A litany of failure

After all the positive and forward-looking signs coming from our neighbouring district councils, and just when you think things can’t get any worse, up bobs something called the governance and performance monitoring quarterly report to prove you wrong.
Instead of telling us that there is light at the end of the tunnel, we are warned that some of the few areas where we might anticipate progress seem to be built on very shaky foundations.
We are told that the failure to “mainstream” current resources and the potential loss of future external funding may threaten improvements in priority areas and a failure to achieve objectives.
Lack of control and ownership of shared outcomes may result in an inability to deliver our aspirations in priority areas, particularly in relation to cohesion, health, congestion, town centre, built heritage and crime.
Lack of resources for discretionary services may threaten what few remaining leisure and cultural services we have left.
Failure to maintain positive working relationships with partners such as Lincolnshire County Council may damage plans for priority areas, particularly in relation to congestion and town centre - the second reference to these vital areas.
Failure to identify funding to replace the current fleet of waste collection vehicles and implement green waste collection may prevent improvement of recycling rates.
Lack of ability to influence housing supply due to flood risk and not being able to pump prime may result in failure to deliver targets and increase availability of affordable housing and decent homes.
Lack of ability to influence decision-making in relation to flood risk and climate change may result in a negative impact on the future sustainability of Boston and its status as a sub-regional centre and increasing levels of deprivation.
Failure to deliver a balanced budget and medium term financial strategy for 2010/11 onwards may result in an inability to make/sustain improvements in priority areas and a failure to achieve overall objectives.
Failure to address leadership and capacity issues to improve performance may result in a failure to achieve overall objectives.
Failure properly to manage partnerships and contracting arrangements may result in hidden costs and cost budget overruns, loss of control over service delivery, and potential compliance issues.
Then there’s the impact of the economic slowdown and the risk of failure to ensure continuity of key services may result in interruptions to service delivery, additional costs incurred in recovery/remedial action, damaged reputation, and missed targets.
Of course, none of this need happen, and if it does, it need not be everything at once.
But while we see councils in other areas seeking and achieving improvement and tackling risk, we sadly find Boston apparently adopting a supine position and allowing itself to become a victim rather than a victor.
Where is the leadership?

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