Yes. Not one promise has been kept

Last Monday, Better Boston Group Councillor Brian Rush threw down this challenge to Councillor Richard Dungworth.
"I know of not one single election promise that has been kept, and Councillor Dungworth is challenged to remind me of any."
As we are sure that Councillor Dungworth will not be likely to be taking up the challenge, we thought we would take a look at the BBI's list of promises, and see for ourselves what's been done.
The BBI is not exactly famous for keeping the electors in touch, and the nearest we could come to a list of promises appeared in the one and only blog posted by the BBI on Saturday 12th May 2007 - the morning but one after the landslide election that swept the party into power.
"Boston Bypass Independents (BBI) were elected at the local elections on a manifesto of Getting Boston Moving by getting a bypass built for Boston. We were accused by our opponents of being a single issue party but the electorate soon saw through this political smokescreen, voting the old guard out and a virtually brand new council in to power.
"The BBI firmly believes in having no sacred cows, no person nor issue immune from scrutiny or criticism, and questioning all aspects of the council's work. We want to reflect the views of the electorate and promote Boston as a good place to work and live."
Then came the list of promises - so let's take a look and see how well ... or otherwise ... the BBI has done in the two and a half years that it has ruled the borough.
Short-term traffic-flow improvement. Up to a point. Turning off traffic lights here and there was an idea dreamed up by the previous administration, and has been successful. However, the coming phase of road "improvements" in Queen Street and Sleaford Road promise a year of chaos that will see millions of pounds wasted just to prove that they won't work and that Boston still needs a bypass.
A better bus service. Certainly we have more buses. The passenger figures claimed for the Into Town bus service seem to be plucked out of thin air. Nor do they seem to have had much impact in terms of persuading people to abandon their cars. And the routing of the service through Strait Bargate is indefensible. The disbenefits outweigh the benefits.
A review of car parking charges. Yes, they went up
Better public toilets. This shouldn't need to be a promise, although given the appalling state of the public loos it is an essential one. Improvements may be taking place, but we're also losing one facility.
More recycling. Yes - and about time, too.
Less litter . Our eyes tell us that this promise is not being kept.
Reducing anti-social behaviour . Again the evidence of the local court reports and crime statistics say the issue is getting worse, rather than better.
More off-street parking for residents. We think this must mean charging people for parking outside their own homes. Never a good idea, but as far as progress is concerned ... who knows?
Full investigation of the affairs of the Princess Royal Sports Arena . Ha ha ha.
After that dismal list of non achievements, the BBI pledged:
"This blog will be updated regularly to keep you informed on our progress, the latest issues and developments and also to give you the chance to comment and/or pose questions in an open forum."
Guess what? That blog was the first and the last. No further information has been forthcoming.
And the BBI's BIG promise of a bypass? Just pie in the sky.
Councillor Rush's challenge was made after a meeting of the Policy and Projects Committee. Perhaps it's no accident that in council-speak the Policy and Projects Committee is referred to by the acronym PAP.
Pap is defined by the dictionary as "worthless or oversimplified ideas."

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Week ending 27th November

Our Friday miscellany of the week's news and events
Ark at this (again) ... Last weekend's Sunday Times carried the chilling headline:- "Climate change to lash Britain with tropical storms," and a graphic showed both Boston and East Lindsey districts as two of the areas most at such risk in the future. Couple this with the news that Lincolnshire County Council plans to save a puny £47,000 by doing away with its 46 flood warning sirens, and you could be forgiven for deciding to pack your bags and leave Boston sooner rather than later. Let's hope that after its recent robust stance on the need for better flood protection that Boston Borough Council decides to oppose this inane decision, or if not to demand a replacement warning system.
Time to Stump up ... One of the few delights when one approaches Boston from a distance on these dark nights is to see the Stump brilliantly illuminated - a true beacon of the Fens. We hope that there's someone out there who can find the £300 needed to keep the lights going until Christmas. Better still, we'd like to see a sponsor to continue the year-round costs, which is terrific value in terms of tourism and image benefits benefits at less than £4,000 a year. When you think how much money is wasted by the powers that be, it shouldn't be beyond the wit of the great and the good to do something worthwhile with their cash for once.
Word from the wise ... A pseudonymous correspondent called "Lincs County" writes to say:-"Isn't it time for the good citizens of Boston to revolt and send a clear message to Council Leader Richard Austin that they will not put up with any more money wasting and poor performance from the Council. It wouldn't be so bad that they haven't delivered on their central election promise of a by pass if in the meantime they had run the council in an efficient manner. There have been a succession of independent audit reports saying how badly the Council is being run and I predict another one to come in early December - look out for the CAA report. They are throwing money away - they got rid of the chief executive for an undisclosed sum, appointed an interim chief executive for an undisclosed sum and have now created a new director post (I missed this going through the open transparent decision making process!) which they are presently advertising in select (some would say secret) locations at £87,500 (more than comparable jobs in other similar sized authorities). They rejected proposals which would have saved money through working with the neighbouring authorities - as happens elsewhere. Time to call an end to a well intended disaster." This sounds like someone who knows whereof he speaks. Keep your eyes open.
Woofless war on drugs ... Daft definitions. Boston College has given police dogs and their handlers free rein to search the campus to show drugs "will not be tolerated on the site." The police dog section carried out an operation as part of its training, and Principal Sue Daley, interestingly refers to the event as "a really positive partnership." She adds: "By advising people of the dangers and potential repercussions of drug use, we hope that this will allow us to avoid it within the college, and what's more keep the college's staff, students and visitors safe." We vehemently disapprove of drug taking which is yet another Boston blight. But we think that Ms Daley is being heavy handed and demonstrating a distrust of her wards. This is not "advice. " It is insulting every student by treating them as an addict, and using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Lost for words ... Still with policing, we deplore the use of the word "Fest" to describe a night of crime in which seven cars were broken into around the town. It makes things sound quite light and jolly, when in fact many people are faced with big bills for damage to their cars and lost belongings. We rank the unfortunate turn of phrase alongside the now defunct term "joyriders" which was used to describe car thieves whose reckless behaviour often ended in the death of other innocent drivers or pedestrians. The inspector concerned should note that "fest" is short for "festival," which the dictionary defines as: "an occasion for feasting or celebration."
Acronym-onious debate ... Finally, after Monday's debacle which broke the news that any chance of a bypass for Boston was at least ten years away, we think that an oblique approach to the problem might be not to continue to press for a bypass, but instead to lobby for faster,improved access to Skegness for holiday visitors. Something on the lines of (say) a Coastal Rapid Access Pathway. The BBI could put its might behind such an idea, and then it could truthfully be said that "Boston Bypass Independents stand for CRAP."

