As predicted: BBI

steamrollers over

democracy

As we predicted last week, the BBI beat a path to the door of last Thursday's Performance Review Committee where an item to call in a decision over who should go to this year's annual meeting of the Local Government Association was on the agenda

A plan by the Chief Executive, which proposed that the Leader and deputy, plus the leader of the largest opposition group should go, was approved by the Cabinet – but opposition members wanted it recalled and reconsidered on the grounds that as the decision affected the whole council, the whole council should have had a say in it.
No-one quibbled with the idea, which avoids a repeat of last year's fiasco which saw Leader Richard Austin and his personal deputy Alison attend following some obscure political mathematics after which she emerged as winner of a ballot among the non-cabinet rump of the BBI which Councillor Austin had deemed was the second largest party after the smaller Conservative opposition.
Our fly on the wall “Diggeryermole,” was at the meeting and sent us this report...
“The BBI arrived mob handed to do their leaders' bidding.
“The question before them; should all political parties and groups on Boston Borough Council be consulted on an issue of interest to all of them.
“Councillor Richard Austin, with audible coaching from the Chief Exececutive, Richard Harbord, and with unwavering support from Councillors Clare and Alison Austin (is there a connection there?) demonstrated that the BBI were unwilling to allow other parties and groups to have any say on the number of councillors to be allowed to represent Boston at the annual Local Government National Conference.
“ The total level of representation - three - was not the issue at the meeting although, if consultation had been allowed, the number could well have been reduced, as could the narrow guidelines imposed as to who would primarily be eligible for selection; Administration Leader, Deputy Leader and Leader of largest opposition party/group - again an issue that would have been a sounder decision agreed by all groups, in whatever final form, than imposed by one group on all others without consultation.
“With a nice demonstration of effective political whipping the BBI members, lead by Councillors A, Austin (is there a connection here ?) and Gerry Clare demonstrated their support for their leaders' refusal to allow anyone but the Cabinet (leader Councillor Richard Austin) to have a say in this matter.
“A block vote by BBI Party members to allow the cabinet decision to stand without consulting other parties or groups of the council killed off any chance of intergroup talks on the matter.
“Whilst no more opportunities now exist to come back to this issue before this year's elections, it is to be hoped that any future, differently balanced, council will be more inclined to allow all the public's elected representatives an input into any matter that is of direct interest to all and any of them as councillors.
“ Therefore, again hopefully, I find myself echoing Councillor Richard (genuine Independent) Leggott's recent remark on your blogsite- 'Roll on 5th May!'.”
Boston Eye says: We did of course declare that this debate would end the way it did.
Whilst we think that it was right to demand a more open debate on the simple grounds of democracy, it has to be said that meetings like these cost money, and it would have been far more simple for the BBI to have put the issue to debate in the first place, and not adopt playground bully tactics to show how effectively they can throw their weight around.
At least whoever is leader, deputy and opposition leader after May's election will go to the LGA bash in Birmingham, and unless by some weird accident of kinship they are husband, wife and son/daughter, we will gain a better representation.

