At long last the letter which opponents thought would be their chance to debate a call to wind up this useless organisation once and for all has emerged.
And, surprise, surprise, all it does is shed crocodile tears about the events that have brought the debate to this point and then asks members to provide feedback by answering four questions - 1: Do you think the BID has made a difference to Boston and if so what? 2: What specific issues would you like the BID to tackle? 3: How often do you have contact with the town rangers? and 4: The BID currently has two individuals tackling the daily litter that appears on the street. Has this made a difference to your business?
Note the absence of the question everyone wanted asking .... Do you think that Boston BID is a waste of your money and should be shut down forthwith?
As is so often the case with surveys of this sort, the answer is a foregone conclusion. In a few weeks we will be told that the BID has recognised that it was guilty of poor communication with its “customers” and that this will be put right. The members (who have no who have no choice in the matter, remember) will be told that this will be put right, and that in a few more months we will be left wondering what all the fuss was about. Victory by default.
We’ve seen it all before, and there is no way that the powers that be will allow the BID to be closed down.
In the meantime, the BID’s unelected chairman has been sent a petition with twelve signatures demanding a general meeting and declaring no confidence in the board of directors - as well as progressing the winding up of the company.
So for now, the BID sails serenely on, having at long last produced its much awaited business directory.
This 48 page glossy publication has arrived a little late in the day for something that claims to be a directory for 2010 - commonsense decrees that at this time of the year it would have been better labelled “Business Directory 2011 - much in the way that magazines appearing this month are billed as November’s issue.
In the booklet, the BID claims part credit for the useless Community Hub project, although it has really little, if anything by way of involvement.
It also appears to claim credit for the fishy looking Pescod Square graphic - which we seem to recall was in existence well before the BID came into being.
There is the a list of businesses ...in order of category, starting with butchers and bakers, followed by car, charity, financial, food, hair & beauty, health, “information” leisure (which includes pubs and Boston Conservative Club,) property, and then a catch-all called “retail” - this last including businesses which the directory apparently can’t be bothered to categorise, and which thus make the entire exercise completely pointless.
Equally unhelpful is the fact that - aside from the main headings - there is absolutely no attempt to put businesses in alphabetical order ... so your guess as to where to find them is as good as ours, and you must be prepared to spend some considerable time wading through the hundreds of businesses randomly listed before you find the one you want. That’s if they're all in there, or course, of which there is no guarantee.
Inside the back pages, Boston BID helpfully lists some of the town’s attractions, together with photographs.
They are the Maude Foster Windmill (perhaps they’ll spell it correctly in any future issues,) Church Street, Boston Stump, Pescod Hall (we’d question this one,as it’s a sandwich shop,) Shodfriars Hall (not open to the general public,) Fydell House, and ... that jewel in the crown of attractions - CAMMACKS.
What about the Guildhall?
Not there.
The BID’s next cunning plan is to look at a “mapping solution” for the town.
Local maps always used to be produced by the Borough Council, so if the BID goes ahead it will just be more busywork rather than coming up with something new and innovative.
Ironically, the BID has adopted the slogan “Putting Boston on the map.” But given their track record to date, if the business directory is anything to go by, all the map will do is help us to get lost - an idea the BID could also take on board.
You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.
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