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

A grand job - 87 times over!

With refreshing candour Boston's newest job advert for a Director of Resources & Section 151 Officer says:
"Dear Applicant.
"Boston Borough Council makes no secret of the fact that we have some challenges ahead. We are making progress but this is nowhere near where we want to be. There is no doubt we are ready for a step change in our delivery of quality services to our residents.
"We need to establish a sound base of financial stability and sustainable service improvement whilst driving down our costs and demonstrating real value for money. We are looking to enhance our management team with this senior role which will be key to securing our future. And this is where we hope you will come in, to provide inspired and determined leadership as we strive to become a better performing council, focused on working with our partners, to secure the right outcomes for local people."
The invitation to apply for this poisoned chalice is signed by Council Leader Richard Austin, Portfolio Holder for Financial Management and Corporate Governance Richard Lenton and Interim Chief Executive Richard Harbord.
Looking at the job description it has to be worth every penny of EIGHTY SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS it will pay each year, with a list of no fewer than 36 main duties and responsibilities.
Head hunting this superstar is a company called Veredus, who are "leading providers of executive recruitment, interim management and business psychology to the public, private and not-for-profit sectors," and you can read full details of the post by clicking here and then following the link to the information pack.
Interestingly, Mr Harbord was a Veredus property when he was appointed interim national director of the National Union of Students, so he clearly holds the company in some regard.
Given the use of the words "enhance" and "new" to describe the role of Director of Resources & Section 151 Officer, we assume that this is a newly created job.
"Our council is seeking a new director to take the lead across a broad portfolio of services and statutory financial responsibility for the authority.
"In challenging financial times, achieving further improvements and even greater efficiencies and value for money will be crucial to our council for our future sustainability. As Director of Resources you will be given the space to establish a new approach to efficiency and value for money that not only supports but drives transformation across the Council and the Borough.
"You will support the Chief Executive and Corporate Management Team in the development of overall Council strategies, including the Medium Term Financial Plan, the Capital Strategy and the Community Plan and policies within which effective financial management of individual services can be delivered.
"A strategic thinker, you’ll be a professionally qualified accountant with substantial senior level management experience and the ability to communicate sensitively within a political environment. You’ll have an in-depth knowledge of regulatory requirements relating to key service areas and the ability to communicate effectively with partners, stakeholders and members to secure better outcomes for our all of our customers."
The range of people the post holder is expected to liaise with is equally exhaustive (or exhausting.
"Elected Members of the Council, specifically Leader, Deputy Leader, Group Leaders and Committee Chairmen; Chief Executive and other Directors, Staff of the Directorate, Key Stakeholders in the Community, Government Departments, Peers in County-Wide Initiatives, Voluntary Organisations and Business."
It may sound cynical, but it almost seems as though the council is looking to recruit a Chief Executive elect once Mr Harbord finishes his six month stint with the borough.
The only problem with all of this is that places like Boston are famously not known as magnets for applicants of the quality being sought.
The other problem is that flinging money at high-sounding executive posts doesn't really win friends or influence people among either ratepayers of the council's long suffering staff.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Bid to bring bus debate to public

There were positives as well as negatives at this week's Policy and Projects meeting.
Alongside the news that Boston's chances of getting a bypass now rate alongside those of a snowball in hell, another item saw a move to broaden the debate on the Into Town bus service, that would give people rather than politicians a say in the scheme.
The proposal - put forward by Conservative Myles Larrington - was to hold a debate on exploring the option of having a referendum on the Into Town Bus Service.
Councillor Larrington told Boston Eye:- "I believe it is time this council starting listening to the people, and it is time for us to debate whether we need to give them their say on this issue.
"I question how effective the original consultation was, and my hope is that by exploring the option of referendum it will generate a good public debate about the pros and cons of this service.
The committee has taken the proposal on board as part of their work programme to be debated some time next year.
"I think that it is about time that people are given a real chance to have their say, not through a consultation but through the ballot box," said Councillor Larrington.
"All the council is committing to at this stage is a debate. I think that - given the clearly flawed consultation process from Lincolnshire County Council, in light of the differing opinions this issue generates - that we owe it to the people of Boston to revisit this issue again.
"My own personal view is that the public will never be content as long as this issue is merely decided by councillors.
"The consultation only really included bus users and excluded the wider public who, being frequent visitors to Strait Bargate, clearly have strong views on this. To me, Lincolnshire County Council's argument regarding most people being in favour of the service is construed, as they only consulted those using service, most of whom are clearly going to be in favour of its continuation come what may.
"My hope is that this debate will not necessarily lead to a referendum (even though I am in favor of this) but that the public will get involved again and become more informed about the real issues.
"Basically, most people are unaware that we either have to keep the service going through Strait Bargate or not have it at all. Although I oppose having buses through the centre of town, I now know that due the way the routes are constructed, Lincolnshire County Council will be fined heavily if the services are not on time. This is not possible on a half hourly schedule without using Strait Bargate.
"By having this debate, I believe that it will better inform the public and the public response to the referendum idea will be an indication of the public's view on the Into Town Bus Service itself. "I am pleased to say that when I put this to the committee, it was supported by members from all political parties. I believe, particularly in the case of this council, there are too many times when we makes decisions on behalf of the people of Boston without giving them a proper opportunity to have their say.
"I cannot see what we, as a council, have to lose from giving the public a referendum and a vote on this issue.
"At the moment, the only foreseeable problem is that Lincolnshire County Council is soon going to make the traffic orders in relation to the Into Town Bus Service permanent. As far as I am concerned, if Lincolnshire County Council is stupid enough to do this having not properly consulted the public, then clearly they will have to face the consequences of this.
"As for the issue of expense, I realise this could be an expensive option but that is something the council will have to consider in full before making a decision to go ahead with this or not."