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 28th January

Our Friday miscellany  

of the week's

news and events

Silly asset - 1… Spencer Pearson, the prospective candidate for the Boston Bypass Independents in the Staniland North seat, confesses to a flirtation with the British National Party in a previous life. “I joined because I felt that the BNP shared my concerns about the erosion of the democratic and liberal traditions of our nation,” he says, somewhat disingenuously. When he left, he claims that he worked to expose the reality of the general view of the BNP and “undermine” the leadership. Assuming that there are not too many people named Spencer Pearson with connections to the BNP, we were interested to read the party’s “Birmingham Patriot” blog. The shortlist for “Birmingham Patriot’s Activist of the Year” for 2007, read: “It is rarely an easy decision to decide the one person to whom such a title to go, especially with such a generous pool of talent from which to choose. This year there have been some excellent turns from relative newcomers, notably Karen Lawrie and Spencer Pearson.” Hmm. Oddly enough, BBI Leader Richard “Papa Dick” Austin - who promised reaction to the election of Boston’s first BNP candidate many moons ago and then forgot all about it - managed to proclaim that Mr Pearson’s experience “is a very valuable asset in countering the BNP threat in Boston …” If Mr Pearson is so concerned about “the erosion of the democratic and liberal traditions of our nation” he might do well to avoid association with the BBI, whose track record on democracy makes that of Joseph Stalin look good!
Silly asset - 1– addendum… It is perhaps ironic that Mr Pearson should be standing in the ward named after one of Boston’s most notable families (although they apparently do not merit mention in the laughable “Roll of Achievement” which Councillor Austin recently drew up on the back of a cigarette packet.) Meaburn Staniland and his brother, Geoffrey, were killed within weeks of each other during the First World War. Meaburn had been Boston’s youngest “Town Clerk” which is the title that today’s overpaid and under-employed “Chief Executives” now enjoy – although his aging father resumed the post during his son’s army service. His widow – and mother of his four children – died shortly afterwards of what people at the time called a “broken heart.” We may laugh now – but in those days loyalty really meant something!
Sand and deliver … It was good to see a Lincolnshire County Council highways team hard at work in Strait Bargate last Sunday, making good some of the damage caused by the wretched Into Town bus service by packing more sand beneath the sunken slabs to restore them to something like a level surface once again. However, that won’t make the problem go away. What will it cost to maintain the former pedestrian area every year or so – ad infinitum - when the solution is to reroute the damaging buses so that they no longer intrude into and poison our lives with fumes and noise pollution? We wonder whether any of the parties hoping to replace the Bypass Independents in May have any plans in this regard – but we somehow doubt it.
Bad news … and worse news … Given that council offices almost everywhere tend to be a focus for dislike and disdain, we find it hard to celebrate the borough council’s enthusiasm to incorporate the HM Revenue and Customs tax office in the Worst Street reception area. Perhaps opening a local police office might be a shrewd move in case of trouble.
And the question is? … The questionnaire issued by Boston Borough Council during its consultation sessions on the market place is now available online, and we would urge as many people as possible to make their feelings known. In fact if you feel very strongly about the plans you can complete the form as many times as you like, as there is no bar to multiple submissions. Aside from the fact that this makes the consultation totally worthless, there is one section that made us smile. It concerns the reintroduction of the Five Lamps feature, and asks: “If both versions are achievable, I would prefer: The first version (which would be a replica of the original, as it no longer exists) or the second version (which would be the original, refurbished to a good standard.) Hang on a mo … if the first version is a replica of an original that no longer exists, how is it then possible to refurbish the original ….. ?
Miles out … In the past we have accused the borough council of exaggeration when it comes to publicity. But for once, when they could have used a big number rather than a smaller one, they missed the opportunity. Under the headline “Nation's first council hero” the borough website reports that the Guardian newspaper has hailed its first national local government hero – who works for the borough. The report tells us that the paper is seeking “council workers who have gone the extra yard.” The common usage of this phrase is going the extra mile – and given the nature of the achievement, would have been wholly appropriate.
Last grasp … We note that a couple of BBI councillors voted in favour of an 85% increase in members’ allowances at a meeting earlier in the week. Looking on the bright side, we can only assume that they realise that their expectations of re-election are nil, and that the vote was nothing more than an early last hurrah.

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

Unanswered questions

about

Market Place plan

There’s been some lively debate on the plans to revamp Boston’s Market Place ever since Boston Borough Council published its “sketch impression” of what the £2 million scheme might look like when it is completed later in the year.

