Our piece last week on street drinking and other problems sparked a lot of interest – and most people agreed that the authorities have taken their eyes off these particular balls.

Among the commentators, regular reader Robin e-mailed to say: “Like you, many of us do indeed walk about with our eyes open, and as such we can see on a regular basis what the situation is and what the problems are in our once lovely little market town of Boston.

“It’s been glaringly obvious for a number of years now that our local authorities and senior police do indeed live in an alternative universe, and just seem to undertake a variety of hare-brained ideas and spout umpteen meaningless statements.

“In fact they will do anything as long as they don't have to take any meaningful course of action.

“The police are thin on the ground due to cuts, and there’s not much they can do about that, but it’s now time for them to take action. The laws are all in place only there is a great reluctance to invoke them. All we get from them is an endless stream of Social Worker Speak. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, but I won’t hold my breath.”

***

Unsurprisingly, one person who disagreed with widespread public opinion was our newly re-elected MP Matt Warman.

When asked on Twitter for his views on the “alarming situation” on Boston streets and in the parks which was described as “lip service” and “tactics failing miserably” he replied: “I dispute that it's merely lip service, but this will be number one item on my next meeting with Chief Constable and the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner.”

We asked what could it be other than lip service when local laws, poster campaigns and the like did nothing.

Back to Mr W: “When the police etc. have spoken to thousands and brought the country's first prosecutions, it's self-evident that some action is being taken.”

We pointed out that the prosecutions he mentioned were of a couple of local indigenous alcoholics, and therefore scarcely the root cause!

But Mr Warman – who always likes the last word – said: “But they were the worst offenders.”

To us, this is missing the point, but when we accused our MP of having no real understanding of the problem he told us “That’s simply untrue; otherwise I wouldn't be raising it with the Chief and PCC, setting up CAP etc. But it is not the only problem we face.”

He added: “More generally, my postbag would disagree with your conclusion: social care, broadband, roads all more...

Boston Eye: ...” broken bottles, overflowing litter bins, sense of fear – are they there as well?”

Matt Warman: “To be fair the vast majority of people go to the council about litter as it is there (sic) domain primarily. Public safety is obviously different.”

***

To us, putting a problem on an agenda is not the same as having an understanding of that problem.

Those of us who live in Boston and walk its pavements on a regular basis know whereof we speak.

An MP who divides his time between London for four days a week and a home in the county but not in the constituency for three, clearly cannot be expected to appreciate what to him are probably the minutiae of local life – especially with such a large area to represent.

But in that case, he should keep a still tongue in a wise head – and stop believing that being an MP means that you are always right.

***

Meanwhile, we received some strong comment about another item we mentioned – litter – from ex-councillor Carol Taylor, who represented the town’s Witham Ward for four years.

“The problems surrounding excess litter in Boston are on-going for the council and other agencies,” she e-mailed.

“It doesn't matter how many litter bins are available, It doesn't matter how often litter bins are emptied and it doesn't matter how many big clean ups there are.

“It is about people having pride in their town – which is missing in Boston.

“I have moved to St Ives in Cornwall, one of the busiest holiday resorts in Great Britain. You won't see much litter here. This is because those living here are so proud of where we live and it gives us all great pleasure to see this town clean and tidy.

“The only excess litter will be as a result of the seagulls that can spot an opening to cause havoc at every opportunity. If we see a bag strewn over the floor, as local residents we all attempt to pick it up and bin it.

“Littering is down to how much pride local residents have in their town, Boston needs to regain that pride ... that is if there ever was any!”

***

Meanwhile, the rot continues to set in.

A local “newspaper” reports that since opening three years ago, the Dame Sarah Swift Park in Kirton has been subjected to numerous attacks from young vandals.

Councillor Claire Rylott is both a Kirton parish councillor and Boston Borough Council’s portfolio holder for grounds and open spaces

She is quoted as having written to Worst Street to say: “The residents are frightened with regards to youths in there in the evening, and mums with toddlers rarely go in. “We continue to spend money on this park only to find once repaired items continue to be wrecked. I feel our Chair has had enough and is ready to say ‘enough is enough let’s close it down.’”

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said the neighbourhood policing teams “were aware” of the issues.
But if the park closes down, then the vandals have won ... and will soon pick another target.

***

“The residents are frightened …”

That’s a quotation we heard elsewhere this week when the same newspaper reported that  “frightened” and “intimidated” residents of Boston have been taking part in a free self-defence class after streetlights were switched off as part of county council economies.

The sessions started in the Woad Farm area, but are now open to anyone in the borough.

A Boston Community Inspector is quoted as saying he supported any measures which “gave people the reassurance they need” adding: “It’s self-defence so it’s not about planning to fight, but to defend yourself.”

And Lincolnshire County Council which is behind the lighting reductions said: “The evidence suggests that part-night lighting is safe and leaves the majority of road users unaffected’.”

It makes no mention of pavement users.
Why is it though that this happens only in Boston?

***

Meanwhile, Worst Street has taken to its website to remind dog owners of the legal threat they face …

“Failing to clean up after your dog in this borough is now punishable by a fine of £100. In fact failing to be able to demonstrate your intention to clean up – producing a poo bag for instance – is now punishable by a £100 fine.”

