Time and again, we have asked questions about the amount of money being poured into the Geoff Moulder Leisure Centre and the Princess Royal Sports Area – and in the case of the PRSA have been told that it is now no longer a burden on the council taxpayer.

click on photo above to enlarge

In fact, as long ago as September 2015, the Worst Street website informed us: “A new chapter in the life of Boston's Princess Royal Sports Arena has begun as 1Life takes on full responsibility for the centre.

“Following a contract signing with Boston Borough Council, 1Life now has the go-ahead to arrange repairs and improvements to bring the centre up to an improved handover condition – the final bill to be paid by the borough council. But these costs will be covered by savings made by energy efficiency improvements, some of which are already complete and providing a return.”

Given the number of tales we have been told about the PRSA, it therefore came as little surprise to see from the council’s own spending figures for January that whilst thousands were being spent on the biomass fuel, the December electricity bill was more than £6,000.

In February more big bills for biomass were paid and the electricity bill was more than £4,000.

We recall the promise that using biomass at the Moulder and PRSA would not only save money but earn it over time through selling electricity back to the national grid.

***

But this appears to be just the tip of the iceberg.

The council’s spending figures for January and February show that a fortune is being paid out  – much of it in capital –  for top of the range equipment charged against the

Gmlc/Prsa Biomass Installation expense line.

Quite what this has to do with biomass is anyone’s guess – as is who authorised such a huge spending binge.

In January and February we have seen entries for sports equipment costing £125,000, a payment to contractors Bentley and Rowe for the “Boston Sports Initiative loan” of almost £35,000 and “additional works” at the PRSA costing nearly £20,000.

The grand total for all this is almost £180.000 – paid by a council that claims to be short of money!

The Boston Sports Initiative is listed by Companies House as a “private limited company by guarantee without share capital use of ‘limited’ by exemption” – whatever all that means.

It says that the next accounts made up to 31^st  August 2016 are due by 31^st  May this year and that the last accounts were made up to 31^st  August 2015.

But those accounts told us:

On 19^th  May 2015 BSI's solicitors received a letter from Boston Borough Council (BBC) stating the Council's belief that BSI did not hold tenure of the PRSA other than as a tenant at will under the Building Agreement and giving BSI notice to quit the PRSA and that as from 1^st April 2015 BBC was not in a position to continue to financially support BSI.

Boston Borough Council advised that they intended to enter into a new lease of the PRSA with 1Life Management Solutions Limited on 16^th  September 2015.

It took Boston Borough Council until 23^rd  March 2016 to formally grant a lease to iLife Management Solutions Limited. In the view of the above the trustees have concluded that as at the period end date BSI is no longer a going concern and consequently these financial statements have been prepared on a 'break up basis'.

As well as company status, the BSI is also registered as a charity which appears to have overlooked its responsibilities and in which millions of pounds of our taxpayer money is invested in the PRSA.

So would someone please tell us what on earth is going on?

***

Some spin-off now from our last blog’s on Worst Street’s wrongful issuing of a parking ticket to former deputy leader Raymond Singleton-McGuire – which was rescinded only after a traffic penalty tribunal upheld a case against Boston Borough Council for inappropriate procedure and for wasting time and directed the council to cancel the penalty charge notice.

We touched on the shenanigans which followed the 2011 elections that saw Mr Singleton-McGuire disclaim the leadership in favour of Councillor Peter Bedford – himself now a Conservative out in the cold.

***

Former Councillor Mike Gilbert – who has now created a new political party called a Blue Revolution – e-mailed to say: “I was interested the piece about Raymond Singleton-McGuire in your last post.

“It was a strange period in which – a bit like the recent decapitating of Peter Bedford – Raymond was ganged up on by many of Lincolnshire's Tory great and good. “However what he failed to tell you was that having been ‘whipped in’ brought to heel, as well as promised the title ‘deputy leader’ along with ‘new Tory recruit’ Mike Brookes and to avoid a Coronation for Pete, I stood against Pete for leader.

“Carol Taylor, Mark Baker and a number of others said they voted for me. 

