Council pours cold water on river taxi idea

It seems that whilst the great and the good of Boston struggle to come up with suggestions that might help lift the town’s fortunes, they appear none too keen when others come up with ideas worth exploring.
The town’s Central Neighbourhood Panel has recently been discussing issues arising from the proposed tidal barrier for the town – and one question that has been raised is whether it would be better to see the water levels upstream maintained at high level.
Group member Julian Thompson suggests that one benefit could be the introduction of water taxis to the town – to link different visitor attractions.
He says: “It has been suggested that the old magistrates’ court could be used to enact ‘live’ courts to show how the judicial process is carried out, by employing actors. Potentially this could attract thousands of adults and children a year, bringing in new revenue to our town. The nearest at the moment is in Nottingham.
"From the old magistrates court, a water taxi could take you on a short trip to the Guildhall, from there to the Pilgrim Fathers' memorial, and then back to the town centre for lunch or tea.
“Water taxis work for Spalding, so why not in Boston? This idea could be what Boston needs to rejuvenate the town, bringing new business, landing stages to waterside business, tea shops, moorings along South Quay, and many more. This would enhance the opportunity of bringing more people to the town, and once again make us proud to be Bostonians.”
Discussions between the panel Chairman, Jeff Skinner, and the Environment Agency established that the intention is to leave the barrier – which it’s thought will only be used every 25 years - in a lowered position, so that birds can feed from the mud flats created when the tide is out upstream. Another question raised was where the barrier might be sited.
The Environment Agency is attending attend an open meeting at the Centenary Church Hall on Red Lion Street in Boston tomorrow night – starting at 7pm,- and everyone is welcome to go along.
Mr Thompson said: “It has been said that the port of Boston would welcome a non-tidal Haven, as ships could be moved freely in and out of the dock basin - freeing up valuable shipping space and thus enhancing the port trade. I have spoken to a local fisherman who says it would make their job easier to manage along the quayside. And from our point of view it would enable a water taxi to the Pilgrim Fathers memorial.
“It was suggested by Councillor Mary Wright that we had a meeting with Steve Lumb (Boston Borough Council’s Head of Planning) about this - suggesting that he would be interested.
“Jeff received a phone call from Mr Lumb saying that he was not interested at all about our ideas, and that there was no money to fund this idea ... the case was closed - all had been sorted. Jeff said that he was being talked down to with an overall negativity. I have since had an e-mail from Mary Wright saying that Mr Lumb and other officials from the council wish to attend this meeting.
“Since when do so few act as judge and jury without asking the townspeople for their views?  I can only imagine that this is done behind closed doors or to an audience of biased viewers.
“We feel so passionately about this project that we would like to see a debate about this for Boston people to have their views and decide for themselves.
“We are also concerned about the insurance aspect of having our area wrongly listed as being at flood risk and escalating building insurance.
Jeff Skinner told Boston Eye: “Boston to me is losing its face. We have no ‘old Boston’ visitor schemes. In the 1970s I worked at the White Hart Hotel and we had three coaches a week of Americans who stayed four days, with trips out each day, to find their origins, and three days with Japanese tourists staying. These produced good earnings for the town in days when money was tight.
“Let’s have the Boston people showing the rest of the UK that we can turn the money in town into jobs, sales, and to kill the impression of Boston people are all fat and do not want to work.”

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