The longer people have to think about it, the clearer their ideas become.
Despite a vocal minority who expect to park their car within five feet of a shop,
we think that there is a groundswell of opinion to set parking at a minimum and to restrict it to the east side of the Market Place.
But there are still unanswered questions to be dealt with.
The sketch shows the market stalls grouped in a single area.
We think that this is a good idea, as it gives a stronger market “feel” on Wednesdays and Saturdays – but without over-cluttering the space and making life difficult for shoppers who want to use the ordinary shops.
However, there is no suggestion that this idea is a concrete one, and it would be nice to know for certain.
Again, relocating the taxi rank is a good idea, but what the drivers think about it hasn’t yet been disclosed.
Provision for just thirteen taxis makes sense, as there are often days when there are clearly no takers for a cab and the overspill from their current parking allocation causes problems for other drivers and pedestrians.
Having said that, the other day we counted more than twenty taxis plying for trade, and we wonder where the others will go once the Market Place is redesigned.
Street furniture is mentioned but without any specifics.
The current curvy blue monstrosities are well past their sell-by date and we need something that looks far more inviting, and far less “sixties” town centre in appearance.
A couple of thoughts in this respect:- if the chosen material could be self coloured, it would save regular repainting costs, and also avoid the steady decline in appearance as paint chips slowly away over time. And what about a design that makes it impossible for people to sit on the back with their feet on the seats, and also lets rainwater run off the seating?
No mention has been made of whether there are plans to replace the current market stalls, which are unattractive to say the least. Replacing the stalls for The Green market wrought a huge improvement, and a similar change to the main market is long overdue.
Central and crucial to all of this is the Five Lamps feature.
Please, please, don’t dump it on one of the bus stops used by that wretched, noisy, smelly, intrusive Into Town bus service, where is will be obscured to photographers by buses countless times a day.
You wouldn’t incorporate a bus stop into the Ingram Memorial would you?
Perhaps we shouldn’t have mentioned the idea …


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

Meet the Mayor?

Where’s your ticket?

Over the years the role of Boston’s Mayor has diminished bit by bit.
When it was first established in 1545 after Henry VIII incorporated the borough by Royal Charter, the Mayor was the chief magistrate, the coroner and the keeper of the town jail.
Now, aside from popping up by invitation at local events, and chairing the full council meeting, there is little else – even appearances in ceremonial dress are becoming fewer and further between.
Now it looks as though another nibble is to be taken from the office.
Tomorrow’s Performance Review Committee of the council is to discuss recommendations by the Way Forward Group (don’t you love all these talking shop titles?) recommending cuts in the cash used to support the office.
The current council cabinet structure - including the post of ceremonial Mayor – is costing £61,720 in the current financial year.
The Way Forward Group recommended asking the Chief Executive to reduce the costs of civic and mayoral budgets by 25-30% in 2011/12.
Some of the proposed cuts would be achieved “by the introduction of a charging policy for invited guests to relevant functions and assessment of invitations against agreed criteria” – in other words paying to attend events at which the mayor is taking part and turning down a few invitations.
It’s also proposed to hold yet another of the borough’s much-loved public consultations on civic and mayoral activity and expenditure to gauge public opinion on how better to direct future spend and activity.
This result of that exercise could well give the town’s great and good something of a shock – assuming anyone bothers to take part.
We are sure that many people in Boston haven’t a clue about the office of mayor, and most probably couldn’t care less.
There is little respect for authority figures of any kind these days, and even less for ones that are purely ceremonial.
We recall with a hint of sadness the sight of the Mayor and Mayoress lurking in the doorway of the Assembly Rooms as participants gathered for last year’s Remembrance Day service – a lone, curiously dressed couple that many people who saw them might have assumed had lost their way home after a fancy dress party.
Pomp without the circumstance.
The aim of all the reports is to deliver necessary savings “whilst retaining the importance of the history of Boston and the role of promoting the town.”
Sadly we think that this is a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Alternative options listed are to look for savings elsewhere, to retain the status quo, or to consider other options.
Frankly we think that this is an area where cuts must be made, as there can be no justification in the present economic climate for spending a penny more than is necessary on retaining the mayoral office.
But there is one thing that we are sure about.
The idea of buying a ticket for the chance to meet the Mayor is a complete non-starter.

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

Who goes there?