“We had to make 5-minute speeches which we didn't hear each other make. The feedback as that Pete was ......well Pete. But still he won. Carol would have heard both speeches

“However, I lost and Yvonne Gunter who counted the votes (with someone else who I don't remember) didn't disclose the result, perhaps understandably.

“My sense at the time was that it was close ... but I don't know how close.

In respect of Pete and Raymond what goes around comes around.

***

Former Councillor Carol Taylor also sent a comment.

“It was my first time in local politics when elected in 2011. Raymond Singleton-McGuire was an inspiration in the run up to the successful result. I will never forget the jubilation I felt to be part of something so privileged and special, it didn't last very long.

“On the Monday following our election, a post result meeting was held in the council chamber. When I walked in I saw Peter Bedford, Mike Brookes and Raymond but I couldn't understand why.

“I was expecting and hoping to see Raymond as leader with the wonderful Mike Gilbert as his deputy but this wasn't meant to be – and no-one knew anything about the change until that meeting.

With regard to 'Ticketgate' Raymond had suddenly become the victim of a campaign to oust him even by his own political party.

“He was a great financial portfolio holder and was dedicated to saving money to ensure better services for the public.

“I would like to thank Raymond as he taught me so much about local politics and gave me the confidence when I needed it most.

“Good luck Raymond, you are so much better than this.”

***

And another comment from a reader left us hungry to know more.

It read: “If you really want to get the Boston Tories’ ire up, just mention the ‘Coffee Cup Coup’ that took place at the 'Club', the Saturday morning after the unexpected result ... a coup that started within their own weasel-like ranks on the very night of the result.

***

Sadly, our report last week failed to make any impact on our local media. Although both our local “newspapers” –  the Boston sub-Standard and the Boston off-Target –  BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Lincs FM were sent advance copies of the blog, none of them felt able to give the story a mention.

Hmmm, let’s see …. Local council wrongly issues parking ticket to own deputy leader …. refuses to rescind it despite promises … blocks victim’s democratic rights to fight the decision to the point where bailiffs are sent in … loses battle only after a long and costly fight in an adjudicator’s court. Are we missing something here, or is our local media in thrall of Worst Street to such an extent that it turns a blind to such disgraceful practices?

*** 

By a strange co-incidence, another quote that we saw from Raymond Singleton-McGuire during our researches last week concerned greater openness.

He said: “I have arranged and instigated and hopefully it will be approved, to have cameras in the chamber therefore preventing any future personal bravado or outbursts and to retain the respect and diplomacy expected in a council chamber …

… “I will not tolerate any of the antics that have been associated with Boston Borough Council in the past.”

Cameras in the council chamber – and the live broadcasting of meetings such as other councils do – would have been a splendid idea had it been introduced.

It might have rendered unnecessary the need for minutes such as the following from a recent BTAC-ky meeting

“The Chairman advised that the meeting was being sound recorded.

“The Monitoring Officer asked everyone to be mindful of how their speech would be viewed.”

Despite that: “During the meeting the Monitoring Officer warned Members about use of language and urged caution with respect to the factual basis of statements made.”

Is this really the sort of behaviour we should expect from our councillors?

***

click on photo above to enlarge

 From elections past to elections present…

News of a General Election on 8^th June – barely a month after the Lincolnshire County Council elections on 4^th May –  have probably left most of us stunned with political ennui, rather than slavering with anticipation.

It’s early days yet, so we don’t know who will be coming at us from out of the sun to promise us heaven and earth for our vote – although Tory MP Matt Warman has already announced his reselection, and the UKIP candidate last time around, Robin Hunter-Clarke has announced his intention to stand – but won’t say where.

He’d better make his mind up soon –  as a likely challenge for Boston and Skegness is on the way from Victoria Ayling.

Ms Ayling stood as a Tory against Labour’s Austin Mitchell in the 2010 election campaign and came within 714 votes of victory.

But by the 2015 election, she was standing for UKIP – ending up in third place behind Tory Marc Jones, who obviously fancied Parliament as a better job than being Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner at the time.

