Plans for empty shops are not enough

In yesterday's report on the refurbishment of the Market Place, we mentioned the poor state of a number of shops owned by big High Street names.
Another item on the cabinet (pictured above) agenda dealt with another evil that blights the town - the issue of empty shops ... more than 25 of them.
Once again there is money available to deal with the problem - in this case slightly more than £52,000 - part of a £3 million kitty offered by the government's communities and local government department - "to improve the appearance and vibrancy of town centres."
Last night cabinet members were asked to approve the use of the funding to deliver short, medium and long term measures.
Unfortunately, as is so often the case, our leaders puts the cart before the horse.
In this case, as it so often does, there is a name for the project ahead of any real thinking too deeply about the task in hand.
The bog-standard  name they came up with  is "My Boston."
The most and the least that can be said for it is that it comes trippingly off the tongue, but having said that, what does it imply?
"My Boston is a mess, which is why we're spending so much trying to tidy it up," is just as easy a slant as is "My Boston is a town that I am proud of."
The other thing is that even though there is money to spend, the council is taking the often used soft option to find someone to come up with ideas on the cheap.
In this case, and we've been down this route before, students (presumably from Boston College) are designing a logo to brand the project.
We really think that a professional would have been a better bet this time.
Look out for short, medium and long term measures.
The first will bring these shops up to a "common standard" by improving the outside of the shops and use of graphics to decorate the shop windows at a cost of £12,000.
Next look out for the usual suspects - the dreaded "third" sector, education and service organisations who have identified the desire to open up one or two empty shops for "community" uses.
Despite the sage words of former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore in the Spectator this includes "the creation of a community hub and leisure/creative activities centre"
- in other words the nearest thing to yet another couple of charity shops for the town - just what we really need (unless a couple more mobile 'phone companies are waiting in the wings.) This is going to blow £30,000, and as you might expect when there is something available for nothing, there is no shortage of organisations wanting one of the shops, with the CVS have indicating that it would act as a tenant and co- ordinate activities. Oh joy!
Finally, long term measures costing £10,000 include reducing start up and operating costs to attract new businesses.
The project is due to start next month and be reviewed in a year's time - and if there's any cash left over it will most probably go to the utterly unnecessary Healthy Eating Café project.
Yet again, we fear that a good opportunity - whilst not being lost, has been diluted.
Sticking obviously junior grade art efforts over shop windows could well make the place look worst rather than better.
Encouraging more "worthy" organisations to take on a couple of shops simply adds to the general look of run down-ness of the town centre.
Charity shops in a town centre thrive because the town is declining, and to encourage more just makes matters worse. Shoppers are not stupid, and they can read the signs without a guide book. There are already more than a dozen charity shops in Boston, and in some areas they dominate the landscape.
The only nugget in all of these proposals is the idea to encourage new businesses - and if they could be different "niche" business, then so much the better.
Boston Eye says: don't hold your breath for any great improvements.
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