OWNERSHIP of Wisbech Market Place passed to the town council this week in a historic ceremony at Fenland Hall, March.

Fenland Council Leader Alan Melton said that the handover represented a “fitting tribute” to Councillor Roger Green following his recent death

Cllr Melton said: “Roger was a strong supporter of this change and I know how pleased he would have been to see it go through this week. It is tragic that he is not here with us to welcome it himself but I see it as a fitting tribute to his work and his lifelong dedication to the town of Wisbech.”

But the transfer came amidst a warning note from Cambridgeshire County Council over meeting deadlines for �25,000 funding to transform the market place.

The legal documents for the transfer were signed on Wednesday and a signing ceremony took place at yesterday’s meeting of Fenland District Council.

The transfer was set in motion exactly a year ago when the decision was announced by council leader Alan Melton who said it right that the people of Wisbech should have the chance to decide what was best for them.

Cambs County Council and Fenland Council have each agreed to provide �25,000 towards implementing a new parking and access programme for the market area but the county wants a decision sooner rather than later.

The county council told Fenland Traffic Management Area Joint Committee that they need “firm plans for spending that money to be in place within the next three months.” This, said the county, would still give them time to spend the funding elsewhere if there were no firm plans by then for the market place.