Ms Ayling – who is UKIP’s spokesperson for heritage and tourism and a Lincolnshire County Councillor – then declared herself a virtual shoe-in for last year’s Sleaford and North Hykeham election – but instead opted to come third.

No news yet from Labour’s Paul Kenny as to whether he will stand for a fourth time.

Last time around, after flirting with and then falling out with Lincolnshire Independents and forming her own Pilgrim Party Lyn Luxton polled a meagre 143 votes. She told us that her id on Twitter of @lynluxton4MP  does not mean what you might reasonably think – but actually stands 4making peace … and that she is now chairman of Sleaford Conservatives.

At least that’s one deposit saved.

We think we’ll let things settle down for a while before we attempt a detailed look at who’s likely to be whom at election time.

***

One interesting item of news to emerge though was in a Tweet by Joseph D’Urso – a political researcher for the BBC – whose lists of marginal seats were heavily re-tweeted by Auntie’s Daily and Sunday Politics programme presented by the politically ubiquitous Andrew Neil.

click on photo above to enlarge

 It placed Boston 13^th on a list of the 15 most marginal parliamentary seats in the East Midlands – despite a Conservative majority of 4,336 which represented a clear 10% lead over UKIP.

So, we asked Matt Warman whether he considered his constituency marginal, and were told:  “I don't know if there's an official definition of marginal, but any MP is daft to take their seat for granted.”

It shows that – if nothing else in these past two years – Mr Warman has mastered the political art of ignoring questions and delivering the answers that he prefers.

***

At a local level, we note the appearance of one or two candidates in our so-called newspapers and online.

Independent Boston Borough Councillor Barrie Pierpoint has set up his own Twitter feed and website in his campaign to win Boston Coastal Division on Lincolnshire County Council.

This will be an interesting battle, as it is also being fought by the incumbent Peter Bedford – who has represented Coastal as a Tory for the past 25 years, and who is standing as an Independent against Tory Paul Skinner – plus  the current holder, UKIP’s Felicity Ransome, Labour’s Susan Walsh, and  political veteran Ossy Snell – another Independent.

Whilst it’s not our place to advise, we did think that Mr Snell’s initial canter out for votes in last week’s papers bearing the headline “My name is Mr Oswald Redvers (Ossy) Snell” lacked something by way of pizzazz.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com  

E-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

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

We are on Twitter – visit @eye_boston

A former Boston Borough Council deputy leader has attacked the authority for wasting thousands of pounds after a two-year battle in which the council pursued a £25 parking fine that should never have been issued.

Local businessman Raymond Singleton-McGuire was given the ticket when he left his car in a council car park in 2014.

The car park was for use by councillors and staff only on weekdays – and although the ticket was issued for leaving his car outside the parking bay, Mr Singleton-McGuire argued that it should not have been dispensed in the first place.

The council’s Chief Executive at the time agreed to quash the ticket after it emerged that although the car park had been reclassified as public almost two years before, councillors and staff had not been told.

The council eventually let Mr Singleton-McGuire know a month after the ticket was issued.

Despite an apparent promise to quash the ticket, nothing was done

Repeated calls for action were ignored, and in desperation, Mr Singleton-McGuire went to the then council leader Peter Bedford for help.

“He told me that the reputation of Boston Borough Council and his party was at stake, and said that he had told officers not to communicate and spend any more time on the issue of the correct and proper procedure not being followed.

“This extended to freedom of information requests, without which my case in proving the council failed to follow the correct procedure was hampered. 

“This was clearly what appeared to be an unorthodox interference and inappropriate use of political power denying me my statutory rights.”

A traffic penalty tribunal adjudicator report said that although Mr Singleton-McGuire was told four months after the ticket was issued that it would be reviewed by the Central Ticket Office, this did not happen as the council did not provide the required information, and that he was deliberately not informed of the initial court date … which prevented him from appealing, and with the matter eventually ending up in the hands of bailiffs.
After constant persistence by Mr Singleton-McGuire through the judicial system, a case was eventually brought against Boston Borough Council for wasting time and inappropriate procedure, which was upheld.

Mr Singleton-McGuire asked for costs of almost £2,000, but these were rejected as this was not usual practice, and the adjudicator felt that the case could have been dealt with more quickly by both sides.

