Our Friday miscellany

of the week's

news and events

Until recently we were under the impression that Boston’s Haven Gallery - the big glass box of art and artefacts (ugh!) – had been mothballed by its owners and developers, Boston Borough Council, until next year. It closed a year ago and was expected to save the council £65,000 in the current financial year. Until recently, hoi-polloi visitors to the borough website were told that the gallery - which opened in 2005, and is valued at £450,000 - would reopen soon ... but now they are denied access to the Haven page. Whatever, a return of the gallery now no longer appears to be on the cards. For suddenly - as you will see from the advertisement below -  the building is available to lease for £38,000 a year – with scope for use as offices subject to planning permission.

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So, wave goodbye to Boston’s arts and cultural quarter. Chalk it up as another success for the council following the Princess Royal Sports Arena debacle. When it closed, it was announced that the Haven would continue to serve as a storage and maintenance facility for the borough’s museum collection, which now never sees the light of day. What will happen when a new owner appears, we wonder? And couldn’t the advertising have been placed with a locally-based agent?
Tuesday’s letter from Boston resident Mrs Carole Norton Do councillors live in real world?  brought a positive response from one Boston Borough councillor. Independent Carol Taylor e-mailed Boston Eye to say: “I would like to thank Mrs Norton for expressing her deep concerns with her councillors via Boston Eye. With regard to the proposed rise in allotment fees, it has not yet been decided. A Task and Finish group has been set up, of which I am a member, to scrutinise these plans, and I will be expressing strongly my disagreement with the proposed high increase in rents. I also wish to convey to Mrs Norton that the councillors on this committee will look very carefully into these proposals before any decisions are made. With regard to the impending car parking increases, I am unable to give accurately the increase, but recognise that it will almost certainly go ahead in the near future. On a good note, the fees proposed for parking outside your home will only apply if it is considered that a house has too many cars - and that there is not enough room to allow for all households to have equal rights to parking facilities outside their home. There are plans also to introduce robust measures to deal with illegal parking, which, as you know, is a considerable danger to the public - and also stop those dishonest people who choose to park their car without paying, whilst honest people continue to carry the burden. It is a very difficult time for all of us, with massive increases in utility bills, and the intimations that we are in for a severe winter, which will only add to the fear and worry for those who are unable to heat their homes to a level where they feel comfortable and safe. I am sorry that I am unable to help with this. I do agree that it is a waste of time to ‘switch’ suppliers, as it seems economical at first, but doesn't benefit in the long run. I hope that I live in the real world; I like to think that I do. I work full time, but if I had the choice I would love to work part time - but I cannot afford to. Like most people I have bills and a mortgage to pay and have not had a holiday for several years. Finally, I sincerely hope that Mrs Norton will understand that when we are elected, it really is to serve the people of Boston, and that we do try our very best to get it right. There is a cross-section of councillors representing the Boston people. Some are retired, whilst others work full time and fit in their commitments to the public around their work.”
Boston was represented at Monday’s lobbying of the House of Commons for the European referendum debate in the shape of UKIP activists Don Ransome and his wife Sue (pictured below) from Wyberton – where Mr Ransome is a parish councillor.

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But their hopes of a response from  local MP Mark Simmonds were dashed. Mr Ransome tells Boston Eye: “Monday saw a well organised, peaceful protest at the House of Commons involving my wife and I, which even involved some polite and comical banter with the police as opposed to some recent events. Mark Simmonds had the opportunity to vote that day the way he writes on European issues - as a real euro sceptic. Mark Simmonds MP FAILED to respond to my email via www.theyworkforyou.com   requesting him to vote for the referendum. FAILED to respond to calls in the house to meet his constituents who had waited two hours in the queue to lobby him. FAILED to put his country before his career by voting against the motion. Some Euro sceptic!
Meanwhile, our MP is getting some more unwanted publicity in the current issue of the satirical magazine Private Eye in the satirical magazine’s HP Sauce feature (see below.)
 

It’s the second time in recent weeks that Mr Simmonds has found his advisory role with Circle Health worthy of mention, and unusual for a not-too-well-known MP from a low ranking constituency to get such frequent name checks.
This time last week we suggested that after its merger with Breckland and talks about a possible extension to Great Yarmouth, South Holland District Council had perhaps reached the limits of how far it could go with shared services. Not so, the council’s leader, Gary Porter tells us. “I am not convinced that it is,” he said in an e-mail to Boston Eye. “Two works really well and saves over £1 million. If we can do three and it works well, we will be looking for number four. Bearing in mind that Lincolnshire County Council covers the same area as seven districts, who is to say how many District/Borough councils can share the same management - and that's all that our plans are to do, unless other services are identified as areas where additional benefits (savings) can be achieved whilst still retaining the political sovereignty of each of the partners to allow us to set our own service specification. All that said, the real point is in relation to your closing comments that imply that all of this is based on a predatory attitude from South Holland. I need you to understand that it isn't, William (Nunn) who runs Breckland is as self confident as I am; both councils are sure that we are the masters of our own destiny (or at least in so far as central government allows us to be) and that neither of us is the dominant partner. It is true that Terry (Huggins) the Chief Executive used to be solely employed by SHDC, but it is also true that the majority of the staff in the next three levels used to be employed solely by Breckland. At the end of the day they are just staff, and are commissioned to provide the bureaucracy that services the councils. It’s the elected members who ARE the council.”
Meanwhile, it’s being suggested that a different sharing scheme involving South Holland is not proving quite so successful. This time the story involves Compass Point Business Services – a joint venture with East Lindsey District Council, which Boston came within a hairsbreadth of joining. Again, this week's Private Eye is the source… in its Rotten Boroughs feature.