New debate urged

on council knees-up

The process of “calling in” a decision taken within Boston Borough Council is a safeguard aimed at preventing misuse of powers by a committee.
Because of the way the council is run, the Bypass Independent Party tends whenever possible to take decisions arbitrarily and with total disregard for opposing opinions or objections – hence the frequent use of this safety valve to make sure that the opposition gets its hour in the sun.
In the past, the mechanism has been used to re-examine decisions such as the creation of the totally pointless Roll of Achievement, and the “My Boston” project, which has still to spend more than £20,000 of government cash on the purpose for which was intended.
On Thursday the council’s Performance Review Committee will hear the call in of yet another cabinet steamroller decision on who should attend this year’s annual conference of the Local Government Association in Birmingham, and it follows something of a debacle over last year’s conference – when the venue was at the far more attractive seaside location of Bournemouth.
Regular readers may recall that Council Leader Richard Austin invited the leader of the largest opposition group – the Conservatives – to attend … an invitation which was politely declined.
Some observers told us that the conversation at the time also included mention of the possibility of the future avoidance by the opposition of call-ins of cabinet decisions -but they were too polite to assume a connection.
When the invitation was refused, the leader offered it to “the next biggest political group on the council” which through some abstruse creative political mathematics turned out to be his own party members who were not in the cabinet! Surprised observers were even more gobsmacked when by a serendipitous happenstance, the winner of a ballot among this 'group' to accompany the leader to Bournemouth, was the leader's wife.
No such opportunity for such fortuitous lightning to strike twice in the same place exists this time around, as last month’s cabinet meeting accepted the highly sensible and democratic recommendation of Chief Executive Richard Harbord to send a maximum of three elected members to the event at £519 a pop – plus expenses. The group will be cross-party comprising the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council, and the Leader of the largest opposition group - with substitutions if any of the postholders at the time cannot attend.
Whether the call in on this occasion is slightly tongue in check given last year’s history is not for us to say.
But the grounds for it are perfectly relevant.
The four councillors who want the decision re-examined – Conservative Michael Brookes, genuine Independent Richard Leggott, Independent/BNP member David Owens and the Better Boston Group’s Brian Rush – say that the decision was not one for the cabinet alone – but one for all groups and parties on Boston Borough Council.
The options open at Thursday’s meeting are not to call in the decision; to refer it back to the cabinet for reconsideration; or to refer the matter to the full council for debate.
As in the past, the result is a foregone conclusion, because if the committee agrees to call the decision in, the BBI stranglehold will ensure that the status quo maintains.
In Boston, it’s called local democracy.

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

It's enough to

make a sailor swear

If Boston Borough Council’s website is to be believed, then, - like the words of Belinda Carlisle - the borough is becoming a piece of heaven on earth.
Aside from the fact that we could be murdered for being different, we are told that in recent weeks Boston is “Best at crime reduction,” the “Country's best at getting fit,” and “Safer in the workplace.”
Not surprisingly, the credit for all this improvement appears to be largely due to the efforts of Boston Borough Council – although we have struggled to discover where it says that some of these responsibilities are within the remit of a local authority.
One would have thought that there were enough other issues which needed addressing in Boston without the council looking for jobs that are not really theirs.

The latest in this Niagara of good tidings is the news that we are now “Better behaved.”
Apparently, year on year, there has been a 33% reduction in incidents causing “fear and concern” and a 40% improvement between November 2010 and December 2010.
Anti-social behaviour incidents, such as swearing in the street, have reduced year on year by 20% with a monthly reduction between November and December of 34%.
We have previously raised an eyebrow at some of the claims made by the council.
Certainly, the Sport England statistics, which apparently dubbed us the best in the country at getting fit, were more than a little suspect when inspected more closely.
The crime figures at which we were “best” in reducing, were low to begin with, and again, are subject to considerable fluctuation which makes a single year’s result an unreliable indicator.
This latest boast claims to have reduced bad behaviour by “proactively” responding to reports of anti-social behaviour and to dealing with the offenders – i.e. sending a policeman.
Meanwhile, “hammering home the message that people do not have to put up with unacceptable behaviour” seems to involve dressing up as Darth Vader, or a badger, or – when the fancy dress hire fund is exhausted - sticking on an orange T shirt and calling yourself a member of the council’s “Tango team” …. whatever on earth that means! What next – Mr Floppy Bunny’s campaign for gentlemen to doff their flat caps when a lady approaches?
The problem we have with the latest good news figures is this: If someone starts effing and blinding in the street (yes, it occasionally happens in Boston) most people accept it as normal behaviour.
If any are offended and send for the police to run them in, the offence has already been committed – and so the statistics remain unchanged.
It is impossible to claim that swearing in the street has reduced in any way, shape or form – unless the powers that be are in every street, every day, all the time, reducing it … which they are not.
All that these figures mean is that fewer offences have been logged - which is  not the same as saying that fewer offences have been committed.
We know that it is the job of a council to make itself look good.
But treating us all like fools with phoney figures is not the way to go about it.
It’s enough to make you swear!

