Stroll down Mayor Mary Lane - "shows first citizen has lost the plot!"

A regular correspondent of Boston Eye tells us that she had the “doubtful pleasure” of attending last week’s Planning Committee meeting of Boston Borough Council.
E-mailing pseudonymously as Mrs N. Forward, she writes:
“As expected the planning application for the women's hostel was passed, and I question the council’s impartiality when we know that Mayflower are a member of the Boston Area Partnership and are hand in glove with the borough.”
Mrs Forward said that the application was approved despite the speaker for the residents telling the committee of the new legislation which came in on 27th March 2012 in the National Planning Policy Framework Document.
This gave the Planning Committee the right to deny applications under Section 69 which states: “Planning polices and decisions should aim to achieve places which provide ‘safe and accessible environments where crime and disorder and the fear of crime do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion.’
“And regarding parks: ‘Safe and accessible developments which encourage the active and continued use of public areas.’
“It appears that the committee haven't yet got round to reading the document - let alone understanding it.
“The fears of the residents that the estranged partners of the women concerned would be able to locate them and then loiter on Burgess Pit in attempts to make contact, or that the perceived fears of the park users would once again prevent parents from allowing their children to play on Burgess Pit, were completely ignored.
“It appears that the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many!
“Councillor Mary Wright also appeared to object to the fact that many of the residents were private householders with young families, stating that ‘people who are brought up in council houses have better manners’ - a totally irrelevant and generalist statement!
“Regarding the matter raised about overcrowding and unsanitary conditions - three women and seven children are expected to be housed in a small three bedroom detached house sharing one bathroom containing one WC - she also stated that as she was brought up in a family of 13 who all shared one WC, that these living conditions were quite acceptable! **
“They may have been for Noah and his animals, but one would have hoped that even a small amount of progress would have seeped through to Boston by now!
“Following her previous observation on 11th July 2011 in full council when she suggested that women should be at home cooking their husbands’ dinners instead of attending Planning Meetings, one can only assume that the woman has lost the plot, and should be silenced before she embarrasses herself or the council any further.
“Only a negligible concern was expressed about the hostel’s whereabouts being made public, and the committee expressed full confidence in Mayflower’s ability to run an establishment of this nature - the councillors being under the misapprehension that Mayflower are experienced in such matters when in reality they have none, but only gained this tender by undercutting Boston Women's Aid.
“The application made by the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation to change offices at the rear of the Boston Borough Council building in to a centre for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug and alcohol users was also passed, again in spite of a petition signed by 31 residents of Fydell Crescent and surrounding areas voicing their concerns about public safety, and traffic issues.
“The Planning Committee blithely ignored its own Planning for the Future document that states the council wants to ‘Work towards being a thriving town and borough with strong community relations’ so that ‘we can enjoy a good quality of life in our communities,’ and made a mockery of one of its priorities of ‘safe, secure homes and neighbourhoods’... seems like it's got a lot of work to do!
“I would like to know which planet this council is living on, because it seems it's a darn site better place than Boston!
“I would like to also add that on May 25th 2011, the Mayor quoted to the Boston Standard her aim as Mayor would be to make Boston secure for families to work and play"


** Boston Eye says those were the days eh!
And in case the Mayor runs out of homilies, we commend the final lines of “Capstick Comes Home” which was recorded in 1981 …

We didn’t have no tellies or shoes or bedclothes

We made us own fun in them days

Do you know, when I were a lad you could get a tram down into t’ town

Buy three new suits ‘n an overcoat, four new pair of good boots

Go and see George Formby at Palace Theatre,

Get blind drunk,

Have some steak ‘n chips, bunch of bananas ‘n three stone of monkey nuts

And still have change out of a farthing ...

We had lots of things in them days

They haven't got today

Rickets, diphtheria, Hitler, and

We did look well going to school with no backsides in us trousers ‘n

All us little heads painted purple ‘cause we had ringworm

They don’t know they’re born today!!!!

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