Now you see IT –
now you don’t!
Recent news stories have claimed that that thousands of bus
routes in England are under threat because councils have said they cannot
afford to pay for them – citing an "unsustainable" funding gap of
£652m in the free bus pass scheme, which local authorities have been forced to
fill.
Councils – which are
required by law to reimburse bus operators for carrying passengers who hold a
free off-peak bus pass – subsidise 44% of English bus routes, but have warned
that without more funding, these could be cuts.
***
In Lincolnshire, any threat to local services would be a
major cause for concern – but are we already seeing the thin end of the wedge here in Boston?
One of our regular correspondents from some years ago, who
writes under the pseudonym ‘Scanner’ claims that county and
local councillors were kept in the dark after the operators Brylaine axed the
IT3 and IT4 bus services in the new
year.
‘Scanner’ writes:
I
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know that local elections are
not far away and that older people are more likely to vote than the youngsters,
but given their record of anonymity in the Witham Ward (I await their reminder
before May) it comes as no surprise that both the local district and county
councillors for this ward are not aware that Brylaine axed the IT3 and IT4 bus
services in the New Year.
As a sop, Brylaine have diverted the A6 Boston to Horncastle service
through the estate three times in each direction.
The services finish at the bus station, and not the convenience of Wide
Bargate, which means a walk to the Market Place.
At least they call at Boots on their return journeys.
The first service reaches the bus station at 9.20am, and departs at 10.50am
– giving 90 minutes for shopping.
The second arrives at the bus station at 10.44 am and departs at 1.00 pm
– a lengthy wait of 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Finally: a service arrives at the bus station at 2.24pm and departs at 2.30pm
– a breath-taking six minutes!
This has left most of the elderly unable to get out or do their
shopping or having to take a taxi at least in one direction.
It has always seemed extravagant to have two buses serving the estate
as frequently as they did.
Given the size of the area it covered, one bus travelling in one
direction at regular intervals would have sufficed and meant fuller buses.
I can understand that bus companies need to make a profit.
The cost of running services has increased, and the funding of bus
passes is just a token payment.
I am told that the other IT services have been altered as well and that
this has left many unable to use them.
The IT service was hailed as a way of giving people access to the town
and the centre, so leaving their cars at home, and giving the older citizens
the opportunity to get out and about.
I have spoken to many of them and most would be quite happy to pay, say
£1, on top of their bus passes. I suppose this would cause a problem, which,
I’m sure, could be overcome.
It’s probably much too late to alter things, but the County Council are
responsible for bus services in the district.
Where were our local county councillors if and when Lincolnshire County
Council were consulted on these changes – and what did they do … if anything …
to try to save them?
W
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here, also, were the protests of our district councillors – don’t they
dare to disagree and speak out about the actions of their party chums in
Lincoln?
***
Election news 1: A word from Worst Street leader Councillor
Michael Cooper as the election wars hot up …
“The opposition groups have been very vocal about wanting
the full committee system, but at the last Corporate and Community meeting, not
a single member of the opposition turned up and many didn't even give
apologies!!
“Amazing really as it was the budget for next year
being scrutinised!
“The BiG group have been very vocal about the homeless, but
again not one volunteered to work in the emergency shelter over the eight nights
it was open … “Again very vocal about the M&S closure -- but don't seem to
be in possession of any of the facts: the closure is purely a commercial one
and nothing to do with its location.”
***
Election news 2: Labour’s
Councillor Paul Gleeson has e-mailed with a further update on candidates and
the selection process.
He told Boston Eye:
“At a recent branch meeting we had a discussion about standing candidates from
outside of the borough. The meeting felt it was important that our candidates
do actually live in the borough, and so it resolved that we will only stand
candidates who are residents.
“We are still proposing to stand candidates in every seat.”
***
Election news 3: Is just a reminder to parties and individuals
that Boston Eye has a place for them
in the run-up to 2nd May should they wish to make use of it – not
forgetting purdah, of course.
