News
‘Community’ rep quits £20m Wisbech town board via email
MP Steve Barclay is also a board member
One of the first ‘community’ representatives appointed to the Wisbech Town Board to deliver £20m of improvements to the town, quit within the first month.
Minutes from the town board show that Didem (Dee) Ucuncu – one of four local community members appointed by the board – attended the inaugural meeting on May 22 but by the time of the next meeting on June 26 she had gone.
At that meeting chair Iain Kirkbright “welcomed everyone to the meeting and stated that Didem (Dee) Ucuncu (DU) has resigned from the board via email, so the board needs to actively look for a replacement, preferably a local community representative”.
“SH (Cllr Samantha Hoy) recommended Reema Pate, who is actively involved with a lot of volunteering in Wisbech town”.
Reema Pate is the wife of former Wisbech Conservative councillor Andrew Lynn and became mayoress from 2021/22 when her husband became mayor.
Gloves are off over who decides how £20m awarded to Wisbech is spent
The board is yet to announce if Cllr Hoy’s nominee has been successful to join the other community representatives on the board, Louise Pitt, Paul Faulkner, and Amanda Scott.
At her first meeting Didem Ucuncu “introduced herself as a local resident who volunteers for many different causes in the town, including leading a weekly Wellbeing Walk in Wisbech.
“DU added that she has lived in Wisbech for the past 12 years and is well connected within the town”.
She has not announced publicly the reasons for her decision to quit the board which has been steeped in controversy since it was set up.
Both the county council and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority queried the status of two members of the board.
Wisbech Town Board, says Fenland Council, is made up of several key partners across Wisbech, Fenland and the wider Cambridgeshire area. ‘With a focus on local knowledge and experience at the heart of the board, the board is made up of a private sector Chair, local political leaders, local community leaders and local business leaders’ PHOTO: Terry Harris
Cllr Boden was appointed to the board as he sits on the Combined Authority and Cllr Steve Tierney because he sits on Cambridgeshire County Council.
Two other Conservative councillors sit on the board, Fenland District Council member Cllr Sam Hoy and Cllr Susan Wallwork on behalf of Wisbech Town Council.
Both authorities queried if these were official appointments, but the board may have got round the technicalities by describing each as a ‘serving member’ of their respective bodies.
MP Steve Barclay is also a board member.
The Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston is entitled to put himself or a representative on the board and has chosen Supt Ben Martin, area commander since last December for Fenland and Peterborough to represent him.