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Bypass battle veteran quits over "negativity"

One of the longest battling campaigners for a Boston bypass has called it a day after reaction to his attempts to portray the battle in a realistic light.
Michael Borrill sent us the news in the following e-mail....
"Dear Boston Eye
"Since 2002 I have been actively involved in, first, voicing my concerns about the Southern Economic Corridor and Dock Link proposals for Boston.
"Following on from this I soon got involved with the groups pushing for a bypass for the town, and, over the years, have made my feelings known to Lincolnshire County Council, Boston Borough Council and the people of Boston through various forms of media.
"Following the election of a Boston Bypass Independent Council, it was wrongly assumed that a push would be made on Lincoln County Council to give Boston a fair share of the cake. "Unfortunately this did not happen, and we are now in a worse position concerning any road infrastructure help than under the previous administration.
"Lincolnshire County Council are now preparing the next Local Transport Plan, 3LTP, and although several towns are noted in the document, there is no mention of a bypass/distributor road for Boston.
"It is also noted that besides the above mentioned proposed roads, Lincoln City is also, together with Lincolnshire County Council, negotiating with Network Rail towards the elimination of the two rail crossings in the city. There is also discussion about the rail crossings in Spalding with a further bypass for the town. And as we know, Sleaford is also to get its rail crossing bridged by way of developer funding.
"My concern over the last few months has been the 'negative' comments I have heard in the town, and especially following the recent publication of the Ministers' remarks following his receipt of the Economic Report I had prepared. This was something that was already known, and Whitehall will only go on what is dictated by the Local Transport Plan. To get into the next period Boston must at least be in the 3LTP which is being prepared - hence my 'suggestion' that ALL our County Councillors seek a meeting with their Leader at LCC.
"I am dismayed beyond belief that the amount of backlash that has been directed against me for making this comment in the local press, which has been 'stirred up' to distract attention from the real issue which I was trying to present.
"An egoism complex springs to mind and my sympathy goes to my fellow residents of Boston, who will probably have to endure tailbacks from Johnson’ s Garden Centre on one side to The Four Crossroads on the other
"My age and health are running against me and although I have given my time and energy freely to the 'Bypass Cause' over the last seven years, the last few weeks have shown that I have little support in Boston for continuing my pursuit for a solution to our badly needed road infrastructure.
"I am, therefore, leaving the 'bypass scene' with immediate effect.
"I would like to give my sincere thanks to all those who have helped me over the last few years.
"Michael Borrill"

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

BBI "failed to prioritise bypass"

The "official" news in last week's Boston Standard that the town won't get funding for a bypass for at least ten years sent a shockwave rippling through last week's Policy and Projects Committee meeting.
We assume the report came from the item headed "Transport Strategy for Boston 2006 to 2021 and beyond – progress update: A report by Lincolnshire County Council."
Unfortunately, as mere members of the public, we weren't able to read the report, as for some reason it refused to download, and our pleas to the powers that be to do something about it were ignored.
Councillor Brian Rush, of the Better Boston Group, felt the publication of the report showed yet again the uselessness of the Boston Bypass Independents Party.
In an e-mail, he wrote:
"Dear Boston Eye,
"The most amusing incident at the meeting was the naivety of Councillor Richard Dungworth as he held up this week's Standard, and asked the Highways Officers in attendance to explain the front page feature that the bypass issue was dead!
"I think it was an attempt by this hapless character, to be seen to be angry with such news.
"It appears not to have sunk in that ever since the election, the BBI have done nothing to prioritise the very item that they had been entrusted to deliver, and instead now roll over and accept the 'seriously flawed and ineffective' road widening scheme condemned by the whole BBI Group.
"Foolishly, preferring to stand shoulder to shoulder with Councillor Richard Austin as he slithered around Martin Hill, and William Webb at County.
"I know of not one single election promise that has been kept, and Councillor Dungworth is challenged to remind me of any.
"He should cast his mind back to May '07, if only to understand that those first few euphoric days and weeks, presented the biggest opportunity for this town to get the bypass on the agenda.
"What was needed, and in fact was promised, was strong, deliberate visible action.
"But it just never happened!
"I accept that such tactics may still not have resulted in the yearned for success, but at least the people of the borough would have appreciated the valiance and bravery of such an attempt.
"He and his colleagues still refuse to accept that they chose the wrong path, they cannot, or rather will not admit that kowtowing to Lincoln, actually played straight into the hands of the County, and we end up with another useless waste of funds.
"Unlike a large number of Johhny come lately BBI Candidates, who appeared pre-election, original Boston Bypassers were frustrated by these cowardly an ineffective acts, orchestrated by Councillor Richard Austin. We had already experienced his self interested double standards when elected to County, so were not surprised.
"It is ironic though, that the previous condemnation of the road widening scheme which assisted the Bypass group's successful election, will now also become another of the many reasons for their failure come May 2011."