And it is also boasting about its other sledgehammer to crack a nut – the threat to fine car owners £2,500 if the park in a way that stops bin lorries getting down a road.

We especially liked the line “many thanks for your considerate parking.”

What else can you do when threatened by a bunch of bully boys?

***

As might be expected, Worst Street shows no shame over trying to cow its taxpayers with threats to drag them through the courts – in fact it is bragging about it.

The gloat beneath the headline: “Dog fouling, bin lorry blockers: Council leads the way” – claims that: “Councils in other parts of the country besieged by some of the same problems being tackled here have asked for advice from Boston Borough Council.”

The council, the boast claims, has now enlisted the services of a private enforcement company, 3GS – a band of are ex-military brothers who “will be mounting surveillance in hot-spot areas and after hours, so early morning and after-dark dog walkers can be dealt with. They are equipped to confirm an offender's identity and issue an on-the-spot fine.”

Ex-military chaps who hire themselves out used to be called mercenaries, didn’t they?

We understand that there is no truth in the rumour that interest in Boston’s hard line attitude  has come from overseas in the form of approaches by Kim Jong Il and Robert Mugabe – it seems more likely that Worst Street would seek advice from them.

***

Whilst on the one hand, the council is spending money to go on the attack; it is also saving it in some rather odd quarters.

As the park in Kirton is coming under threat of closure, the playing field in Old Leake is being off-loaded by Worst Street on to the parish council with the intention that it will continue to run it as a playing field.

Worst Street has a long history of selling off the family silver.

It started with the big money items such as Boston Docks and the council housing stock.

Those millions vanished almost as quickly as they came in, and other disposals have followed over time.

Now, it seems that we are heading towards the bottom of the barrel.

The worry is what might be flogged off next.

***

As things lurch from bad to worse, we notice another strange decision.

One of the big problems in the borough has been the fly-tipping of rubbish – ranging from bagsful to lorry loads.

Furniture and fridges are very popular items to dump – but at least the council could once boast a paid for collection service for such bulky items.

But not anymore it seems … 

We wonder what the reason is behind this daft decision – and also how long it will be before Worst Street starts bleating yet again about our roadside drains and ditches becoming open air rubbish tips. …

***

If it seems like only last year that Boston Borough Council was bleating that it could no longer afford to celebrate Christmas – that’s because it was.

Yet it now looks as through more money than ever is to be hurled at this year’s yuletide – and the preposterous Illuminate project to celebrate the total absence of any connection between Boston and the original Pilgrim Fathers, and which marks US Thanksgiving Day on Thursday 23^rd November … more than a month before Christmas.

B-TACky – the Boston Town Area Committee … so important that it has its own logo – is being asked at its meeting on Wednesday to stump up thousands of pounds to add to money already earmarked for this year’s Christmas spree.

A report by the “civilian” group of volunteers arranging Christmas lighting lists more £10,000 of hard cash or offers in kind that the group has obtained –  and now wants the £10k that B-TACky promised in matched funding.

Meanwhile, the arty-farty band known as Transported, has put in another bid to Wednesday’s meeting.

It plans to spend £24,000 this November to celebrate the approaching 400^th anniversary of the Pilgrim Fathers’ arrival in America aboard the Mayflower – which we must again point out is completely unconnected to Boston.

Transported waffles to B-TACky: “Our hope is that BTAC will join with us as key delivery partners … to build the scale and ambition of the Illuminate event, embed it and its impacts in the cultural calendar of the town and ensure local ownership and pride grows as our spectacular festival grows,”

Here’s how the figures look so far …

And in addition to the lantern parade budget, Transported have coordinated a second bid for Arts Council funding towards an £8,000 budget for a “digital commission” to be projected on to Boston Stump as part of this year’s Illuminate.

So as well as an appeal for £5,000 from B-TACky which will simply be rubber stamped, Boston Borough Council is putting in another £2,000, and B-TACky will also be stumping up a further £10 grand. Worst Street is also paying £2,500 for a Christmas tree that we used to get for nothing.

In council terms the cost tops out at almost £20,000 – most of which is an inequitable surcharge on just eight of the borough’s fifteen wards.

In Illuminate terms the cost may be as high as £32,000.

Yo, ho ho!

And whatever became of the Boston Town Team that contributed so much to the debacle that last Christmas became?

Does that still exist?

***

Finally, this week’s award for shooting oneself in the foot goes – surprise, surprise – to Boston Borough Council.

After all that has been said and done to try to make Central Park a better place by banning drinking in public, it seems that the local laws will be suspended for two days to make way for a beer festival.

Oktoberfest will be held in Central Park on Friday October 27^th, from 5pm to 10pm, and Saturday, October 28^th from noon to 5pm and 6pm to 11pm.

It’s one of a number in the UK mirroring the Munich festival and shows just how easily Worst Street will abandon its moral stance where presumably money is to be made for the civic coffers through hiring out the park.

But the big money will go to the organisers.

The event is for over 18s only, and tickets are £10, £15 or £20 each – plus a 10% booking fee – or you could have a VIP table for ten for £385.

We’re thinking of booking Central Park to stage a two-day  bulky waste disposal fest – provisionally called Park it in the Park – and if the price was right, we are sure that Worst Street would probably allow it. 

***

We're taking a break for a bit –  expect us back in the week of  17^th  July

  

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