WISBECH TOWN COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018 Councillor Peter Human, Mayor of Wisbech 2018-2019 It is with great pride that I accept the position as mayor of Wisbech, Capital of the Fens, for the next municipal year. Firstly, I would like to congratulate Cllr Steve Tierney and Marie for a very successful term in office. Wisbech, I know you will all agree, is an amazing place to live. The stunning architecture and the wonderful pictures you see in the Council Chamber are a reminder of the town’s past; something that should never be forgotten. However, the future of Wisbech will be shaped by all of the generations that now reside here. A future that is both exciting and positive. A future that will make sure Wisbech is a vibrant and great place to live. Janet and I are looking forward to meeting as many local people as we can, and to supporting local and Town Council events. When you see me working at the Rock Festival, you can know that I will secretly be wanting to be on the stage playing my guitar! We will be proud to represent Wisbech when we travel to other authority events and into other counties. Both Janet and I love talking to other people (not something everyone may be aware of, but if you have met us, you probably are), and you can be sure that everyone we meet will know about our wonderful town and all it has to offer. As Chairman of Wisbech Town Council I know I have an exciting year ahead. The Market Place Project is well underway, and there is the new skate park planned for Waterlees (I’m not sure I will have a go when it is open, but you never know) as well as the amazing opportunities that Wisbech castle offers the town. I very much look forward to helping with all those projects. I feel this is an opportune time to thank every person of Wisbech who volunteers their time, from picking up litter, to planting flowers, to reading to school children, and many other activities. We owe a great deal to volunteers and I would hope that we all acknowledge how much their efforts are appreciated. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Janet for her support during the past year, and also during the coming year. I would also like to thank the council staff, who are so supportive in civic and municipal matters; and everyone who came to Mayor Making to support us at the start of this special year. Message from the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Steve Tierney. My wife, Marie, and I would like to say that this has been a wonderful year to be Mayor and Mayoress of Wisbech. A glorious Rose Fair; an(other) award-winning Wisbech In Bloom; the Hundreth Anniversary of the Royal Air Force; big improvements being planned for our town, and in particular the market place; the saving of Wisbech Castle which is now under the protective wing of Wisbech Town Council. It has been a year of excitement and adventure: from a dramatic flyover at RAF Marham airbase, to spending Christmas Day with the fine folk living in our care homes around the town; from battling supervillains on stage, to litter picking at the Rock Festival; from joining in the fun at National Play Day at The Spinney, to respecting our heroes on Remembrance Sunday and especially granting the Freedom of the Town to our own home-grown heroes. I have attended a great many functions, visits and events far and wide and close to home, and enjoyed them all. We have set a new record for the funds distributed for the Mayor’s Charities, and I would like to thank everybody who helped us to assist so many important local causes. Marie and I would like to thank my mum and stepdad for being so much help during the year. We would also like to thank the councilors who have been so supportive of our events (and have not given me too much trouble as Chairman of the Council). We would like to thank the Leader of Wisbech Town Council, Sam Hoy for her invaluable assistance, and the past Mayor, Garry Tibbs for being such an exemplary model to emulate. We would also like to thank the Town Clerk, Terry, and Town Council office staff Tracy and Susanah for all they have done. I would personally like to thank the Macebearer, Trevor Longmuir, and my Mayor’s Cadet, Travis; my Mayor’s Chaplains, Matthew Bradbury and Terry O’Keeffe; and Mr Dave Topgood for acting as my assistant during the year, he has been amazing. I would also like to thank the new Mayor, Peter Human, who was everything I could have asked for in a Deputy, and I know will be an excellent mayor of Wisbech for the coming year. Finally I would like to thank the people of Wisbech. To have had the experience and opportunity to