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But  before we leave South Holland, we have to report an interesting page on the council's website which could well be copied here in Boston. It invites taxpayers who have what they think is a good idea, - big or small – to submit it to the council through the website to be shared with, commented on and rated by others. Ideas to date include suggestions on improving traffic flow in Spalding, a community toy library, and putting art in empty shops. It seems to us that an idea like this could replace Boston Borough Council’s web petitions page – which has never really taken off. Read more about the South Holland scheme by clicking here   An interesting point was raised in the letter we published on Tuesday, and which we mentioned earlier, when reader Carole Norton suggested “It may even be a good idea if the councillors went out and actually talked to their constituents, as if that is going to happen.”  We know that this does happen in some cases, as councillors who hold surgeries give details on the borough council website. However they total just eight of the council’s 32 members – merely a quarter, in the form of three Conservative, three Labour and two Independents. Does this mean the rest don’t bother? Not only are they not mentioned on the borough’s website, but we haven’t seen any advertising in the local papers either. If that’s true, then many of our councillors should be hanging their heads in shame
Whilst we have expressed concerns about the exclusion of non-Tory council group leaders from talks about the town’s immigration issues after next month’s planned protest march was postponed, one reader has concerns about whether the wider public will have much of a say. Robert Smith writes: “What I, and no doubt other regular folks, will want to know is: will the representatives of the Home Office actually deign to talk any normal people? By that, I mean average residents who have lost their jobs, and the great many more who might otherwise be justifiably totally brassed off with the situation we find ourselves in. My overriding suspicion is that they'll only speak with the likes of Mark Simmonds, assorted out-of-touch West Street ivory-tower dwellers, and greedy farmers’ representatives. Knowing how things work in politically correct Britain, you might say that my expectations are, of necessity, starting low.”
Meanwhile, Independent Councillor Richard Leggott, has e-mailed to say: “All those involved in the decision to call off the original protest march scheduled for 19th November should be commended for picking their way through a veritable minefield successfully - so far. There is still the Home Office visit to be dealt with. My hope for this is that neither Boston Borough Council nor the Government will use the occasion as a 'whitewash' exercise. Boston has valid points to make, which should be heard and accepted by both Home Office and Treasury departments. It is to be further hoped that others thinking of similar marches will consider the consequences before providing heaven-sent opportunities to those just interested in bringing strife to the town. “
The word “apprentice” is associated these days with the chance of winning fame and fortune on a tacky TV show. But it also applies to a job which includes training as a way to get a foot on the employment ladder. Whilst Boston is renowned as a lowly-paid area, it seems that the borough council has tried to undercut just about everyone with this advert on its website.

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Whilst no age for applicants is specified, the rate works out at £2.71p an hour - just 11p above the £2.60 for apprentices under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. Whilst we accept that this is the going rate, we do think that the council could offer a slightly more generous example on the pay from than this.
Meanwhile, we note the ongoing spending on agency staff in the borough’s list of payments over £500 made last month. It totalled more than £30,000 - mostly for jobs in grounds maintenance, street cleaning and the like. Obviously, agency staff come cheaper than permanent employees, but we just feel that now the financial position is clearer, the borough should entertain the idea of helping more local people into work again.
A number of households in Boston have this week received letters from the Royal Mail telling them that the way their letters will be delivered in future is going to change. Sadly, the phrase “for the better” is not included – as postal deliveries in Boston have been declining for some time in many areas. The “good news” in the letter is that “we will continue to deliver in the morning” – although this is contradicted by the later statement that “many customers will continue to get their mail by lunchtime.” The letter goes on to say that the time mail is received will depend on where you live on the new delivery route and may be earlier – or later – than at present  And when mail volumes vary, delivery times and arrangements may change. Sorry, but all it really says it that Royal Mail will deliver the post pretty much how and when it feels like it. Situation normal, then. Still it was nice of Paul King, the delivery sector manager for the Boston area, to take the time to write. And where do you think such an important person with responsibility for Boston might be based? Peterborough, perhaps? Not quite, but it begins with a ‘P’ – Mr King actually works in Plymouth – 330 miles away!
Finally, we wonder what the point is of including the Business Target with our local Boston paper. This week’s 28-page offering contains 40 news stories, with none featuring Boston. The nearest we get is a piece about in-house awards to Marshalls of Butterwick –  and all of 25 lines! Is the Business Target saying that Boston has no business news to speak of, or is it  that it just can’t be bothered to find any? Surely, we deserve better than this.

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Our former blog is archived at: http://bostoneyelincolnshire.blogspot.com