These days, comfy, highly paid jobs for life are few and far between – so when one comes up you would think that there would be a stampede of applicants.

But not in Boston, it appears – although consultants seem to be doing well enough.

Way back in January, Boston Borough Council decided that it was time to try to drag itself into the 20^th century – yes, we know that we’re now in the 21^st – with the appointment of a Head of Service for Economic Development and Growth

For once, this didn’t appear to be another of the usual Worst Street fudges that pay lip service to big ideas but little more.

The salary was £65,000 a year for the uphill task of providing strategic, visionary and organisational leadership in all aspects of inward investment, growth and wider regeneration and economic development for the Borough.

In more detail, the job spec included …

• Developing relationships with existing businesses and forging links with new businesses.

• Engaging effectively with the Greater Lincolnshire Enterprise Partnership and …

• Increasing the council’s profile and maximise funding opportunities.

Call us simple if you like, but it crossed our mind as we read this that one or more people already working in Worst Street ought to have been doing tasks such as these for years – and to seek someone else at a salary that puts the job in the top five on the Worst Street pay scale seems to be an admission of neglect.

Closing date for the job was Monday 1st February, followed by final interviews on Thursday 25th.

Here’s what we understand has happened since.

According to the council spending returns, £5,750 was spent on advertising the post – in the week before Christmas.

What impeccable timing – loads of people will have been sure to see it.

Perhaps due to this, or perhaps not, there were no applicants, we were told.

So the recruitment company trawled through its records to see if they had anyone on their books who might be a possible candidate.

Three were found of which two were interviewed and one was deemed suitable.

But by the end of last week there had still not been an appointment – instead, we hear that the surviving candidate was brought back for a second visit.

Whilst the recruiting exercise seems to be taking its time, the recruitment agency is not hanging about though.

Their bill for Phase One of the recruitment exercise was an eye-watering £10,750!

Given that this implies a second bill waiting in the wings – plus a possible percentage commission if the job is filled it will be interesting to see what the final cost to we taxpayers is.

Footnote:

Hopefully, some better news  about jobs reached us via the WOTS channel.

Word On The Street is saying that Iceland is hoping to take over the redundant Morrisons store building on Boston Retail Park

If true it will be good news for shoppers in the neglected north end of Boston and also provide an opportunity to open the biggest bookies in town on Wide Bargate – and also making it possible never to be out of sight of the chance to place a bet.

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