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 21st January

Our Friday miscellany

of the week's

news and events

You like it or you hate it ... Yesterday’s blog on BBI leader Richard Austin's latest efforts at making the party look as though it is achieving something produced “a thought or two” from Independent (yes, really Independent) Councillor Richard Leggott, who asked: “Why is Councillor Austin picking out Tory councillors as boycotters of Boston 200? How many of the BBI councillors stayed away? Possibly as many as the number of Conservative councillors on Boston Borough Council . And if all people who did not attend are boycotters, then 98+% of Boston must be labelled as such. And if half of those who did attend were from outside Boston, then it could be said that 99+% of the borough probably boycotted the event. This is assuming that Councillor Austin's figures of attendance (c.1,300) are correct and not double counting any visitor who popped out for a fag or the toilet and returned. As for the rest of Councillor Austin's desperate spin about the BBI Party 'achievements' it reminds me of someone spreading Marmite thickly on a round of toast in order to hide the fact that it is burnt. ( And you know what they say about Marmite- and the BBI!) Roll on May 5th.”
None too policed -1 …Our Tuesday blog about police budgets also posed the question of where Boston’s PCSOs are to be found – as they are seldom if ever seen out on our streets. The responses were interesting and did not pull their punches. One reader e-mailed to say: “I can tell you where these police officers and PCSOs are to usually found in Boston....parked in disabled parking bays (no prosecutions but a promise of a police donation to charity....I wish!) parking on bus stops (whilst popping in to the CCTV office for an hour long coffee with our 'eye on the town' waste of taxpayers money crew)  loitering on double yellows whilst collecting the shift curry supper (no payment seen to change hands...but this is now a police 'investigation I'm told...as if ; or ticketing my disabled blue badged car... five fixed penalty notices in the recent past... four of which were cancelled, eventually, because 'there is no evidence I parked the vehicle.'”
None too policed – 2 … Another reader asked:  "Did you note that two of the new PCSOs were actually the traffic wardens that used to patrol the town. As usual with the public sector, posts are lost but another is simply created to move people into rather than get rid of them. I have played with the budget predictor on the police website, I greatly reduced the spending on intelligence, it seemed to make no difference to the picture, which seems to confirm my thoughts that no matter what happens there seems to be little intelligence within Lincolnshire Police! How much did Lincolnshire Police pay someone to produce this piece of rubbish on their website? Could this money have been spent on a policeman?"
Water-bout it? … We read with interest that a £40 million pound plan to bring water to Boston from Anglian Water’s Covenham Reservoir near Louth aims to “secure” supplies in the expectation of a “significant” increase in the borough’s population over the next 25 years. Hands up those of you in the older parts of town who’d happily settle for decent water pressure now rather than plentiful supply a quarter of a century hence.
Value for money … Yet again Boston councillors defer a decision on increasing their allowances until after the elections in May. At present they get £2,378 – whilst other districts pay almost twice that. The vote to wait was passed by 23 to two, with two abstentions – which meant that five councillors – around 15% of the membership - couldn’t be bothered to attend. We’re sure that any who get returned will be there for the vote on a pay rise, but the issue raises another point. If – and it’s a big if – the BBI retained control of the council, we are sure they would call the pay rise a faircompensation for the work they do. If the Tories take control, any remaining BBI members will accuse the party of lining its members’ pockets. Either way, the timing is bad – but we do think that £2,378 a year for councillors who attend and do their fair share of committee and other duties is derisory and should be increased. There are also some who take the money but do a fraction of the work – perhaps payment could be pro-rata by attendance and responsibility, rather than flat rate.
My Town, My News, My Paper … So runs the slogan on the masthead of the Boston Standard. Inside, the waffle about the paper’s “Brighter Boston” feature promises among other things, to “Highlight organisations, businesses and attractions that will encourage visitors to come to Boston.” In that case, would someone please explain the feature on page 18 headed “Spring over to nearby Spalding for shopping?” As it happens, Spaldonians were less than enthusiastic about buying space to promote their services, leaving the Standard with a chunk of space to fill in which they dumped the long established Maude’s jewellers from Boston. We wonder how Maude’s feel about the decision. Another “Spalding feature” is already being promoted, and this – coupled with the Boston Target’s regular exhortation to shop in Louth makes us wonder where the loyalties of our local “newspapers” lie.
Remote control … Sill with the locals, we understand that our Boston Standard is now sub-edited remotely from a “hub” somewhere in the East Midlands. Could this explain why a letter to the editor this week referred to Boston’s “Market Square” no fewer than four times – including the headline? It could and should have been changed to “Market Place” but we wonder whether whoever handled the letter didn’t realise the mistake.
Roll on ... The recognition of boxer Callum Johnson’s achievement in winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, with the presentation of a Scroll of Honour is a nice thing to do – but we scarcely feel that it qualifies him as a “hero” of Boston. Callum also appears on the borough’s “Roll of Achievement.” A scroll and a roll in the space of a few weeks is going it some, and it reminded us about how feeble the Roll of Achievement is looking a couple of months after its launch. Can nothing be done to make this feature look relevant and interesting? If not, it should be consolidated into the “Famous Bostonians” feature that appears elsewhere on the borough’s website which itself should be better promoted.