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Week ending 20th November

Our Friday miscellany of the week's news and events
Row, row, row your boat .... Despite doing his damnest to put as much distance between himself and Boston as possible, local oarsman Mick Dawson found himself on the receiving end of a phone call from the borough's senior snake oil salesman Richard Austin when he set foot on dry land in San Francisco. It's enough to set you rowing away all over again. We note that Mick's craft was flying a couple of flags, and thought it a shame that no-one considered giving him a borough flag to display on arrival .... a sort of latter-day Pilgrim Father. Given the parlous state of borough finances, we also hope the leader remembered to reverse the charges. Seriously though, well done Mick, and we hope you enjoy the civic knees up when you get home. Oh, and a final message to whoever wrote the piece on the borough's website. The "gate" suffix used by hacks to define a scandal (Cheriegate, Dianagate, Bloodgate, Sachsgate et al) does not apply in geography. Repeated references to San Francisco’s "Goldengate" Bridge should be corrected immediately.
Old timer's disease ... We note that the Dear Leader, Councillor Richard Austin, has been ordered to take more training after the Standards Committee upheld a complaint that he failed to declare a prejudicial interest during discussions on funding for Centrepoint at two meetings - even though he was a member of the homeless charity and his wife is a director and trustee. It seems hard to believe that he could have been so forgetful about his role with the charity, and we would have thought that - especially after a four year stint as a county councillor - Papa Dick" ought not to have made such a mistake about declaring interests. Perhaps as well as a training refresher, he should be sent on a memory improvement course.
Driving us insane ... We've commented before on the attitude of some Brylaine bus drivers who seem to feel that they own the road and that all other road users must get out of their way. But the behaviour described in a letter to one of the local papers when they tried to force their buses through crowds marking the two-minute silence at the town war memorial is inexcusable. Perhaps Brylaine should consider sending their merry men of a public relations course - and a highway code refresher session while they're about it.
Ticketty boo 1 ... Another letter highlighted the anomaly in the town's car parking charges, where the signage says that it costs 50p for 30 minutes on Sundays, but a traffic warden says that it's £1. Not only that, but he gleefully told the writer that the ticket machine would have guzzled the 50p without producing a ticket unless more money was put in - which is bad news for anyone who brings what they believe is the right money and have no more change. Doubtless the traffic warden would also have been quick to ticket the vehicle for not having paid. To tell the motorist that that the 50p charge notice is overruled by the "all day for a pound" notice is something we think could be successfully challenged in the event of a ticket being issued, and we think that Boston Borough Council should provide new signs at once.
Ticketty boo 2 ... Talking of parking tickets .... we've noted for ages the existence of a yellow line free section of road which runs from Pensioner House towards the rear of Marks & Spencer. It's been a little oasis of free parking that many people have found useful. However, the other day we saw that a car parked there had been issued with a ticket despite the absence of lines, or any obvious signs banning parking. Are our newly appointed wardens perhaps being a bit overzealous? They have their uses, but not if they let their new found powers go to their heads so soon.
Nolan-ger subscribing ... We're not sure whether being a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate counts as public office, but we do know that Labour's Paul Kenny sets great store by the Seven Principles of Nolan, which lays guidelines for such postholders. Principle Five, on Openness, declares:- "Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands." Does that mean we can expect a reply from Mr Kenny fairly soon in response to our questions asking why he has become a serial campaigner against members of Boston Borough Council? We think not. He talks the talk, but will he walk the walk?
Vote, vote vote for ... ? After yesterday's blog about there being no-one big enough to fill the shoes of an elected Mayor for the borough, we received one or two suggestions. Sadly they did little more than confirm that we were right all along.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Heads they win, tails we lose

It came as little surprise when we heard that plans to consult Boston's electorate on government changes to the way the council will be run after the next election in May 2011 have been put on hold because the council cannot explain them in understandable English.
In a nutshell the council needs to pick one of two new options to replace the present system where it is run by a Leader and Cabinet Executive.
The choice is between a new Leader and Cabinet Executive model or an elected Mayor.
Under the first plan the Leader would be an elected councillor as at present who would take control for four years, appointing the Cabinet and delegating responsibilities - but with one crucial change to the ways things are run at present.
The Leader would have total control over all executive functions and therefore have complete discretion to allocate decision-making powers to the Cabinet as a body or to delegate decision-making to individual Cabinet members or to officers.
We seem to recall that the present leader sought similar powers before, and that the idea was rejected, but no such rejection will be possible in the future.
In terms of cost, there would be no change to the current Cabinet structure (plus ceremonial Mayor) which costs £61,720 in the current financial year.
Under the alternative scheme a Mayor would be directly elected, and unlike the Leader would not be a councillor representing a ward. The ceremonial Mayor would remain as a separate post. The elected Mayor would appoint a deputy and a Cabinet which would then operate much the same as things do now.
Electing a Mayor would be much more expensive, costing between £87,210 to £253,050 - although if members’ allowances continue to be paid at 40% below the levels recommended and if this continued, costs the cost would range from £58,810 to £154,250. It would cost £21,000 to run the ballot, and there would also be costs of running the Mayor's office.
There's also the matter of the cost of a referendum, which are put at £50,000. But to council willing to blow £28,000 on a sound system to save a couple of deaf members the price of a hearing aid, we're sure that's just peanuts.
Although there are no choices here, we have to say that, sadly, the argument "it's not broken, so don't mend it" does not apply to the present council structure.
The BBI has produced a rotten executive, and the question is whether whatever replaces it will be any better.
The problem with option A is that we get the mixture as before with the exception that the new leader has absolute authority, which - depending on the leader - could be a very dangerous thing.
We've seen what happens in the present council when conflicts of personality collide with spite.
The problem with option B is that we cannot for the life of us think of anyone who is big enough to be deemed electable as a potential Mr or Mrs Boston.
The only redeeming feature in the whole business, is that as these changes will take place at the next elections, it is a racing certainty that whoever forms the next leadership will not be the Boston Bypass Independents Party.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

