Start again with Market Place plans

When the contractors moved into Boston Market Place a while ago and created that dire, unimaginative stone drift of paving slabs, we thought that constituted whatever the council these days terms as an improvement.
We ended up with a weird chicane that leaves motorists wondering which way to turn and a new disabled parking area, which is stolen on the days it is most needed - market days - to become a store for the unsightly trailers used to transport the market stalls in and out of town.
Now, it seems, all that messing about was simply for the benefit of the Into Town bus service.
According to the borough's website, the 2007 Boston Town Centre Study identified the town centre as an area that was in need of improvement (surprise, surprise.)
The Study suggested that the Market Place was the centrepiece of the town and should be the first area to be refurbished, and, out of the blue, we are told, "the refurbishment of the Market Place will act as a catalyst for further works that will improve the appearance and offer of the town whilst retaining the town’s proud history.
"Boston Borough Council has embraced the recommendations of the town centre study and has been working in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council to secure funding for the refurbishment of the Market Place."
Jolly good, but if enough cash is forthcoming (and we doubt that for starters) we wonder where a report that is now two years out of date is going to lead us.
The report was written when the Merchants Quay project was thought to be something that was going to happen, and it made much of the impact that a new multi storey car park would bring.
It was also written at a time when pedestrians were able to graze happily in Strait Bargate and window shop at their leisure - not be forced to jump aside by noisy, smelly buses every few minutes so that people too lazy to walk a few hundred yards could be indulged in that idleness.
Indeed, the report goes so far as to say "The pedestrian experience in the Market Place can also be viewed as inadequate, due to the presence of manoeuvring vehicles, through traffic and the poor delineation of the pedestrian route across the Market Place. These issues lead to pedestrian/vehicle conflict and severance."
Cutting through all the waffle, the report declares a high priority for the creation of high quality, long-lasting, flexible public square in the Market Place that is safe and attractive for visitors and shoppers.
It also recommends the pedestrianisation of South Street to integrate it into the Market Place, vehicular access to the Market Place via Town Bridge only - meaning Bank Street closed and South Street closed (except for access) and provision of two multi storey car parks one at West Street, and one "elsewhere."
We think that the problem with any plan to improve the Market Place - and it certainly needs it - is that a two year-old report that has been overtaken by events is not the starting point. Without a new report, the borough could wind up throwing a lot of money at something that turns out to be a white elephant. Remind you of anything else....?
Having said that, we do agree with the comments about ending the conflict between pedestrians and traffic - and that this must include an end to the Into Town bus service using Strait Bargate as a rat run.
If that is not an integral part of any improvements, then we might as well not bother.

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