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

Same old song -

same

old blame game

The BBI appears to have woken from its winter hibernation with a blog – the first this year – and one that actually mentions the ‘B’ word.
The entry on the Bostoninnies blogsite is signed by party leader Richard Austin …  and the ‘B’ word is, of course, the bypass word.
Councillor Austin starts his message in confident form.
“There is no doubt when the present road widening scheme is completed it will help to reduce traffic congestion in Boston. That is why the BBI group backed it, having negotiated many modifications to the original plan. However the people of the Borough know that an outer relief road for the town is still required long term, to relieve the traffic congestion.”
We note that the party is now no longer claiming credit for the instigation of this scheme – merely claiming to have modified it.
Next we move into the business of blame. The usual suspects take the fall in the form of Conservatives at every level – not just in recent years … but for decades.
And apparently they’re still at it.
“… they have done it again! None of them has made any significant positive contribution to getting this outer relief road. They are still asleep on the job! They simply bleat ‘What no Bypass!’”
Cue music: William Tell overture.
“By contrast the BBI group have achieved what they promised in 2007. BBI promised the electorate to bring to the attention of the County, the Region and Westminster the huge public demand for better roads. The dramatic election result alone achieved this goal when BBI won 78% of the Borough Council seats. It was followed up with a lobby to Westminster and a debate in Parliament.”
All of this has led to the famous “distributor” road concept as a replacement for a bypass.
Now it appears that the bulk of the funding for this will come from developers, who presumably will chip in with a contribution as a condition of getting planning permission to build.
Hmmmm.
That’s all very fine in another economic climate, but somehow we doubt that builders will be rushing to build in Boston in the foreseeable future.
Councillor Austin concludes that Boston has suffered in recent years because of policies regarding flood risk.
But thanks to (you’ve guessed it) Boston 200 everyone is now convinced that Boston is at much less risk from flooding than the rest of the east coast.
Stand by for a land rush!
But the chance to point the finger of scorn remains too good to miss.
“Sadly Conservative Councillors boycotted the event!”
A plague on those evil Tories!
We’re disappointed in Councillor Austin’s blog for the obvious reasons.
It is simply a rehearsal of the old hollow promises and pointing the same arthritic finger of blame.
Read it closely, and you will realise that it promises nothing for the future.
As we said earlier, this is the BBI’s first blog of the year, and last year there were a mere 42 – not exactly what you’d call mass communication.
Forty-two?
Perhaps the BBI’s blogmaster is a fan of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – where 42 was the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything – except, apparently, our promised bypass!
The same blog is published in the BBI supporting Boston Standard with one slight alteration.
Whereas Councillor Austin says there is “no doubt” that the road widening scheme will help to reduce traffic congestion in Boston…” the Standard version omits the words “there is no doubt ….” Do they know something we don’t …?

