Where have

all the agenda

items gone?

Not for the first time, we find ourselves bemused by the goings on in BTAC – the Boston Town Area Committee.
The committee meets tonight - and according to the agenda will discuss just one item – “to consider proposals for an event to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, with discussion to be led by the chairman.”
This meeting was brought forward to replace one that was due to be held at the end of the month, but which was apparently postponed for some reason.
So, it would seem, is other business that was supposed to be discussed.
The minutes of the last meeting on December 14th said that the committee would receive the allotments report from the Environment and Performance Committee’s Task and Finish Group, which we discussed at some length yesterday.
Also on the agenda was something called the future of Ingelow playing field and a discussion on the request by a member for BTAC to ask the County Council to paint yellow lines along both sides of West Street, from the roundabout to the level crossing.
Whilst the reason for that is obvious, given the growing traffic problems in West Street, we believe that playing field debate concerns an idea to sell half of the field for social housing with the proceeds going towards a floodlit 3G football pitch, and moving the play park closer to the houses.
As if all that isn’t enough, we understand that other agenda items which were supposed to be discussed included a skate park project in Skirbeck, whose organisers are hoping for a £20,000 contribution from BTAC, and consideration of proposals put to parish councils that they should foot the bill for their local “footway” lighting  - letting the borough shed yet another role and save money by shifting the bills elsewhere.
Taken as a whole, these items would have provided a formidable agenda.
But instead, as we pointed out last week, BTAC is apparently only to discuss an item about which it can talk until the cows come home, but do very little else – certainly not spend money.
This is because the only things on which it is permitted spend money must be exclusively or mainly for the benefit of town residents. If it did more than talk about it, any serious plans to fund a Jubilee celebration would obviously attract visitors from a far wider area than just the town centre – making it a project that would have to be funded from the council’s budget.
A classic example of this restriction came at last month’s meeting, when an application by Boston Stroke Association for a £1,000 grant was denied in full on the grounds that not all association members lived in the town centre area. Instead – based on a calculation that there were 22 out of a total of 50 members - a grant of £440 pro rata was made.
So what do we have tonight?
A talking shop – whilst other major items of potential benefit to the badly neglected town centre and its residents appear to have vanished into thin air … even though it was apparently decided that they should be on the next agenda.
BTAC is a significant committee for many Boston residents. This year it will receive more than £80,000 for its budget, and it also has comfortable reserves.
Yet, looking at the minutes, some members seem not to have quite the grasp of the way it operates as they should have.
Not only that, but they also have the ability to drag out some items of business interminably.
We’re thinking in particular of the problems facing residents of Punchbowl Lane, whose lives are being made miserable by anti-social activity from users of a footpath giving access to Ingelow Avenue.
After months of to-ing and fro-ing over this issue, the latest position is to agree that officers “explore” setting up “a protocol” for the purchase of a CCTV system to hire out to the public.
That should be good for another six month delay at least!

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