“Perhaps that might have been the case,” said Mr Singleton-McGuire. “But Boston Borough Council went out of its way to be difficult”.

“My claim for costs included 100 hours of my own time at just £5 an hour, which was a token charge rather than a realistic one”.

“But I know as a former portfolio holder for finance that the costs to the council taxpayer would have been much, much more – especially after dragging things out for more than two years, which makes me especially angry at the time when demands for even more council tax have been going out.”

***

Followers of Worst Street politics may have a sense of déjà vu after reading the above in the light of recent events.

Raymond Singleton-McGuire was the man behind the resounding Conservative victory of 2011 – which saw the party gain overall control of the borough for the first time since local government reorganisation in 1973.

In the circumstances, it might be expected that he would become the council leader … but that was not to be the case.

***

Soon after election he announced that he was standing down in favour of Councillor Peter Bedford.

Mr Singleton-McGuire told us at the tiime: "I did not fall nor was I pushed. I can understand that is what would appear to be the obvious conclusion everyone would perhaps make but they are most definitely wrong.

“Believe what you may, but having canvassed the group, I had the group’s support as leader, but under the circumstances asked that my vote should be given to Peter Bedford so I could devote more time to sorting out the mess that the BBI left the finances in!”
In a subsequent e-mail to all elected Tory members, he said: “I understand that there has been some concern within the group regarding my decision to stand down as Leader …

“I reflected on the situation at Boston Borough Council and its issues, especially the finances. In light of this, I set aside my personal gratification and tried to think what would be best for Boston.

“My intentions were to engage Peter Bedford as a second deputy similar to that at Lincolnshire County Council and South Holland District Council and to use his vast experience and ambassador qualities.
“Peter agreed to take over the leadership in the interim period, therefore releasing my time to concentrate on the Finance Portfolio.
“I hope this explains the significance of my decision as a positive and genuine reason for the future benefit of Boston Borough Council.”

***

However, Councillor Bedford’s “interim” leadership remained limpet-like – and clearly, relations between the leader and the many who gave him the job appear to have seriously soured because – in November 2014, Mr Singleton-McGuire was removed from his post.

In a statement, Worst Street said: “In the interests of transparency and good governance Councillor Peter Bedford, the leader of Boston Borough Council, has removed Councillor Raymond Singleton-McGuire from all cabinet and committee duties pending completion of proceedings relating to his personal business interests.”

Mr Singleton-McGuire told a local “newspaper” that his removal from post was a decision made by the leader of Boston Borough Council “fuelled by various internal issues between the council and my own personal property business.”

He went on to say that his efforts to turn the council finances from a deficit left by the previous administration to a positive often encountered difficulties.

“The past three and a half years have been challenging, demanding and, at times, very obstructive when dealing with council members and staff …

And he continued: “My challenging approach about fundamentally incorrect systems, lack of transparency and scrutiny over financial and other matters has recently led to the leader blocking communication between myself and Boston Borough Council, forcing me to enlist the help of outside authorities such as the Information Commissioner’s Office, Local Government Association, Department for Communities and Local Government and Government Ombudsman.

“… to remove me as deputy leader and finance portfolio holder, in light of openness and transparency, does not reflect well in light of the above experiences.

“I am therefore unable to continue my allegiance with Councillor Peter Bedford as Conservative group leader and leader of the council.

“It is with that in mind and it should not come as a surprise that I have decided to continue the remainder of my term in office as an independent.”

***

And now, the wheel turns full circle, with the recent announcement by Peter Bedford that he was standing down, and severing his ties with the Tories whilst seeking a seat on Lincolnshire County Council for the Coastal Division that he has represented for 25 years – but as an independent candidate … taking the official Tory head-on.

Life in Worst Street is nothing if not interesting.

***

Whilst Boston Borough Council is long on “consultation” it nevertheless appears to be short on action.

We have until Thursday to send in our thoughts on a buy-one-get-two-free offer packaging Boston’s Heritage Strategy, Town Centre Conservation Area Management Plan and Shop Front Guide.