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

Hate Crime:

JUST Lincolnshire

chief hits back

Our blog of January 13th “Anti-hate campaign is crime against Boston's image” – has brought a swift response from Paul Elliott, the Chief Executive of JUST Lincolnshire.
In an e-mail to Boston Eye, he says: “Hate crime, like domestic violence, is a crime which we would prefer not to think about, or believe exists in our civilised and orderly society.
“Over recent years there have been great advances in recognition and support given to victims of domestic violence and to their families, but despite this what may not be commonly known is that an average victim of domestic violence has suffered more than 30 instances of abuse before he or she comes forward to the police or another agency to ask for help.
“There is anecdotal evidence that there may be a similar level of under reporting with hate crime, which may be due to the fact that people don’t know how to report it; don’t think they will be taken seriously by the authorities; or are scared and have been used to putting up with it and suffering in silence.
“A hate crime is any crime motivated by hatred or dislike of a person because of their race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity; or it could be just because of the way they look, their age or the lifestyle they follow.
“Examples may be when a person is assaulted because they are gay, a disabled person or someone with a learning disability is verbally abused, property is damaged because the owner is Muslim or is black, etc.
“The only difference between a hate crime and any other type of crime is the way it can be dealt with a court, in that the judge or magistrate may impose a greater sentence when it appears that the motivation for the crime was based upon hatred.
“It is believed that reported hate crime figures in Lincolnshire – not just Boston - do not reflect the true level offences that are being committed.
“The proactive hate crime campaign activity in Boston is part of a county wide initiative to improve awareness and encourage reporting of hate crime following the launch of the Lincolnshire Hate Crime Strategy in October 2010 and is in line with the Cross-Government Action Plan on Hate Crime of 2009.
“The campaign is certainly not a ‘crime against Boston’s image’, but an opportunity for people to become more aware of hate crime, know how to report it and be able to offer support to the small minority of people who are victims to make our already pleasant county an even better, safer and fairer place to live.
“More information about the strategy can be found at www.justlincolnshire.org.uk and hate crime can be reported, (anonymously if wished), through www.stophateuk.org .”
Boston Eye is grateful to Mr Elliott for his response.
But we re-emphasise what we said at the time. We agree that hate crime is a bad thing and do not condone it.
What we were criticising was the way that Boston so often over-eggs campaign puddings such as this.
Between now and September it would seem that the words “hate crime” and “Boston” will be frequently and inextricably linked, and the problem over emphasised in proportion to its incidence in the borough – even allowing for the greater figures that Mr Elliott claims may exist.
This has a deleterious effect on the borough’s image and reputation – which is something that we do not need. It may also generate allegations of crime where none exist.
Campaign and publicise by all means – but do not create a climate of excessive fear.
We are old-fashioned here at Boston Eye.
Our argument against excessive campaigning is one against the growing trend to try to standardise people and their behaviour.
It is supported by the lead story in yesterday's Daily Mail  headed "30,000 pupils branded as bigots: Teachers log 'racist' and 'homophobic' jibes in playground squabbles, even at nursery."
It reported: "More than 10,000 primary school pupils in a single year have been labelled racist or homophobic over minor squabbles. Even toddlers in nursery classes are being penalised for so-called hate crimes such as using the words ‘white trash’ or ‘gaylord’. Schools are forced to report their language to education authorities, which keep a register of incidents.
"This leads to at least 30,000 primary and secondary pupils per year being effectively classed as bigots because of anti-bullying rules.
"The school can also keep the pupil’s name and ‘offence’ on file. The record can be passed from primaries to secondaries or when a pupil moves between schools at the request of the new head. And if schools are asked for a pupil reference by a future employer or a university, the record could be used as the basis for it, meaning the pettiest of incidents has the potential to blight a child for life.
"Figures for the year 2008-9 were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the civil liberties group, the Manifesto Club.
"They show 29,659 racist incidents reported by schools to local education authorities in England and Wales. Of these, 10,436 were at primary schools and 41 at nursery schools."
Is this stupid - or is this STUPID?
"The Manifesto Club report’s author, Adrian Hart, said: ‘I feel that childhood itself is under attack. It’s absolutely the case that these policies misunderstand children quite profoundly. ‘Racist incident reporting generates the illusion of a problem with racism in Britain’s schools by trawling the everyday world of playground banter, teasing, childish insults – the sort of things that every teacher knows happens out there in the playground.’"
You can read more at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1348089/30-000-pupils-branded-racist-homophobic-bigots-teachers-nursery.html#ixzz1BOdNnIpn

