Daily Archives: 26 Mar 13

Farewell from your County Councillor

 As some of you may be aware I will be stepping down as CountyCouncillor for the Warboys and Upwood Division at the election on 2 May 2013.

It has been a great privilege to represent you for the last 12 years and believe it or not I thoroughly enjoyed working with Parish Councils and village communities during that time.  I have tried to represent your interests, and ensured issues and concerns raised with the County Council have been addressed – if not always successfully.  These have often included your personal social service or education problems.  Together we have made sure the County Council officers have been made fully aware of all the circumstances when they have been forced, by your efforts, to review unwelcome decisions.

During my time as a CountyCouncillor I would like to believe that together we have seen some progress of benefit to communities.  Regarding Highways the introduction of the traffic lights on the A141 has helped traffic coming through Kings Ripton as well as providing a safe pedestrian crossing. There is now the island at the end of Sawtry Way for pedestrians from Wyton on the Hill. The roundabout on the A141 near the Warboys industrial estate eases access to the main road for traffic from Bury, Wistow and Warboys. The support given by parishes to the successful Speedwatch activities has led to a greater safety awareness among drivers.

Turning to community relations I am sure the greatly improved contacts with RAF Wyton have been welcomed and led to the development of some shared community facilities in Cornwall Road.  The retention of Warboys library is an invaluable facility for all the villages in the area, and the formation of the very active Friends of Warboys Library Group provided an excellent model for other library groups to follow.  The Secret Garden Party has caused some noise and behavioural problems in the past.  I am optimistic the group formed from Parish Councils, Robin Howe the District Councillor, and Sgt Savill from the police working with the promoters of the SGP will continue to ensure the impact on the neighbouring villages is minimised as much as possible.

Regarding other important services, the introduction of the Guided Bus starting from RAF Wyton, and in the rush hour from Ramsey, has been welcomed, but must be used if the services are to be retained.  We can all look forward to faster Broadband over the next two years following the excellent response from residents to register for improved Broadband. This will include Broadband in Woodwalton for the first time. I should say that I think drains to Woodwalton, by that I mean the pressure that we have all put on Anglia Water and Luminus to introduce an effective and affordable main drains system that should soon be installed.

Who will ever forget the battle over depositing hazardous waste at the Warboys Landfill Site that was fought successfully in 2004. That turbulent time was a demonstration of how all Councillors, of whatever political persuasion, can work effectively together with community action groups to achieve a positive outcome.  We are all thankful that we now enjoy an open and much more constructive liaison with the landfill and recycling site operators.

I regret that there is a continuing agenda which I hope my successor will address with your support.  To name a few of the issues: In Abbots Ripton there is the poor state of the road to Wennington, and in Kings Ripton the need for better traffic calming.  In Wyton on the Hill there is a need for a wide range of community facilities and the roundabout at the junction of the A141 and Sawtry Way needs to be upgraded before the rapid increase of personnel at RAF Wyton next year.  In Upwood an adequate road infrastructure and enhanced education facilities will be required should the airfield estate be developed.  In Bury the County Council’s inadequate response to the dreadful way in which the so-called street lighting improvements were implemented must continue to be followed up.  In Warboys there is a determination to retain retail outlets in the village, including the potential for a really attractive community centre containing the library. We are fortunate to have some good schools in the area but there is an increasing problem of irresponsible parking when parents drop their children at the gates.

Please forgive me if I have inadvertently omitted some issues that are important to you but that illustrates the challenging and rewarding life of a Councillor when you never know what may need to be addressed next.

I must thank all the Parish Councillors for keeping me on the right track. In addition I would like to acknowledge the support from District Councillors Mike Newman, Terry Bell, Peter Ward, Peter Bucknell, John Pethard, Robin Howe, and the late and greatly missed Jack Taylor, for the positive way we have cooperated and worked together in trying to serve our community during my term of office.

Some of you will have spoken to my wife, Diana, as she has taken many calls on my behalf.  As to the future I am not sure what Diana will think when she realises I will be at home most evenings rather than enjoying myself at Parish Council meetings.

Victor Lucas
CountyCouncillor for Warboys and Upwood 2001 – 2013