These have been doing the rounds for a while now …

The Heritage Strategy “vision” is based on three key findings

• That the importance of Boston’s heritage is not fully understood or acknowledged despite the significance of its historic environment being recognised nationally.
• The conservation and proactive management of the historic environment of Boston presents challenges for all key stakeholders but, once these are overcome, this resource can offer many rewarding opportunities
• Appropriately managed and sensitively led heritage-regeneration has the potential to revitalise Boston.

We wonder how such glaringly obvious statements can be made after incessant waffle, empty promises and inaction has seen Boston conservation area listed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk for more than six years.

And this is despite a Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas arrangement with Historic England which began in 2012, offering funding to historic property owners within Boston’s market place, sensitively to refurbish their external frontage. Since the scheme started twelve properties have been completed with another four underway which is said has provided a “significant improvement to the townscape.”

***

Similarly portentous words and phrases litter the town centre plan – but again, the underlying message is that there is much that could have been done to date that hasn’t!

The other bee in the borough bonnet is the issue of shutters on shop fronts. Recently, a newspaper reported that one shop in Wide Bargate had an application to install shutters refused for a second time, after councillors decided that the designs detracted from the “visual amenity” and were “uncharacteristic” for a conservation area.

A nearby part of the visual amenity includes small trees growing in gutters, and rotting sills that threaten to fall on passers-by at any time now.

Most of the planning decisions on such matters are recommended by officers and rubberstamped by councillors – but a much larger number of decisions are entirely delegated to staff.

We don’t know how Boston compares to other authorities, but we have noticed what appears to be an exceptionally high proportion of these decisions approved “with conditions.”

Is it a case that Boston planners are perhaps fussier than they need to be in this respect and that a little give and take might encourage more businesses to set up shop in the town?

***

What a shame then – that when enterprising businesspeople do invest in Boston that Worst Street can’t be bothered to help them out.

Last October, the borough website told us that demand for shop units showed “Business in Boston is alive, kicking and booming.”

The subject of the report was the opening of the Waterfall Centre – a self-contained retail and business complex that created 23 expanding and new businesses.

The initiative centred on the redevelopment of the library, council offices and sessions house complex.

And it prompted ‘Nipper’ Bedford the council “leader” in those days to burble: "This spirit of endeavour is exactly what Boston needs.

“It is exceptionally good news that so many businesses have been given the opportunity to set up or expand.

“It shows that Boston is open for business, and open to new businesses.

“Anything which increases Boston's town centre shopping offer, making it an attractive place to visit, is good news."

How sad then that on a couple of  recent Saturday visits into town to see someone standing outside the former Clarks shop with a sign on a long pole pointing down the former New Street to the Waterfall Centre.

In recent months, Worst Street has made a big deal about the importance of signage – going so far as to spend a fortune on it.

But – presumably because this is a private enterprise – the powers that bain,t simply look the other way when an enterprise could clearly use a bit of promotional  help.

What a shame.

***

The camera’s uncanny eye for the truth in the recent edition of BBC’s Look North TV spectacular included an arty shot along Strait Bargate which highlighted the long-standing problems caused by allowing the Into Town buses to use the pedestrianised street as a rat run – in this case puddles sitting in the dents and tracks that the buses have made.

How long before someone slips and falls on this uneven surface?

And who will take the blame and pay the damages when they do?

***

Worst Street has been battling so long to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat that it now appears to be able to do it in its sleep.

Commenting last week’s tenth annual Boston  big clean-up – the borough website chortled that the result had shown that the town is getting cleaner.

“Hundreds of volunteers turned out again for the four-day litter pick, removing 4.8 tonnes of rubbish from the streets, verges and public open spaces.

“In its first year, clean-up volunteers removed an astonishing ten tonnes of rubbish. Last year that was down to six tonnes, and this year's is the best ever result.”

The weight of rubbish collected is about the eleven times as heavy as a Grand Piano – assuming it to be a Steinway Model D Concert Grand … or about twelve times as heavy as a horse, and one-fifteenth the weight of the Space Shuttle.

It still sounds to be rather a lot to us – and as we wrote this, Mrs Eye made the observation that perhaps the reason is that  litter is lighter these days than it was ten years ago.