The Kenny saga ... Day Two

The following e-mail from Boston Fenside Councillor David Owens concerning serial complainer Paul Kenny, Boston's Prospective Labour Party Parliamentary candidate (see yesterday's blog and Eyes passim) speaks for itself....
"Dear Boston Eye,
"I have kept quiet in relation to the activities Mr Kenny has been up to in relation to complaining about everyone who is not a Labour party member - however I feel the time is right to expose some of the malicious and thoroughly unpleasant activity he has carried out in the last 12 months.
Following the BNP success in Fenside last November, I received a call from Lincolnshire Police, as they had received a complaint that a piece of my election material may be 'illegal.' This was reported to them by the ever vigilant Mr Paul Kenny.
"I duly made an appointment to speak to the senior officer (who the prior week was investigating a murder) to show him the evidence proving that such an allegation was in fact, unfounded.
"This senior officer was apologetic and was clearly most frustrated that his time was being wasted investigating the most heinous crime of not having an imprint (i.e. name and address of printer etc) on a leaflet, and the fact that the 'evidence' produced by the complainant was not even the genuine leaflet, but a photocopy of the A5 sized leaflet copied as an A4 document! And as such, not a leaflet used in the campaign.
"Needless to say the police’s time and that of a very senior officer was wasted, by the vindictiveness and clear political motivation of Mr Paul Kenny.
"However, having failed in the pursuit of quashing any political opponents, the ever-persistent Mr Kenny was not prepared to leave it there, as aside from swiping at the other councillors as mentioned in your blog, he attempted to have another go at me.
"This time, following the last county council by-election which saw the Labour Party in Boston destroyed at the ballot box, he launched a new wave of complaints relating to my reference to the migrant community in Boston in my election material, and somehow tried to link my observations and comments into how that was not treating others with respect and claimed I breached equality enactments in my capacity as an elected member.
"This led to another complete waste of Standards Committee time and resources leading to the expected result of the complaint not being upheld.
"How much more has the Boston taxpayer got to put up with and fund the fantasies of this wannabe politician, when will he realise that Labour's days of influence in places like Boston have come to an end.
"Labour had their chance and they blew it! They sold out to the Multi-Culti fantasy and ignored what their hardcore supporters and voters were telling them.
"May they rest in Peace "
What do you thinks about Paul Kenny's activities? If you have something to say, please write and let us know ....

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Tell us why, Mr Kenny

With a General Election just around the corner, Labour's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Boston, Paul Kenny, is busy making the news - but not for the usual reasons.
Boston Eye first had dealings Mr Kenny, some months ago.
He wrote to us after we commented on what we saw at the lightness of his campaigning.
In the course of his communication, he challenged us to publish information concerning the Boston Bypass Independents which he said the local papers had failed to print because they had been "frightened off."
We accepted the challenge, verified the information, and gave Mr Kenny a date on which we would be publishing it.
It was therefore something of a surprise to see the self-same material appear two days before the agreed date on another alternative Boston website, and we mused why Mr Kenny had pulled such a strange stunt.
We're no closer to knowing, but since then Mr Kenny's name has popped up regularly in slightly off-kilter context.
There was the case of the Boston North West county council by election in which the successful Conservative candidate was knocked out on a technicality, then re-elected - only just - in a poll that saw the BNP almost claim the seat.
Then there was the complaint to Boston Borough Council's Standards Committee against Conservative Borough Councillor Myles Larrington over remarks made in his blog. The complaint was not upheld, but the act of complaining caused Councillor Larrington to review the dangers of exercising free speech and decide that blogging was not worth the candle.
Mr Kenny then turned his spotlight on to Conservative Councillor Raymond Singleton-McGuire, complaining about comments made in his blogs.
Councillor Singleton-McGuire has disclosed that between January and September this Mr Kenny has made 13 complaints of which only two have been processed so far - at a cost to the taxpayer of almost £2,150. The year before, he apparently complained against the entire Bypass Independent Party.
And it now appears that even more complaints by Mr Kenny against Councillor Singleton-McGuire are in the pipeline.
The raison d'etre for the complaints appears to be that although Mr Kenny often acts in the name of the Labour Party, when anyone dares to counter-attack, he responds as a member of the public.
It's an interesting mindset - if it can be called a mindset.
We asked Mr Kenny if he would care to expand on his reasons for being a costly serial campaigner, as it appears that if he hadn't protested so much, the next complaint to reach the council this year would be the first.
Mr Kenny did not bother to reply to us.
We also asked Councillor Singleton-McGuire for a comment, and he told us:-
"In the interests of everyone’s sanity and the obvious ongoing waste of public taxpayers’ money, I have, as a diligent and concerned councillor, attempted to raise with the Labour Party directly the matter of Mr Paul Kenny’s seemingly endless barrage of criticism and complaints about Boston Borough Councillors over the past two and a half years.
"Bearing in mind that politics and politicians in particular are not exactly the flavour of the month at present (what with the recent Parliamentary expenses issues and the impending Parliamentary Election next year), I am sure local taxpayers must be seething if not disgusted at the added burden of public taxpayers money being wasted by a politician, albeit a Parliamentary Candidate at that, based on nothing more than a seeming self indulgence.
"The term 'vexatious litigation' springs to mind – an activity generally frowned upon by the courts.
"For every £1 incurred through Mr Paul Kenny’s endless complaining, £1 less is spent on public services. It should come as no surprise that at a recent council meeting the point was made that Legal Service expenses are likely to be over budget. "Were it not for Mr Kenny’s endless whining, Boston Borough Council would still be awaiting a complaint to deal with this year!
"It is for these reasons and in the interests of public spending that I contacted Mr Richard Oliver of the Labour Party East Midlands selection body and Newcastle Office who deal with issues of complaint expressing the concerns of all.
"Disappointingly, Three days later I received a further seven complaints and/or matters of conjecture from Mr Paul Kenny!"
Boston Eye thinks that it is high time for Mr Kenny to take his knocks like the seasoned politician he claims to be rather than to run crying to hide behind the skirts of the complaints system.
Certainly, if he proposes to run his campaign by eliminating his Tory opponents one-by-one, he is in for a long and disappointing fight, and one which - regardless of the current of the political climate - would be certain to end in failure.
Mr Kenny should by now be preparing for a high profile public General Election campaign, not putting his efforts into niggling, petty stuff that wastes time and money to no real effect.
Once again, Boston Eye invites Mr Kenny to to put on his political hat and tell us what the trouble is, as so many frivolous complaints at such great cost is both a burden and an insult to the borough's taxpayers, and if our mediation would be of help, we would be happy to offer it.


