Thursday, June 3

Well, maybe just this once ... or twice ... or ...

Another of those spellbinding examples of hypocrisy with which we've become so familiar since May 2007 is due to emerge in the next few days.
It's a couple of years since the BBI fell head over heels in love with the concept of the Designated Public Place Order, which makes it illegal to tip a tinny in certain specified areas of the town - most notably Central Park.
At the time Councillor Ramonde Newell, the borough’s community safety portfolio holder, said: "We are excited about the implementation of this order. There has been a lot of public support and we hope it will have a positive impact on the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour in the area."
Whether that is in fact the case is open to debate.
However, for some, the introduction of DPPOs seemed like a lifeline to rescue them from their specific local problems - especially when the booze ban appeared to drive drinkers to new pastures ... much in the way that CCTV cameras are said to herd criminals to areas where they can't be filmed.
But when a recently formed residents' group called Boston North West Action Group asked Boston Borough Council for action in their area, they were told there was not enough evidence that the Designated Public Place Order in force in the town had caused "displacement of the problem of alcohol being consumed in the streets to other areas" and that there was no case for extending the DPPO to their particular ward.
That was despite five of them collecting more than fifty bags of alcohol based litter from the West Bank of the Witham alone during the recent Big Boston Clean Up.
Fast forward to the public notices in our local newspapers and an application for a "premises" licence certificate posted by Fake Festivals Franchising, to sell booze by the gallon in the "premises" known as Central Park for an event to be held on the August Bank Holiday weekend. The company advertises a boozer's paradise with "lager, bitter, Magners cider, red, rose and white wine, WKD Blue, Smirnoff Ice, Vodka, Bacardi, and Jack Daniels" all on the menu.
It would be interesting to see what would happen if Boston North West Action Group decided to test the waters by objecting to this licence. They have until 7th June, but we would advise saving their ink, as Boston Borough Council will certainly reject the considered protests of a properly constituted residents' group in favour of letting a thousand people congregate in Central Park and probably drink themselves silly during a twelve hour binge dressed up as a music festival.
In so doing, they will have to temporarily suspend the DPPO that was declared so essential to the safety and security of the town.
Contradictorily, the self same councillor Newell who was so gung-ho about banning drinking in the park, has said he was "massively" in support of the festival, and predicted: "This could be the start of something big, they could be held on a regular basis."
So be assured, this licence application is a token piece of pantomime that will go through on the nod.
Having said all that, we think the DPPO is is by and large unnecessary.
There was never any truly serious problem caused by drinkers in the park.
Granted, clusters of boozers gathered on benches were unsightly, but we aren't convinced that they ever really caused a fear of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Particularly conspicuous by its absence is any chortling from the BBI about the success of the DPPO scheme - most likely because it has had no impact at all.
We see nothing wrong with letting people enjoy a can of beer in the park on a warm summer's day.
What we do object to is a council that employs double standards and hypocrisy to get its own way regardless.
We're with former Prime Minister John Major on this one, when he characterised Britain as the country of long shadows on cricket grounds, and warm beer - preferably consumed wicket-side.

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