serve you as Mayor of Wisbech 2017-2018 was an honour and a privilege I will remember and treasure for the rest of my life. Thank you. Wisbech Town Council Cllr Mrs CR (Carol) Cox 33 Bowthorpe Road Cllr Mrs Cox is also Fenland District Wisbech PE13 2DX Clarkson Councillor for Clarkson Ward 01945 465588 Haverholme 12 Bowthorpe Road Clarkson Cllr Mrs VM (Viv) MacRae Wisbech PE13 2DX 01945 489602 Cllr Miss S (Samantha) Hoy Cllr Miss Hoy is also Fenland District 7 Railway Road Councillor for Octavia Hill Ward and Wisbech PE13 2QA Octavia Hill Cambridgeshire County Councillor for 07507896114 Wisbech East Division 37 Copperfields, Wisbech PE13 2HJ Cllr PW (Philip) Wing Octavia Hill 07748844628 Cllr P (Peter) Human 86 Elm Road Cllr Human is Mayor of Wisbech 2018- Wisbech PE13 2TB Octavia Hill 2019 07725544726 Cllr D (David) Hodgson Whitehaven Cllr Hodgson is also Fenland District 141 Elm Low Road Councillor for Staithe Ward Wisbech PE14 0DF Octavia Hill 01945 465126 VACANT Kirkgate Cllr GP (Garry) Tibbs 258 Norwich Road Cllr Tibbs is also a Fenland District Wisbech PE13 3UT Kirkgate Councillor for Kirkgate Ward Cllr S (Steve) Tierney Cllr Tierney is also Fenland District 6 Alexandra Road Councillor for Medworth Ward and Medworth Cambridgeshire County Councillor for Wisbech PE13 1HQ Wisbech West Division 07831616127 Melrose Villa Cllr M (Michael) Hill 23 Alexandra Road Cllr Hill is Deputy Mayor of Wisbech Wisbech PE13 1HS Medworth 2018-2019 01945 584971 39 West Parade Cllr Miss J (Jessica) Oliver Wisbech PE13 1QB Peckover 01945 587437 Cllr DC (David) Oliver 39 West Parade Cllr Oliver is also a Fenland District Wisbech PE13 1QB Peckover Councillor for Peckover Ward 01945 587437 60 Burcroft Road Cllr A (Aigars) Balsevics Wisbech PE13 1PW Staithe 07912083334 5 Octavia Close Cllr W (William) Schooling Wisbech PE13 3TR Staithe 07778828150 Cllr Laura Cobb 128 Edinburgh Drive Waterlees Wisbech PE13 3LP Village 196 Norwich Road Waterlees Cllr Andrew Lynn Wisbech PE13 3TB Village 18 Albany Road Waterlees Cllr AS (Andy) Maul Wisbech PE13 3AY Village 01945 429796 4 Henry Street Waterlees Cllr WE (Billy) Rackley Wisbech Village PE13 3AG 07887 874313 Report from Cllr Samantha Hoy, Leader of Wisbech Town Council The council’s committees continue to work very hard. The municipal year 2017/18 had been a very busy year for Wisbech Town Council and is looking as though 2018/19 will be the same. One particularly exciting project for Wisbech Town Council is enhancement of Wisbech Market Place. The public consultation exercise - which had consisted primarily of an on-line survey included on the Wisbech Town Council website, but supported by face-to-face engagement between certain councillors and members of the public at Wisbech Market Place on 21 April 2018 - concluded formally on 30 April 2018 and it is now necessary to “drive forward” the project. Which will be progressed very soon as the responses from FDC and CCC had now been received. Another project for the council is the possible enhancement of the public toilets owned and operated by Wisbech Town Council. The current situation is detailed within the minutes of 8 May 2018 meeting of the Assets Management Committee; at that meeting it was agreed that an additional meeting of the committee be held, tomorrow, to consider embarking upon a programme of refurbishment of the toilets. The first meetings of the Wisbech Castle Management Committee and its associated working party took place on 3 April 2018 and, as a result, things are moving forward in terms of renovating Wisbech Castle and developing the building, the gardens, the pump room and the vaults into places of activity. A considerable amount of work has been undertaken by volunteers in terms of tidying the garden and removing unwanted items from the Castle. Decoration work to rooms on the top floor had commenced today. The Community Events and Festivals Working Party continues to work on delivering the programme of events which were agreed by the committee back in January. The working party has recently finalised the arrangements for WisBEACH day on 3 June (to operate between 11.30 am and 3.30 pm). This year’s event will follow generally the successful format of last year’s WisBEACH day but, hopefully, will be bigger and better. The council will be providing a seaside experience through transforming the Market Place into a sandy beach, complete with donkey rides, face painting, fairground rides, Punch and Judy shows, performances by March Brass 2000, karaoke competition, Crazy Golf, traditional seaside refreshments, a beach bar etc; Visitors to the event will be able to purchase “Wisbech” rock.