The proposed partnership between Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council is on a sticky wicket after Worst Street’s Corporate and Community scrutiny committee voted to talk about it for at least six months before reaching an opinion – and not nodding through the recommendation to support the plan and see it up and running by the middle of next month.

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It has to be a setback for the ruling Tory leadership – especially as the vote ended on a knife-edge after Councillor Jonathan Noble – a Conservative group member – abstained … leaving the vote tied 5:5 and forcing an unhappy committee chairman Stephen Woodliffe to make a casting vote.

As he had already supported the amendment, there was no choice but to stick with this opinion,

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The proposal to put the plan on the back burner was made by veteran councillor Richard Austin, and came after many members declared themselves unhappy with what they saw as an attempt to rush the merger through without enough consultation and debate. There was also concern that the big numbers being bandied about didn’t add up as they should.

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In his pitch, Councillor Austin said: “This council agrees that a strategic alliance needs to be the best fit for Boston.

“Therefore, at this time we propose at least a six-month period before proceeding with the options before us.

“This council currently has sufficient resources to maintain adequate levels of service delivery and to balance the budget in 2021-2022 and given these facts we propose the following:

That exploratory discussions with elected members and officers should continue for at least six months…

That the scrutiny committee is kept fully appraised of all such discussions …

That any future decisions are made after any future consultation with elected members along with the residents of the borough of Boston …

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Councillor Austin’s proposal garnered five votes for and five against – with an abstention by Councillor Noble – producing barely controlled fury from the chairman.

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“Thank you very much Councillor Noble – you’ve really landed me in it, haven’t you?” said Councillor Woodliffe.

“It would have been really much easier to have voted one way or another wouldn’t it?

“I will vote for, because I have already voted for it once, but I’m not happy about that. It should not have to fallen to me to have a casting vote.

I don’t think that it’s appropriate to abstain.”

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Councillor Noble responded: “I am very sympathetic to the proposal but I am constrained by the fact that I am a member of the ruling group …

“…. The leader and the deputy leader are well aware of my thoughts.”

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So, where do we go from here?

There’s a full meeting of Boston Borough Council next Wednesday which has the item on the agenda for discussion and voting.

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The original plan by the ruling group was for the proposed merger to travel a route from the cabinet to the full council and for it to be endorsed.

But the scrutiny committee refused to be by-passed and demanded a say which – whilst it received what can only be a tongue-in-cheek welcome by the ruling group – has thrown everything into disarray.

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A project as big as a sharing deal between Worst Street and Manby needs a big endorsement – which it ought to get if it is truly as beneficial as is claimed.

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But last night saw it rejected – and next week might well see the same outcome.

Even if it scrapes through, we cannot think that it will be persuasive enough to convince the voters that it really is the lifesaving deal for Boston that has been trumpeted.

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Approval by 16 votes to 14 won’t do – something as allegedly crucial as this needs a stonking majority … something of the order of 25 votes to 5 to show how determined councillors are to do the best for the borough that they can, and that they stand united to do so..

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And back to last night’s vote …

Our understanding of protocol was that the chairman held his vote back until all the others were in – then, in the event of a tie, used his vote  in a casting capacity.

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Last night, Councillor Woodliffe voted twice – first as plain committee member Woodliffe, and then again as chairman.

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Had he kept his powder dry, the vote would have been 4 in favour of Councillor Austin’s delay, and five against … with one abstention. Waiting until the end would have given him the chance to assess the importance and impact of his vote.

It’s only a feeling, but we think that he might have supported the leadership line in that event.

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The stage would then have been set for a slightly different council meeting next week.

As it is, we have a feeling that the plan may well go down the delay route approved last night.

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And where does that leave Worst Street?

With worse than egg on its face – facing a delay that might well see East Lindsey look elsewhere for a partner (our money would be on South Holland, as they’re already in cahoots … ironically Boston chickened out on membership more than a decade ago)  and with a chief executive forced into a lame duck role after being declared as the man not wanted to run the proposed combined authority.

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