***
The good news is
that a four-year, £1.8 million scheme, to enhance an area of Boston's historic
town centre is to be launched this spring. It’s a partnership between Boston
Borough Council and the Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The bad news is
that we’ve heard it all before …
***
This time around, the project will operate under the name Boston Townscape Heritage Project and will
provide grant funding towards conservation repairs and reinstatement of
buildings. Grants of 50% for repairs and 85% for reinstatement will be
available until July 2022.
The area to benefit includes the eastern boundary of the
Market Place, Dolphin Lane and Pump Square – and individual buildings eligible
for grant funding have been identified.
According to the bumph on WorstWeb – Boston Borough Council’s website – “Boston’s rich and
unique historic environment, dating from the medieval period, will be explored,
celebrated and conserved through the four-year scheme of capital works and (jargon alert) an innovative activity programme.”
And, it claims: “The project will build upon the momentum
gained from recent heritage-led regeneration initiatives in the town and will
also work collaboratively with local partners on activities relating to the
Hanse League membership and Mayflower 2020.”
***
A similar scheme was announced in 2015 – and the council issued
desperate reminders of the largesse
on offer at regular intervals.
Despite that, only eight
properties benefitted, and even fewer had applications in the pipeline.
The beneficiaries included a charity shop, a jeweller’s shop
which is undergoing yet another refit soon, and the former Edinburgh Woollen
Mill shop which has been empty ever since
it was tarted up with some grant money and put on the market – and which now looks in need of ‘refurbishment’ yet again!
A summary to councillors produced at the end of 2017 noted
the appointment of a full-time heritage
project officer and also the plans for the scheme that has just been announced.
We have noted before that whenever free money is on offer,
Worst Street’s first move is to invest in full-time staff, and all the implications
that this involves.
Now, in the blink of two years, the wheels are slowly
starting to turn with an end date three years hence – apparently pretty fast by
Worst Street standards
Back in 2017 the report noted: “The scheme is beginning to
make a real impact on the historic environment in Boston. The scheme has gained
momentum and is now making its mark in the town. Now that a project has been
completed within the Market Place more interest will be gained and therefore
more property owners will come forward.”
Apparently, not so – have you noticed any real difference to speak of?
Meanwhile, Boston Town Centre Conservation Area – said to be
of great historic importance – is entering its ninth consecutive year on the Heritage at Risk Register compiled by Historic England, and described as being in a
‘very bad’ condition
***
Our Numpty of the Week
award goes to Worst Street’s deputy ‘leader’ Councillor Aaron Spencer.
We wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he’s gone one
better on an earlier suggestion that shops in Boston town centre should be
replaced by a town full of cafes, bars
and restaurants rather than “failing businesses.”
In a statement of the obvious, Councillor Spencer has told a
local ‘newspaper’ that Boston’s ban on street drinking – which isn’t a ban at
all – isn’t working.
His proposal to change all this is to call for specific drinking zones to be set up to
tackle the problem.
He is quoted as saying: “The problem is street drinking –
and it’s a combination of cultures coming together.
“We drink in the pubs, whereas others do it on the streets
as there is no communal space for them to do it.
“I think that it would be better if we created a specific
area where it can be controlled.
“It’s not an idea that I've put forward to the council; it’s
just my personal opinion and I’m not saying that it would practically work but
in theory we could police an area better.”
It occurs to us that this could be something of a visitor
attraction as well.
Way back in 1938
an American town proposed caging drunks then towing them around the area behind
police cars for everyone to see.
We await Councillor Spencer’s next move with bated breath.
At least, voters in Councillor Spencer's Five Villages ward are handy for shopping in Spalding should he ever achieve his wish to turn our town centre into an alfresco boozery. packed with coffee bars to chase away our hangovers!
At least, voters in Councillor Spencer's Five Villages ward are handy for shopping in Spalding should he ever achieve his wish to turn our town centre into an alfresco boozery. packed with coffee bars to chase away our hangovers!