You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Has leader considered costs of improved flood protection?

A weekend that's seen some of the worst weather of the year, with flooding and storm damage in many parts of the country, again highlights the precarious position of Boston in the flood risk league.
And co-incidentally, after last week's full meeting of Boston Borough council at which a petition to the government demanding levels of flood protection similar to those in Holland, we have received the following from Independent Borough Councillor Richard Leggott.
"Whilst giving my support at Council on Monday 9th November to the motion to lobby for better flood protection for our Borough, I do have misgivings as to a demand for protection on the scale envisaged by Councillor Richard Austin - 1 in 4000 for agricultural land and 1 in 10000 for urban areas.
"In reasoning for such a level of flood defence Councillor Austin quoted levels of defence enjoyed by SOME areas in Holland.
"Also relevant to comparison with Dutch flood defences is the fact which I have learnt
from inspection of such , and discussion with various Dutch Drainage Board members, that much of the funding of their high level (no pun intended) flood defence spending comes from local sourcing.
"One wonders whether any research into the costs, both nationally and locally, of such improved standards has been undertaken by Councillor Austin.
Perhaps, too, I may explain through your site that, nature being as unpredictable as it is, a 1 in 4000 rating is not a defence against an event that could only happen once in 4000 years.
Such a rating indicates that one is looking to give the protection needed up to the
4000-1 chance of such an event occurring in any one year.
"Whilst, on behalf of all the Borough and its inhabitants , I would dearly love to see a commitment to much higher local flood defence standards by Government , DEFRA and the Environment Agency (and will gladly work to influence such decision makers,) I do wonder if in these times of financial restraints, and given Boston's actual record as to recent flooding, one should be seeking more realistic improvement targets in possible discussions with all at Westminster.
"Two more questions that raise themselves in my mind.
"Is this 'raise our flood defences' item intended to divert us from BBI's failure to deliver a Bypass for Boston?
"Following on from that - this is somewhat tongue in cheek - will we get improved flood defence levels in time to protect our new Bypass? "
Richard Leggott

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Week ending 13th November

Our Friday miscellany of the week's news and events
It's Friday the 13th so take it easy out there ....
Back from our break, we received an e-mail from Boston Borough Councillor Richard Leggott, who, back from holiday himself, referred to our comments on what constitutes a truly independent representative. He says: "I would like to make it absolutely clear that my withdrawal as a candidate (from the Boston North West County Council by-election) should not in any way be interpreted by either the BNP or Conservative candidates as wishing to affect their electoral chances in this recent local election. I was to be well distanced geographically from Boston for Election day - being in Esperance WA . My political position is equally distant from all our local political parties. I am a true local Independent and intend to remain so."
Talking of Boston North West, this morning we visited the innappropriately named blog "Vote Mike Sheridan Shinn," where the former Liberal democrat candidate does not appear to hold to the old adage that a week is a long time in politics." More than a month since the election was won by Conservative Andrea Jenkyns, he tells us .... "now that phase one of the campaign is complete. Its now time to launch phase two which is very exciting and I know my supporters will like it ..." Not a lot, apparently.
One of Boston's few famous old girls - newspaper columnist Mary Riddell - tells readers in the Daily Telegraph:- "Gordon Brown should say the unsayable: immigration has been a boon. Who else will staff hospitals and care homes, pick potatoes and sweep streets? We thought that perhaps Mary ought to pay a return visit to her former home, where she would see that migrants don't always spend their time caring for our sick or doing the dirty menial tasks that the locals have now turned their backs on. The recent "swoops" on illegal encampments tell a somewhat different story. But then apparently, so does Mary. A couple of years ago, she wrote of a visit to Boston in the Observer: "Walk out of the station forecourt and there is a newish cinema. The rancid bar where I ordered my first vodka and lime has been converted into a pleasant riverside hotel and the clothes stores no longer sell fashions seemingly inspired by a Crimean catwalk. In a shopping mall, boulevardiers drink espresso at pavement tables. The place is richer and more cosmopolitan than it has been for decades., if not centuries. Boston was chosen by the Pilgrim Fathers for their first, doomed attempt to reach America. Long after their betrayal by the ship's captain, who handed them over to the authorities, the town became a decaying seaport which owes its revival to immigrants' toil. Without incomers from Portugal and the EU accession states, the economy of this town, and of all Lincolnshire, would collapse. But Boston, once again, is showing a facility for crushing pilgrims' dreams." Absence makes the heart grow fonder ... but it also seems to play strange tricks on memory and geography!
We were pleased that the Boston Standard picked up our clue concerning the story about Fogarty's that they missed first time round even though it was in their own paper. Even so, they still failed to ask a couple of fairly obvious questions .... but then that's what local papers do these days. However, we did like the addition of a new playmate for Boskat who appeared on their website (see below.) At least, we assume that Fograty is a furry creature of the riverbank, and not a major local employer!
Talking of the Standard ... Like many readers, we welcomed the return of the court news, but not the attempts to "sex up" the stories, mundane as they may be. For instance, we hadn't until now heard of the crime of "scarpering without paying" for petrol. And we felt the line "He stood in silence as the judge passed sentence, the smirk wiped off his face" reeked of comment, which is always dangerous in court reporting. We recall a a celebrated case more than a century ago where the newspaper of the day reported ..."the accused man entered the dock. He is short, squat in stature, extremely ugly and obviously guilty of the heinous crimes with which he is charged...." Perhaps the Standard yearns for those days to return. By the way ... what's happened to Morning Reports on the paper's website, and the hilarious evening videos, where journalists showed that their reading is as bad as their writing....
Witham Way County Park has been awarded nature reserve status. Doe that mean the campers can no longer dine out on braised squirrel and hedgehog baked in clay?
Finally, our ironic misspelling of the week again comes from the Standard, which quotes Councillor Anne Dorrian as saying: " I would not say it would pass and plain English competancy tests...." Yes, you're right, the correct spelling is competency.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Helicopter Jim in a tailspin on blogging