Compare two containers of  0.6 pints of beer – just over half a pint …

An empty can weighs 15g whilst a bottle weighs 170g – more than 11 times heavier.

As we suspect that empty drinks cans comprise the largest proportion of Boston’s litter, the improvement may not be as great as claimed!

***

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com  

E-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

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

We are on Twitter – visit @eye_boston

The Lincolnshire County Council elections – as they relate to Boston … where on earth does one begin?

The headlines: 

• There are 32 candidates declared for the six seats up for grabs – one fewer than four years ago due to boundary changes.
• The division names that stay the same are: Boston Coastal, Boston Rural, Boston South, and Boston West
• The names that vanish are Boston East, Boston Fishtoft and Boston North West.
• The new names are: Boston North and Skirbeck.
• The Conservatives, Labour and UKIP are fighting every seat – the Greens five, Independents four (three in the same ward) the Lib Dems three, and Lincolnshire Independents two.

So far, so prosaic.

But stir into the mixture the departure of Boston Borough Council leader Peter Bedford – who is standing down from the job after six years … but standing up as a county council candidate in the Coastal Ward that he has represented as a district councillor for a quarter of a century, and things become more interesting.

Councillor Bedford says that at 73 years-old he felt he had taken the council as far as he could and should step aside for someone else to take over.

So then why is he seeking to take on more work by standing for the Coastal Division at county council level – a seat he previously represented from 2006-2013 until defeated by UKIP’s Felicity Ransome, who is standing for re-election?

Not only that – the former true blue Conservative Councillor Bedford is standing as an unaligned candidate – i.e. an independent – in opposition to an official Tory to boot.

Councillor Bedford has said that he intends to continue to represent Coastal in Worst Street – but told a local “newspaper” “I think I will be resigning from the Conservative Group on the borough council.”

It is said that the local Conservative Party was unwilling to nominate Councillor Bedford which is why he is standing as an Indy (which would be an alternative explanation for his decision to quit as leader) – although he told Boston Eye that he could not comment further due to purdah … the period leading up to an election during which councils and candidates are banned from making certain announcements.

***

What makes the Coastal Division campaign particularly interesting is the cast of characters taking part in the political drama.

Councillor Bedford must surely command a considerable personal vote.

His UKIP opponent Felicity Ransome was elected four years ago when UKIP stormed the county council to take 16 seats and leave the Tories three short of overall control for only the second time in the local authority's history … forcing a deal with the Lib Dems and some Independents to hang on to power.

Boston Borough cabinet member Paul Skinner is the official Tory candidate for the division which must make for some awkward conversations around Worst Street between now and 4^th May.

Two more Independent candidates join Peter Bedford.

Barrie Pierpoint was elected to Boston Borough Council’s Old Leake and Wrangle ward for UKIP but jumped ship within hours to declare himself independent.

The other Indy is a familiar name in local politics – Ossy Snell, who represented Fishtoft at Worst Street and who now in his eighties is to have another go for office.

The final candidate in Coastal is Susan Walsh for Labour.

***

Around the other wards, four of the present incumbents are seeking re-election:

Alison Austin, Boston South, an “Independent,” Michael Brookes, Boston Rural, Conservative; Sue Ransome UKIP, Boston East. is standing for the new Skirbeck Division, and Tiggs Keywood-Wainwright, Lincolnshire Independent, currently of Boston North West is standing for the new Boston North.

The third of the Ransome girls, Elizabeth, won Boston Fishtoft last time, but is not seeking re-election nor is Lincolnshire Independent Robert McAuley, currently representing Boston West.

***

Across the election as a whole, as well as Councillor Bedford, three other members of the cabinet are standing. The non-players are Claire Rylott and Mike Cooper – although his other half at the Langrick Bubblecar Museum, Paula, is standing for the Conservatives in Boston West.

The shortfall in UKIP Ransomes is made up by patriarch Don, who is standing in Boston South – and doubtless hoping for umpteenth time lucky in his search for a political seat.