***
One piece of news that he may warmly greet is a change of
venue for the town’s Dunelm shop.
Units 1a and 1b on the Alban Retail Park opposite Oldrids
Downtown on the Grantham Road are being converted into one massive unit – and
judging by the planning application from Dunelm looks to be their future home.
***
We didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when we read the
chunterings of members of BTAC-ky – the Boston Town Area Committee – at their
last meeting.
Over the past four years, they have become power mad in
their wish to turn BTAC-ky from a peaceful little committee that did little or nothing most of the time to a money-grabbing monster that fritters away
thousands on the town centre alone – with precious little regard for taxpayers
in its wider catchment area.
Hence the show of committee rage that we witnessed at the
end of last month.
***
After years of supine obedience, committee members wanted
some rapid action from officers – and got quite snitty when told that it was out of the question.
According to reports, during a debate on a BTAC wish list,
Councillor Nigel Welton, town centre cabinet member and BTAC liaison, said
councillors had been “sat here for four years waiting for reports” on
improvements to the town’s open spaces.”
***
His comments came as the committee debated spending up to £127,000 on playground toys for parks in the borough – including a pirate
ship, an octopus see-saw and a play house.
Although consultations by officers had whittled the list
down to 18 items – an average of £7,000 each – Councillor Welton felt things
had not gone far enough.
He was reported as saying: “This is raising people’s
expectations of what we are going to be doing when we might not be here next
year.
“I’m fed up and tired of waiting around ... our stuff is
going on longer than the bloody Brexit debate.”
***
Despite the clear indication that officers apparently try to
do as little as possible for as long as possible, Councillor Welton called for
a report to the meeting at the end of this month.
But officer Phil Perry – clearly run off his feet as head of “Place and Space” – said it would not be feasible.
According to Worst Street’s establishment chart, Perry
earns between £60,000 and £65,000 a year and has more than 80 staff at his beck and
call – so we must express surprise that between
them Club P&S can’t cobble together
a long-awaited report in four weeks.
***
As well as their dissatisfaction at the sluggish pace that
officers find stressful, there were also grumblings about the use of councilspeak instead of plain and simple
English.
One word singled out was offer
– in this instance to describe playground equipment.
We recall many others that have cropped up in reports over
the years.
Public realm means
the streets, whilst low hanging fruit
is something easy to achieve.
So, next time you read of plans to make an offer of low
hanging fruit in the public realm, you’ll be as clued up as our councillors
are!
***
It seems that BTAC-ky is desperate to spend, spend, spend as
much as possible before the elections – and is minded to fork over another pile
of cash to Boston Stump for its Passion
for People project.
St Botolph’s Church had already received a lottery
development pay-out of £160k, to allow it to grab to bid for a jumbo grant of £1.17 million with the balance to be raised from ‘partnership
funding.’
Worst Street has already given £80,000 from its Controlling Migration Fund for two
members of staff at £18,000 a year for the two-year span of the government
award.
On top of that, the council released £50,000 from the
remaining severe weather funds to the
project.
BTAC members were reminded of the latter when The Stump
applied for £20,000 – and deferred things until they have more details.
Our view is that Boston taxpayers have already Stumped up more than enough already, and that another £20k would confirm that the committee just wants to
spend as much as it can, regardless.
***
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Back in January, a response from Boston Independents Group –
BiG – to criticism by Councillor Anton Dani after he left to join the
Conservative group … claimed he had previously applied to join the Tories in
2015, but was rejected, so he joined UKIP instead.
Councillor Dani took issue with this and has sent us a copy
of a letter from the Boston and Skegness Conservative Association.
As it makes clear, Councillor Dani’s recent application was
the only one made – and he has
asked us to put the record straight, which we are pleased to do so.
You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com
E– mails will be treated in
confidence and published anonymously if requested.
Our former blog is archived at:
http://bostoneyelincolnshire.blogspot.com
We are on Twitter – visit @eye_boston
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