The latest allowances received by Boston Borough councillors have just been published – along with those for Lincolnshire County Council … which has seven members representing Boston.  Quite clearly, some Boston councillors deserve their allowances. They go the extra mile that makes a difference – and could actually be deemed to be “underpaid.” But we also know of some who are making money for jam and who – if Boston was an authority which looked more closely at value for money - would be named and shamed and invited to find someone else to line their wallets. The figures also give a lie to the idea that being a councillor is universally a lowly recompensed  labour of love and service. At the top end of the scale, it’s possible to do quite well in Boston alone – even with a starting basic allowance of around £2,500. At County Hall, allowances start at £8,184 – and at the top end members of the county executive can exceed £20,000. So it is that our local leader, for example, can pocket more than £10,000 in Boston and £11,250 for his county duties including travel. The basic at Boston is £2,578, and at Lincoln, £8184.
Still with matters financial,  the most recent issue of the council’s spending figures over £500 for April,  include payments to the borough’s Chief Executive, Richard Harbord, totalling  £30,375 – accounting for £10,125 each for 15 days’ work in January, February and March.   That’s £675 a day. Mr Harbord is, of course, paid through his private company, Mrf Uk which gives him benefits in tax and national insurance payments not enjoyed by other borough employees. This caused much consternation four months ago, when the Deputy Leader of the Labour Group went so far as to write to the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission and ask for an investigation. However, this is Boston, where storms in a teacup are commonplace, and as you might expect, nothing more seems to have been said or done. Similarly, when a “final” extension to Mr Harbord’s contract was announced, council leader Peter Bedford said that within six months the council would start looking for a new chief executive – which would probably be a shared, part-time post. That was nine months ago.
It seems to be all about money this week, with the news that Boston Borough Council may have found someone on whom to dump the unwanted Assembly Rooms and The Haven Gallery. The two buildings couldn’t be more different. The Assembly Rooms have been declared surplus to requirements because of the huge amount required to redecorate them and improve the inside of the building. This is clearly a self-inflicted injury. The building has been owned by the council for almost 200 years – and was once a considerable asset to the town. It is now in the state it is through neglect – and had the council taken the trouble to create a reasonable annual maintenance budget, it would not be the eyesore it has become. To preside with such disregard over the decline of a listed building is disgraceful.  Worse still,  its new incarnation will probably see it turned into yet another night club which the borough can well do without.
The Haven Gallery is a different kettle of fish entirely. It was a project that was doomed to failure from the outset, as promotion of the “arts” in Boston has never been embraced by the general public. Now it has become just more millions down the drain, and we think it a pity that no-one considered transferring the town’s library to the Haven site, which would have been a commonsense move for which it is ideally suited, and which would also have retained a showcase for local exhibitions. Ironically, last month the council stumped up more than £14,500 in business rates for the premises.
Still, it’s only money – even if it’s ours, the taxpayers. In fact there seems to be an almost tidal pattern about the way Boston Borough Council fritters away our council tax. Firstly, it creates an asset – examples in recent years include a stock of council housing as well as the Haven and to a lesser extent the Assembly Rooms. Then when times are hard – as was the case with the housing stock – a sale is used to replenish the borough’s depleted coffers.  Let’s not talk about the Princess Royal Sports arena. The latest asset in the council's crosshairs  is the Geoff Moulder Leisure Centre. As we mentioned recently, the council  has already appears to have spent £250,000 on improvements, when just £190,000 was allocated.  But that isn't the end. In last month’s spending figures, we note further sums of £8,760 and £5,800 have been spent on unspecified “refurbishment” – and almost £3,000 on “uniforms.” Well, with all that money, you have to dress the part, don’t you? How long, we wonder, before the pool will be deemed too expensive and sold to the private sector.
Whilst there’s been much debate on the damage caused to the Jubilee fountain in Boston’s Central Park, one point seems largely  to have been ignored. It is quite clear that this fountain was not of the build quality appropriate to a public area. The fact that a couple of 13 year-old girls could climb it and wreck it is clear evidence of that. However, what would have been the case had the fountain fallen and injured the vandalettes?  You can bet your boots that in our current compensation culture the angry parents would have blamed the council and wanted damages for the injury and trauma sustained – and they would most like have been awarded it. We always thought that where public structures such as this were concerned, a risk assessment was carried out to identify any potential dangers. Does this mean that no assessment was done? Or worse still, that one was carried out and the potential for damage either missed or ignored?