Labour veteran and two-time general election candidate, Paul Kenny is standing in Skirbeck. He is also previous county and Boston Borough councillor.

Another candidate in Skirbeck who caught our eye is Val Pain, who is standing for the Lincolnshire Independents. She and her son Chris – a current county councillor seeking re-election in East Lindsey – were candidates for An Independence from Europe in the 2014 European elections. Chris Pain joined the group after being elected to the County Council for UKIP – leaving after an party spat.

Finally – one of the earliest declarations for the County Council elections has come to nothing after all.

At the beginning of the year, former Boston Borough Councillor Yvonne Gunter was photographed alongside Councillor Barrie Pierpoint to announce that that they were standing for the Lincolnshire Independents.

However, the name of Ms Gunter – a former Boston cabinet bigwig – is not on the list of candidates … whilst Councillor Pierpoint appears as an Independent candidate, when Lincolnshire Independents are, contradictorily, a party in their own right.

***

Back to where we started – and the resignation of Councillor Bedford as leader of the Tory group.

Although it was announced that he would step down the council’s annual meeting on 15^th May, his successor has already been declared.

A statement from the Tory group named the aforementioned Councillor Mike Cooper who represents Five Villages ward as the new leader.

The council will also need a new cabinet member – but where to find one among the lacklustre remains of the Tory rump?

One final point of interest is that the Councillor Cooper’s address – whilst appearing as Langrick, Boston – is … according to the Write to Them website … located in the East Lindsey District Council area, where council tax is cheaper than Boston.

We have to say that a leader from elsewhere appears something of an incongruity – rather like a king in exile.

***

Even though lighter nights make little if any difference to the problem, Worst Street tells us that now the clocks have changed the council and Boston Police have “stepped up” action to deter street drinking.

But their stepping up falls little short of what might otherwise be called vandalism!

“Notices have been posted around Central Park in English, Polish and Russian warning that consumption of alcohol and taking of drugs will not be tolerated and offenders will be reported to the police,” says the Worst Street bumph.

“The high-visibility presence of a mobile police station in the park … will underline the message.

Underlined – or understaffed?

Criticism has already been made that despite the “high-visibility” presence, answer came there none on at least three occasions when attempts were made to report drinking in a public place …

 “Owners of off-licences throughout the town have joined the campaign to reduce under-age drinking. 

“… A team of police and a community safety officers from the borough council were out in force spraying a chalk-based stencil outside off licences warning of the clampdown on under-age drinkers …"

Have the licensees really joined so enthusiastically – or have they simply caved in after the arrival of a tough-talking bunch of jobsworths and agreed to let the powers that be spray willy-nilly?

Nothing that this impotent bunch has come up with so far has made any difference – and we have little faith that this latest load of nonsense will do anything much either … aside from tuning the town into a graffitist’s dream!

***

It also prompted an e-mail from our occasional contributor Boston Yorkshireman who wrote: “I couldn't help but comment on news in the Boston Borough Council's  'RagMag' (which I assume was not an early attempt at an April Fool’s joke from Worst Street!) regarding police volunteers and council safety officers no less 'out in force' chalking on pavements outside off licences in an attempt to deter underage drinkers purchasing  alcohol.

“I would think that this attempt will last as long as the chalk on the pavements!

“Why does everything in Boston have to be done at arm’s length instead of using valuable time and resources to stake out and ‘collar’ the guilty parties who sell alcohol and drink in the streets (many of whom are not under age) and make them or their parents pay a heavy fine and remove the drinks licence from the shops selling the alcohol.

“I suppose the problem is that most of these miscreants are nocturnal and hence avoid council staff and volunteers who only work in daylight hours.”

***

The bottom line of all this is that it makes us seem to be a town under siege – and amidst this comes news of another campaign that appears further to isolate the indigenous population.

Something called the Migrants' Rights Network is looking for migrants living in Boston who are “passionate about the rights and experiences of the members of your community”

Applicants will receive training, and work until the end of the year organising and campaigning as well as collecting the views and experiences of migrant communities, which will be used to shape local campaigns.

They will also be supported to “organise and mobilise local migrant communities to take action around common concerns,” and “build bridges between migrant and non-migrant communities, to share the positives of migration with the wider population.”

