Last week’s Daily Mail feature on the impact of immigration on Boston quoted communities portfolio holder Mike Gilbert recalling the  landslide majority  won by the Boston Bypass Independents, and saying: “If it can happen for a bypass, then who says it won’t happen for an issue that inspires much more extreme opinions?” We felt that the quote suggested that Councillor Gilbert felt that the BBI phenomenon could be replicated in Boston as an immigration issue in 2015, and asked him if that was the case. He told us: “No not specifically. I think there are pros and cons to migration which colour the debate too much. I was making a general point about the way Boston can adopt issues passionately, but then the real debate needs to start to get perspective, get some facts  and avoid – as  with migration – scapegoating, which I think came over well in the article. Mass migration is social engineering on a continental scale. It affects every country in Europe and is implemented by the EU who govern sovereign states like a feudal overlord would have controlled the peasants in the 13^th century.”

In the same feature, council leader Pete Bedford trumpeted the fact that Boston retained its Marks and Spencer store when the one in Grantham closed as a symbol of success. Let’s hope he hasn’t spoken too soon. Readers with long memories will recall that almost five years ago, the Boston store submitted ambitious plans for a 50-seater first floor café as part of a major refurbishment programme. At the time, the plan was hailed by the council, which said it would “preserve and enhance the character” and “help maintain the vitality and viability” of the town centre. Whilst some improvements were made, the café plan was shelved, and the permission expired two years ago. As far as we can see, it has not been resubmitted. Meanwhile, the company has reported dismal Christmas trading figures.
And it may well be time for a recount following the leader’s claim that Boston has the lowest number of empty shops in the region after yesterday’s news that the town’s HMV store is one 66 ‘loss making’ stores to be closed. The shop in Pescod Square is likely to remain open for the next month or so but will then join other empty properties in the centre such as the former Clinton Cards, Julian Graves, and the historic Pescod Hall building which names the development. We really would like to know what organisations such as Boston’s Business “Improvement” District and the borough council’s economic development staff are doing to try to improve the look and prosperity of the town.
Readers whose memories go back even further than five years will know that Boston Eye has just entered its seventh year of publication. Despite a few efforts to stifle our blog, we hope to continue for as long as it takes to see Boston governed by a leadership which sets public service before self-service. We accept that we probably have more critics than fans. But on return from holiday last week we were amused to read on Independent Councillor Carol Taylor’s blog  the response she received when she told someone that she was among our fans. “This person said ‘I never read it, it’s a load of rubbish and if left to me I would close it down.’”  Assuming that the person concerned was most likely a fellow councillor, we think that this says more about the quality of some members than anything else could!
Just as we went away, we received an e-mail from English Democrat leader Councillor Elliott Fountain, concerning our expression of disappointment at the news that a meeting of “opposition” councillors to discuss common issues was attended by three Independent councillors, and two Labour members, and that “missing in inaction” were one Labour, the entire Boston District “Independents” and the English Democrats. Councillor Fountain wrote: “I was not aware of this meeting or else I would have been there. It would be nice to have an opposition meeting every six to eight weeks for us all to discuss things.” Well said. At the moment the opposition groups on the council are making noise, but little else. Perhaps a little more co-ordination might result in giving the so-called leadership more of a run for their money.
Having said that, one issue on which the opposition dug its heels in firmly over was that of the decision to cut council tax benefits for working age people, by 25%. However, their alternatives were apparently misunderstood. Bostonian Richard Houle wrote to the local papers criticising Independent group spokesman Councillor Richard Leggott and his opposition using words such as “opportunist,” and “barmy,”  and saying that everyone who can should contribute to the local services. He asked: “Is  Councillor Leggott seriously suggesting  that people already benefiting from the generosity of the taxpaying public should be absolved completely from ever paying a ha’penny in council tax?  In response, Councillor Leggott says: “No member of the opposition proposed a new council tax scheme where present 100% council tax rebates would continue. The schemes put forward by the opposition in Boston Borough were of a graduated variety, with those of working age apparently less able to pay the tax to be offered larger rebates than those seemingly more able to absorb such increases. It was proposed that budget differences (£18-£24,000) arising from such a plan would be met initially – 2013/14 – from our £1.653m reserves, not by an extra payment from other council tax payers. This would give the council an opportunity to evaluate such a scheme in practice with all its ramifications before next year's budget setting. There are also some similar unknowns to the scheme that has been adopted which will lead to similar need of evaluation before next year. I thank Richard Houle for this opportunity to explain, not just to him, but to others in the borough who may have been mistaken in their understanding of what the opposition was proposing re the new Boston's new council tax scheme.”
After our comments about the waste of £2,500,000 on the Transported arts programme  designed to “empower” local people to experiment with “radically different approaches and develop inspiring, sustainable arts programmes that will engage audiences in those communities,”  we were interested to hear that an arts festival in Skegness has been labelled  “a total waste of ratepayers' money.”
East Lindsey District Council plans to spend about £350,000 on the SO Festival, which features arts, street theatre and dance, which it claims delivered direct economic benefit of more than £1m to the area. One district councillor cited an event which only two or three people attended – and it would take little by way of imagination to predict that something similar will happen in Boston.
Following the fanfare concerning the sale of Boston’s Assembly Rooms, we wonder if things will get moving soon – as it is now almost two and a half months since the deal went through. All we’ve heard since then are stories about how the owner plans to expand his business in the town to provide a “pub crawl” facility. We’ve seen no sign of any sort of planning application, and the building is looking tattier by the day.
Yet again in these times of cuts, we wonder where people find those extra millions from and why they choose to spend them as they do. The latest news to reach us is that more than £2m is to be spent on improving facilities for cyclists in East Midlands  towns and railway stations. Apart from plans to create “cycling hubs” at Nottingham and Leicester stations and the provision of hire bikes at Nottingham and Derby, a  new bridge for cyclists will be put in over Maud Foster Drain in Boston.  The money has come from a £62m government fund.  We already have a new bridge on the cards (no pun intended!) to replace the ageing St Botolph’s footbridge. Do we really need another? And just for cyclists? Surely this money could be put to better use.
Finally, the other week, we published a poem by Terry Coope, whose wife Shirley tells us likes to put his memories of growing up in Boston into poems … but adds that “maybe there's only a certain age group who would understand them.” We both understand and like the one below which we think will strike a chord with many readers – so here it is …
 
Tall cranes, fishing smacks
Steam trains, smoking stacks
Hot summers and aching backs.
West Street crossing the place to be
Endless carriages for all to see.
To the gas house a strike of coke
Big Stan Lote was the bloke.
Cooky's orchard, Dr Shaw's,
Scrumping apples gut's ache caused.
Golden sands, freezing river
That poor man’s Skeg made us shiver.
Homemade bike, ride down the west
A sharp greased parting from old Sid Guest.
Buckled pram wheels make a gedge
Nip to the Bee Hive and  fetch some veg.
Caught the bus from Fenside
Just a "tanner" what a ride.
Up the town, market place
Nod of the head, a smiling face.
Off the bus before it stops
Lots of people, lots of shops.
Our great landmark that braved two wars
Now looks down at one lost cause.
Majestic straight tall and proud
But it’s you blind council in a cloud.
Our Rooms of Assembly look up with woe
Goodbye old Stumpy it's time to go.....

 

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

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