 S106 30434.02 101.45% CASTLE COSTS 373.85 1246.17% INTEREST 16806.47 CASTLE REFURB 0.00 0.00% ADVERTISING 1737.86 CCC LOAN INT 6054.70 12109.40% CASTLE INCOME 0.00 0.00% CAR PARK RATES 3142.28 99.75% INS REIMB 4473.94 149.13% CAR PARK MAINT 645.00 64.50% DONATIONS 26850.00 100.00% CCTV 2680.00 EVENTS 9529.82 95.30% ALLOTMENTS 6965.21 REIMB 31881.43 121.22% PENSIONS 4990.37 MAYOR CHAR 68605.31 81.19% SALARIES 27128.67 VAT 22536.93 97.99% TAX NI 5250.00 100.00% SMALL GRANTS 643367.04 142.92% INCOME 36296.40 98.10% SPECIAL GRANTS 446857.69 99.27% - CCC LOAN 3539.40 99.98% CLLD EXPENDITURE 27179.64 108.72% EVENTS TOTAL % 19003.82 100.02% XMAS LIGHTS CHAMBER 3250.00 ACQUISITIONS 7212.99 103.04% RATES 5797.57 89.19% ADMINISTRATION 1969.97 197.00% MAINTENANCE 498.00 49.80% PUBLICITY 3009.63 30.10% IMPROVEMENTS 332.80 66.56% GRIT/WASTE BINS 2215.30 100.24% CLEANSING 880.19 88.02% DDA 4224.42 105.61% UTILITIES 6941.38 99.16% INSURANCE 1420.45 94.70% EQUIPMENT 4833.31 69.05% MAYOR/CIVIC 100.00 50.00% ADMIN/FEES 4460.00 MAYOR CHAR 723.88 72.39% SECURITY/FIRE 1288.42 51.54% DUTY LEGAL MARKET 4034.22 26.89% ELECTIONS 7080.00 72.99% RATES 525.60 35.04% TRAINING 4064.41 135.48% MAINTENANCE 135.63 PETTY CASH 3394.75 113.16% UTILITIES 26275.60 VAT 20781.12 98.96% CLEANSING 441343.11 98.04% EXPENDITURE 110.00 55.00% ADMIN/FEES The budget for 2018/2019 took into account the requirements of financial provision for operational and management costs in relation to Wisbech Castle (including loan repayments to CCC); the need for the council to take action in respect of the comments of both the internal auditor and external auditor in relation to budget-setting and the level of general reserves held by the council; the ambition to make its community events and festivals bigger and better each year, together with the fact that Fenland District Council would like to see (but not fund) concerts and other entertainment taking place in the bandstand at Wisbech Park; increased utilities’ costs; election costs; increased grant funding to some local organisations/groups; car parking area to the rear of the Queen Mary Centre; implementing the results of the job evaluation exercise; and note that the Council Tax Support given to WTC ceases from 2019/20. The budget required an increase in the 2017/18 Precept of £265,374 (by £98,863) to £364,237 for the financial year 2018/19. This equated to the Precept for a Band D property of £57.87 for the financial year 2018/19; an annual increase of £14.71 (or 34.0%) to the 2017/18 figure (of £43.16). The additional cost to the occupiers of a Band D equivalent property (of which there are 6,294 in Wisbech) was approximately 28.2 pence per week.

Your council meets regularly at the Council Chamber, 1 North Brink. Council and committee meetings are usually held on Mondays or Tuesdays in the council chamber. Meetings dates may change due to unforeseen circumstances, please look at the website for up-to-date information. If further meetings are held details will be put on the website and noticeboards at 1 North Brink. All meeting agendas are published at least 3 clear days before meeting is held.

WISBECH TOWN COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR 2019-2020 TOWN COUNCIL - MONTHLY TUESDAY 6 AUGUST 2019 ANNUAL MEETING (MAYOR MAKING) FRIDAY TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2019 10 MAY 2019 (CONTINUATION) MONDAY 13 TUESDAY 3 SEPTEMBER 2019 MAY 2019 TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2019 TUESDAY 28 MAY 2019 - ANNUAL ASSEMBLY TUESDAY 8 OCTOBER 2019 MONDAY 17 JUNE 2019 TUESDAY 22 OCTOBER 2019 MONDAY 15 JULY 2019 TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2019 MONDAY 19 AUGUST 2019 TUESDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2019 MONDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2019 TUESDAY 3 DECEMBER 2019 MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2019 TUESDAY 17 DECEMBER 2019 MONDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2019 TUESDAY 7 JANUARY 2020 MONDAY 16 DECEMBER 2019 TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 2020 MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2020 TUESDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2020 MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2020 TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2020 MONDAY 16 MARCH 2020 TUESDAY 3 MARCH 2020 MONDAY 20 APRIL 2020 TUESDAY 17 MARCH 2020 ANNUAL MEETING (MAYOR MAKING FRIDAY 15 TUESDAY 7 APRIL 2020 MAY 2020 (CONTINUATION) MONDAY 18 MAY TUESDAY 21 APRIL 2020 2020 COMMUNITY EVENTS & FESTIVALS POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE - COMMITTEE - ANNUAL MEETING PLUS AS AND QUARTERLY WHEN NECESSARY - SEPARATE WORKING MONDAY 8 JULY 2019 PARTY MEETS REGULARLY FOR ORGANISATION MONDAY 7 OCTOBER 2019 OF EVENTS MONDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2019 (BUDGET) MONDAY 27 JANUARY 2020 MONDAY 6 JANUARY 2020 WISBECH CASTLE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TUESDAY 5 MAY 2020 - QUARTERLY ASSETS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE – MONDAY 1 JULY 2019 QUARTERLY MONDAY 14 OCTOBER 2019 MONDAY 5 AUGUST 2019 MONDAY 13 JANUARY 2020 MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2019 TUESDAY 5 MAY 2020 MONDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2020 WISBECH MARKET PLACE MANAGEMENT MONDAY 6 APRIL 2020 COMMITTEE - QUARTERLY PLANNING & COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE MONDAY 3 JUNE 2019 COMMITTEE - TWO MEETINGS PER MONTH MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 MONDAY 13 MAY 2019 MONDAY 2 DECEMBER 2019 TUESDAY 28 MAY 2019 MONDAY 2 MARCH 2020 TUESDAY 11 JUNE 2019 STAFFING COMMITTEE AND OTHER TUESDAY 2 JULY 2019 COMMITTEE AND WORKING PARTY MEETINGS TUESDAY 16 JULY 2019 AS AND WHEN REQUIRED