***

 

Our regular contributor Quadranteer has sent yet another of his observations – this time following the recent Look North report from Boston – delivered on the day that Brexit was declared …

M

ost of us will have witnessed the re-emergence of that never say die 'local politician' Paul Kenny, as he mumbled and bumbled through a largely incoherent, and unintelligible response to yet another immigration question, yet again posed by the irascible Peter Levy, of Look North fame.

The piece was 'tellified' near the entrance to the recently refurbished White Hart Hotel, and it looked really great, as it sits next to the Town Bridge.

But, two minutes later, the bold Mr Levy had changed location, and whilst staying on the W.H. site, treated the world and his dog (well Yorkshire, Nottingham, and the rest of Lincolnshire) to a 'fully loaded' camera shot of the rear of our once majestic Assembly Rooms!

Beyond the chatter we saw broken and bunged up windows, tatty blinds strewn across the panes, barrels and beer crates, unscreened, and openly displayed, some tossed aside, some leaning against the peeling painted walls!

As they say when describing disasters...it is not a pretty sight!

Nor, might I say, is it an awfully good view for guests, and visitors to the hotel.

As well as which, how will we ever never know how many visitors take one look at this mess, and carry on taking their pocket full of new pound coins to Skegness or Lincoln or Sleaford!

***

Boston Borough Council was recently left red-faced, when it sent out scores of duplicate stickers worth £30 a time to taxpayers wanting the garden waste collection service.

The usual “human error” excuses were applied, and doubtless the borough hoped that the cock-up would sink without trace.

A week ago, though a reader ordered a green waste collection service for the coming year – and duly entered his postal code in the drop-down box provided on the Worst Street website.

There then followed an e-mail telling him that he should leave his brown bin in the car parking spaces at the rear of 133-135, Hammersmith Road, London – 137 miles away from the house.

We wonder how many other Bostonians are heading for the city having been similarly misinformed.

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There will be no Boston Eye next Monday, as it is Easter.

We’ll be back online on Wednesday 19^th April with a lot of good stuff. Please don’t forget to join us.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com  

E-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

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

We are on Twitter – visit @eye_boston

Boston Borough Council is calling in a circus animal training expert in its latest war on litter in the town.

Starting soon a squad of pigeons equipped with cameras will be circling high above Boston Market Place as part of project Sky High In The Town to spot litterers and mark them for staff to track down and prosecute.

The pigeons will be based in Central Park aviary, but seven days a week will soar above Boston on a never-ending lookout for people dropping litter.

And when they spot someone they will launch a two pronged attack.

First the camera attached to the birds will capture the offenders in the act – but in case they try to deny their guilt, Worst Street has a Plan B to back things up.

“Our campaign to spray pink circles around dog poo left in the street by thoughtless owner was a huge success,” said council spokesman Òlaf Lopĩr – a trainer with Lopĩr 's Marvellous Menagerie – who is on a six-month contract with the council to train the pigeons and other animals.

“Our little flockers over Central Park will be taking it further.

“We are feeding them a diet containing the food dye cochineal, and after they have taken their incriminating picture they will do what pigeons everywhere do without any training at all – and drop a pink dollop on the offender’s head which can easily be identified by our CCTV cameras on the ground."

Worst Street has come up with a slogan for the Market Place campaign – Think Pink, We’ve Got You Spotted, which will be appearing on T-shirts and badges to go on sale from the council offices and the tourist information centre shortly.

A council spokesman added: “We want residents and visitors alike to know that when you come to Boston, you will be shat on from a great height by the borough council.”

But the campaign doesn’t end there.

Once he has trained the pigeons, Mr Lopĩr will be turning his skills to the squirrels in the park …

… Dogs apparently roaming innocently in the street …

Cats both indoors and out …

Even  the mouse behind the hole in the skirting board  and your budgie in its cage will be watching for litterers.

And finally, the project has caused so much excitement in Worst Street that even members of the cabinet are trying it out ...

 We'll be back on Monday 10th April

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com  

E-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

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

We are on Twitter – visit @eye_boston