We mentioned brown garden wheelie bin deliveries last week, and we’re pleased to note that one lucky person has won his bin as a prize. But what about the rest of us?  The first we heard that brown bins were being delivered this week and next was in one of last week’s two local newspapers. The information was  subsequently slipped into the announcement of the bin winner on Boston Borough Council’s website earlier in the week. The story ends: “Deliveries are being made throughout the next two weeks, so all bins are scheduled to have been delivered by close of play on Friday 29^th June. If you have ordered a bin and it hasn't been received by then, please call the Fen Road depot …”   Take that! Surely there must be a better way to do it?
We’ve previously mentioned the Boston Town Area Committee and its generosity where Central Park is concerned. Wednesday’s meeting of BTAC heard concerns that £20,000 had been allocated to the park as a “continuous payment” - agreed by the last administration.   Apparently this has now been withdrawn as a rolling kitty - and about time too!  BTAC has decent reserves, but its income is only around £83,000 to fund projects in the 16 council wards where the bulk of the population live.  It’s time to think twice  before doling out £20,000 for a skate park, £5,000 for a Jubilee party which barely anyone attended, the thick end of £2,000 for a comedy fountain, and £1,000 for chalking on the pavements. Perhaps if the committee made itself more widely known to the voters, some more worthwhile schemes would emerge
Earlier this week we heard a call for more considerate parking in Boston’s Market Place. And yet again, that raises one or two questions. Firstly, the concept that was so widely bandied around was that the area would once again take on a grand look associated with Market Places of yore (granny.) There is still parking available – but it was much reduced in numbers, and discreetly marked out. Sadly, but not surprisingly in Boston,  no one realised that these subtle markings – indicated by a different shade of the York stone setts -  vanished when it rained. So out came the paintbrushes in the good old heavy handed Boston manner. Another problem is that for all practical purposes, there is an unmarked carriageway through the Market Place for the Into Town bus rat run that the Tory leadership is so frightened to challenge.  Ever since the Market Place re-opened – despite being unfinished still, and without any decent ceremony – people have been declaring their sadness at the disappointing way that £2 million has been spent.  We hope that there is still time for the council to snatch some kind of victory from this debacle, but won’t hold our breath.
The big number of the week concerns the report to next week’s special meeting of Boston Borough Council on "objections to the off street parking places and controlled parking zone order 2002 (amendment no.1) order 2012" - the one that charges disabled  blue badge holders to park. This is a meeting where most people are not allowed to speak. Before the 86 page report totalling 26,743 words even begins, the recommendation is “That having considered the objections the Council resolves to introduce the Amendment Order No1 2012 to the Borough of Boston (Off Street Parking Places and Controlled Parking Zone) Order 2002 in its current form. The words open and transparent have apparently acquired completely new meanings.
A smaller number – but one which we think could become even smaller still - concerns the purchase of Sure Shot gooseneck  basket ball hoop by the council’s grounds maintenance section for the kingly sum of £919.95. Looking through websites of suppliers of such equipment, we feel that we would be hard pressed to spend half that  amount on the sort of equipment apparently described.
And staying with sport, we note with a sinking feeling next week’s Olympic Torch relay through the town.  Most disappointing is how few truly local people are involved – and another local commentator tells us that some worthy nominees were rejected in favour of others with no real local connection. Then there is the disruption to the market and the Wide Bargate taxi rank - with the former consigned to Bargate Green, whilst anyone wanting a taxi from the market will have to walk to Custom House Quay to get one.  The route apparently passes through Strait Bargate, but the hype glosses over the fact that the runners are preceded and followed by around 14 vehicles, including huge promotional coaches and eight police motorcycles -  and that's before our local boys in blue stick their oar in. Roads are being closed, parking is being banned – and for what? Two relays, the first - outside the town - lasting just 15 minutes, and the second taking only 32 minutes. Couldn’t they have found  a bypass route around the town? It might have set a good example.

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