It's impossible to say for certain, but there are reckoned to be more than 100 million bloggers worldwide.
Certainly in the space of just one minute this morning, 628 new blog posts were made (source: Gary's Social Media Count)
It's a figure that's either very significant or totally unimportant, depending on your view.
"So many bloggers is a sign of a healthy community that is ever-seeking to share information and opinion."
"So many bloggers is a sign of millions of sad sacks who have nothing better to do with their time - and who cares about their opinions anyway."
Take your pick.
What does surprise us is the way that blogging has galvanised Boston Borough Council.
One councillor began blogging and then stopped because he was subjected to an irrelevant official complaint. We had hoped he might start again, but sadly this does not appear to be the case.
The Dear Leader began blogging briefly but stopped because of the controversy of whether his blog was a personal one or a party one, plus issues over whether it should be produced using staff time and effort.
The jury is still out on that one, but somehow, like the Terminator, we reckon the Leader will be back.
The latest debate over blogging came at Monday's full council meeting, when Bypass Independent Councillor Jim Blaylock launched an attack on Conservative Councillor Raymond Singleton-McGuire's often controversial blog.
Councillor Blaylock launched a question at the Mayor, Councillor Maureen Dennis, asking if she supported the use of personal blogs by members - and what should the council do to ensure they are factually accurate and do not break either the Council’s Constitution or the Members Code of Conduct?
Silly question.
Firstly blogs are personal, so whether they have mayoral support or not is immaterial, and it would be a severe breach of individuals' freedom to try to tell them what they might or might not say.
Councillor Blaylock seems particularly exercised by the fact that Councillor Singleton-McGuire published an e-mail from a member of the public concerning a cabinet decision relating to the Geoff Moulder Pool controversy.
But his argument goes askew when he appear to suggest that this is breaking council rules because the information appeared in confidential documents.
The "leak" appears to have come from a member of the public in a widely circulated e-mail, and therefore the blame cannot be laid at Councillor Singleton-McGuire's door.
What he was doing was questioning a situation where he, as a councillor discovers what is going on in the council from an outside source who puts it into the public domain.
As all the discussion around the pool issue was carried out in a borough cabinet meeting, and as these meetings are exclusively attended by the Bypass Independents, any leak to a third party must surely have only come from one direction.
Ironically, in his biography on the council's website, Councillor Blaylock declares:- "by 'opening up' the council to the public in order to allow a greater understanding of how it actually works and how the decision making process operates, I hope to be able to encourage members of the public from all age groups to enter into public debate."
Presumably that excludes blogging ... unless the BBI controls it.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Ark at this! Council wants flood action at last

An obscurely placed and almost invisible message from council leader Richard Austin appears on the front page of the borough's website.
No, he's not back into blogging just yet.
He's taking up cudgels on the need to do all we can to protect our area for future generations.
"One of the reasons it's so important in this area is because we need to protect our town and our farmland from the potential effects of climate change; across the North Sea people in Holland enjoy a 1:4000 protection from flooding – that means they are protected for a flood that could happen once in 4,000 years," he writes. "In Boston and the rest of England, our flood defences are only 1:200. Over the years this has been accepted as the norm, but the recent floods in Scotland and the concerns in Wales highlight the need to do more across the country."
In tandem with this, the council has produced a petition of sorts saying that it considers that the present flood defence design criteria are inadequate and call for them to be improved as a matter of urgency.
"In the United Kingdom flood defence schemes are designed to provide only a 1 in 200 year standard of protection for coastal defences and 1 in 100 year for fluvial defences.
This compares with a 1 in 4000 year standard provided in Holland for agricultural land and 1 in 10,000 year for built up areas.
"Boston Borough Council calls for funding for flood risk management to be increased to a level which allows all new projects to provide a level of protection nearer to that in Holland.
Attention is drawn to the need to robustly defend property but also high grade land as it is so important in safeguarding the food security of the nation.
The motion ends by calling on the council to send a delegation to present this resolution to an "appropriate minister" at Westminster.
At last!
Our part of the world has been on the brink in terms of flood risk for years, and now the powers that be have latched on to the fact.
Talk about kicking a dinosaur in the tail.....
Boston Eye has been banging on about this since Noah was a lad.
It's not just the threat of flooding - real as it is - that hangs over us.
We've previously drawn attention to the way that greedy insurance companies are taking advantage of home and business owners.
Quite recently we received evidence of one major insurance national ramping premiums by 20-25 per-cent a year over the past three years, and refusing to exclude flood cover when requested by customers who are finding it impossible to pay - putting them at risk of having to forego insurance altogether.
The reality is that whilst Boston is in a high risk area, we are generally fortunate when it comes to actual flooding.
This is something that should be pointed out to insurance companies in no uncertain terms before the borough starts to suffer more economic damage caused by reluctance by individuals and businesses to local here because they cannot get insurance.
And by the way....
Praiseworthy though it is to meet the "appropriate minister" at Westminster, wouldn't it be more prudent to include the appropriate "Shadow" at the same time.
We suspect that ministers will only be paying lip service to petitions at this stage of the game, and to really get some action, the borough should be making its pitch to the government in waiting.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Can you hear me, mother?

