Wisbech is keeping its fingers crossed that a £20m investment promised by the Conservatives will be retained under Labour. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has given a positive steer on the investment for Wisbech and dozens of other towns across the UK each promised £20 to help revitalise towns.
She promised, in her Budget, that “the long‑term plan for towns will be retained and reformed into a new regeneration programme”.
A town board set up in Wisbech to determine how the £20m would be spent has been in limbo since Labour came to power and advised council bosses – in this instance Fenland’s chief executive Paul Medd under whose watch the money will be administered – to pause proceedings.
It has meant little if any recent information being released by the town board with the only minutes available to the public from June and before the General Election.
The Fenland Council website announced a meeting of the board for October 3 with “details to be confirmed” but whether it met or not is unclear.
It is likely that the rules governing the constitution of town boards will be re-defined, particularly in Wisbech where the Tory controlled town and district council made all the appointments without going out to public consultation.
And to get round the rules on political appointees its self-appointed four Tory councillors to the board are each ‘representing’ a different authority.
Cllr Sam Hoy popped up as the Fenland Council representative, Cllr Susan Wallwork for Wisbech town council, Cllr Steve Tierney for Cambridgeshire County Council and Cllr Chris Boden for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
‘Appointments’ of Cllr Tierney and Cllr Boden prompted a furious response from both the county council and Combined Authority, and it is likely these could change under revamped proposals for town boards.
The Fenland Council website maintains that the Wisbech Town Board “features representatives from a wide range of partner organisations” but other towns with town boards, such as King’s Lynn, has a wider and stronger membership that includes a number of senior businessmen and even the Bishop of Lynn.
How King’s Lynn is consulting on its £20m investment
https://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/news/article/1685/have_your_say_on_20m_investment_in_king_s_lynn
As CambsNews has reported one of the first ‘community’ representatives appointed to the Wisbech Town Board quit within the first month.
Didem (Dee) Ucuncu 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.
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.
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.
FACT FILE
Board minutes from June 26 show these proposals were agreed
- Public realm improvements.
- Increase the number of picnic areas in the town
- Redevelopment of 4-6 North Street – The board agreed to make this into additional parking with electric charge points.
- Redevelopment of West Parade – The board agreed to this as a long-term development for properties.
- West St Norfolk Street improvements – The board agreed this to be a long-term project looking at the safety, shopping experience, pedestrianisation and crime.
- The Gap Site. 11-12 High Street – The board agreed to this as a long-term development project with potential additional funding from other sources.
- Provision for Street Wardens – The board discussed whether the Street Wardens would be employed via agency or the council, this will be taken away to compare the difference in cost.
- Increase in CCTV Coverage
- North Brink Flagpole – The board added lights to the memorial would be an asset.
- Vacant shop Windows -The board agreed to look at making small scale improvements.
- Vacant shop front clean-up project.
- Increase in bin and recycling facility.
- Cover town centre scaffolding
- Shop front restoration.
- Community Funding.
- Hudson leisure Centre.
- Placemaking/branding for the Town
- Wisbech Park facilities.
- Funding activities for Young People – The board felt this proposal will lead young people down a better path.
- Improve play equipment with an historic theme.
- Hanging Planters.
- Metal Gym equipment in parks – this proposal is to be linked to the overall park improvements.
- Installation of Town Centre Bike Lockers – Could be placed at one end of the Marketplace.
- Accessibility for Cycling and Walking and Mobility Aid Strategy.
- Increase accessibility in town centre including disabled access Beales end and St Peters Church.
- Angles Theatre – as a long-term proposal
- Replacement of old water trough in town (Elgood Car Park).
- Homeless Volunteering Support Scheme – The board discussed the Homeless being given community jobs to carry out, like weeding and cleaning shop fronts, within the town for time credits.
- Fire Damaged property – Marketplace – Purchase and renovation – as a long-term project.
- Toilets – added to the list as an area to explore.
- Broadband in the marketplace – added to the list to be explored.
- Lights along the river – added to the list to have white lights along the river all year round and not just at Christmas.
Board members rejected the following proposals.
- Castle visitor centre – Steve Tierney stated it is a nice idea but a lot of money, this will need looking at but not at this time. The board agreed this is a low priority and could be talked about at a later date if needed.
- Wisbech Corn Exchange.
- Queen Mary Centre- Susan Wallwork liked the idea of a community hub for everything, however, the board disagreed and felt it was a waste of money and would leave an empty building in the town. This could be a long-term aim with extra funding from the Lottery and Heritage Fund in the future as the existing building are getting older.
- Phoenix Hotel
- Development of the Northern Gateway – The suggestion was for a hotel to be built on the current Job Centre site, but the board did not feel this was a viable idea as current hotels in Wisbech are struggling.
- Town Communications Group – The board did not feel this was needed.
- Develop a Youth drop-in centre – The board felt they had covered enough for the Youth in previous proposals.
- Increase size of splash pad
- Increase in stock of office and light industrial units – This idea could be linked to Heritage, as older building could be occupied as office space but not for this project.
- Historic railing along Churchill Road- The board felt this could fall under the general tidy up of Wisbech.
- Purchase of Chapel Road Car Park.
- Shared Trolly Scheme – it was felt this did not fit with this project.