According to the Royal National Institution for Deaf People, there are 8,945,000 deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK ... about 14 per-cent of the population - or four and a half Boston Borough councillors.
This is why we raised an eyebrow when we saw the item on last night's full council agenda to blow £28,000 on a sound system.
According to the report, "several" members of the council have hearing difficulties which are exacerbated by the acoustics of the rooms used for meetings in the Municipal Buildings, which result in them being unable to hear debates and therefore excluded from the democratic decision making process.
That's interesting in itself, because until now we thought that some councillors were excluded from the democratic decision making process simply because the ruling Bypass Independents group wanted it that way!
Apparently this exclusion also applies to members of the public who attend meetings and cannot clearly hear what is being said, which apparently does not encourage civic participation or fit with the council’s equalities agenda and associated responsibilities as - under the Disability Discrimination Act the Council has to make reasonable provision for people with disabilities, including hearing difficulties.
Looking at the photos of our councillors it's difficult to work out who might have hearing problems - although deciding which of them use hair colouring (not just the ladies!) is an easier matter.
On balance, we would have thought that there were fewer hearing impaired councillors in the present intake than there were in the previous administration which was notable for members who appeared to be in their dotage.

Even so, they managed to get through meetings without mechanical aids.
But if the council membership with impaired hearing mirrors the national statistics, then we are being asked to pay around £7,000 per councillor to provide a facility for them.
This assumes that all four and a half councillors attend the same meetings, which is unlikely except when the full council meets.
And, frankly, with so few councillors, couldn't they just sit nearer the front, when they could hear the proceedings.
Or why does the council not have induction loops installed in major meeting rooms if its duty to the disabled is suddenly so urgent.
We suspect that a small but influential number of members has started this debate, and are being pandered to.
If a room has poor acoustics, it should almost always be possible to rearrange the layout to overcome the problem.
Certainly, we find it hard to believe that so many members of the public attend council meetings, or that the problem is as bad as is suggested - except perhaps at occasional meetings of the Planning Committee when major issues are under debate.
We find the idea of spending so much money on a problem that can probably be solved for a fraction of the cost to be a monstrous waste of cash.
But we expect our argument will fall on deaf ears.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.

Slamming the door on information

Back after a week's break, and sadly Boston seems little different than before we went away.
The same old Christmas lights are hanging limply in place once again, with stars that look more like starfish than sparkling symbols of peace and love.
Browsing the papers and the council's website is a depressing experience.
The papers seem to have little by way of news sense or interest in what's going on.
Our "new look" Standard has solved the problem of working by increasing type sizes so that there is now even less space taken up by stories.
And ironically, in a week which sees the paper celebrating the 100th birthday of a former proof reader, it boasts a higher number of literals (typographical mistakes) than usual.
Tonight sees the full council meeting, and once more we are disappointed to see that the two most important items on the agenda are again being discussed out of the sight and hearing of the press and public.
The issues under debate are market testing on cultural and leisure services, and a report on the council's management structure.
For those not in the know, this is done under Section 100(A)(iv) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information)(Variation) Order 2006, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1, 3 & 4 of Schedule 12A of the Order.
We checked out the exact definition of what constitutes exempt information , and it comprises:
INFORMATION ...
... relating to any individual or which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual ...
... relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) ...
... relating to any consultations or negotiations, or contemplated consultations or negotiations in connection with any labour relations matter arising between the authority or a Minister of the Crown and employees of, or office holders under, the Authority ...
... in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings ...
... which reveals that the authority proposes a) to give under any enactment a notice under or by virtue of which requirements are imposed on a person; or b) to make an order or direction under any enactment ...
and information relating to any action taken or to be taken in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime.
Put like that, a council could pretty well stop telling the ratepayers anything at all, and claim that it was justified under the section of the act - and there are doubtless many in office both appointed and elected who would dearly love to be able to do this.
Not only that, but we suspect that a large number of councillors don't even know the terms and conditions under which such prohibitions are placed on council agenda items, and if they did, would find it hard to justify them.
We recall a time when items like the ones now excluded from the public arena were discussed up to the point where the rulings of the act began to impinge - at which point the press and public were excluded.
Now, however, the door is firmly slammed in their faces.
The two issues under debate tonight are of great concern to the people of Boston.
If we are to be treated as unworthy of inclusion, then - at the very least - the council should tell us what went on as soon as possible after the meeting.

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Back next week

Boston Eye is taking a well earned break.
Barring emergencies, we will be back on Monday 9th November.
Meanwhile .....

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