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

Cops can make

cuts - they

just don't want to

The latest stunt by Lincolnshire Police to persuade us that they can’t make cuts comes in the form of a “budget simulator,” which is accessible through the Police Authority website.
Participants have a budget of just over £125 million and have to choose how to cut or enhance services by up to plus or minus 25% in areas of local policing, dealing with the public, criminal justice arrangements, road policing, specialist operations, investigative support, national policing, support functions police authority, intelligence and specialist investigations.
The force needs to make £11 million of savings in the next two years, which means that 130 officers need to be axed.
Amazingly, Lincolnshire County Council – which itself is facing major cuts – has agreed to find £1,500,000 to continue funding police community support officers, of which there are now 150 across the county.
On a local level Boston has just acquired another six of these chocolate soldiers – and we would love to know where they are found to be on regular patrol.
A couple of years ago a cost analysis of PCSOs in Lincolnshire showed that they issued just 15 fines in three years - which at the time meant that each fixed penalty notice cost more than £650,000 in public money.

Do they expect us to take them
seriously with illustrations like this?

Here, clearly is an area where the force could save money – but instead it chooses to pick the pockets of council taxpayers by trading on the entirely illusory notion that these people do some good.

Back to the “budget simulator”. If you want to have a go, the requirement is to cut costs by five per cent before your calculations are analysed and turned into a graphic to illustrate the effects.

Invariably, it produces something like the picture on the right. The name of the game appears to put people in fear that cuts will bring chaos to policing in Lincolnshire – but we think that this is being disingenuous.

Lincolnshire Police are well able to absorb cuts – just like other organisations in the county.
They recently produced a 24 hour “diary” of the demands on the service for a 24 hour people beginning at noon on Saturday November 27th.
Boston featured 41 times out of 133 events.
Two of these calls were for the heinous crime of throwing snowballs at cars. The more serious involved traffic accidents and - inevitably for Boston - public order offences such as drunkenness and assault.
Of course, no two days are the same, but we suspect this diary of the “demands” on our local police is fairly typical.
Please, Lincolnshire Police, don’t try to tell us that you can save money fairly easily – especially in Boston.

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

Not bad – but not bold

And too much emphasis

on bus stops

It’s a bit like opening a Christmas parcel and finding a couple of tangerines and a few walnuts when you expected an X-box.

You are disappointed.

And that’s what we were when Boston Borough Council unwrapped its £2 million package to refurbish the town’s Market Place.

The first big question that we have is: “How on earth are these proposals going to cost two million pounds?”

A new pedestrian crossing, a break in the wall by the Ingram Memorial, a few pieces of street furniture and a couple of outdoor eating areas don’t cost a fortune.

A reproduction of the Five Lamps is a good but obvious idea, - but again, not that expensive.

We note with horror the suggestion that the Five Lamps should share its space with a platform for the Into Town bus service – which would be mirrored by a similar platform across the road.

It’s come to a pretty pass when the streetscape is dominated by a couple of bus stops – with the addition of an historic feature almost as an afterthought.

If there must be bus platforms, lets at least try to make give them character – something like the pier-style shelter pictured on the right.

At least the idea of banning parking from the west side of the Market Place completely is a good one – particularly as it would do away with the present ridiculous situation where a road bisects the current parking area – making it hazardous for pedestrians and car users alike.

But whatever happened to the reports that appeared with views of idyllic market places in Holland that we were told would be so appropriate here in Boston?
Although no mention is made at all of surfacing of the streets and roads in the information issued so far, we understand that there will be extensive use of York paving – which may make the area look overly grey and dull.
The photograph below is of an engraving of Boston Market Place in the 1840s - if you click on it you will see a larger version..

It’s hard to visualise it in colour, but the preferred shades of Georgian times were those picture below.

The look of the Market Place today is depressing. Most of the buildings need a new coat of paint – and we wonder if any thought has been given to asking their occupants if they could co-operate in this simple solution that would enhance the look of the Market Place a hundredfold.
Perhaps Boston Borough Council could lead the way by repainting the Assembly Rooms?
Another thing for the longer term is the look of the shop fronts themselves.
These days designers opening shops in market towns tend to adopt what they think of as and old fashioned “traditional” look – like the one pictured below, which is cheap to produce and maintain.

The trouble is that everyone latches on to the same idea, so we wind up with rows of identical looking shops – other examples not far from this one include Timpson’s, Thorntons, and the Carphone Warehouse. And signage needs improving if the Market Place is to regain its Geoprgian feel.
The plans for the Market Place are better that we feared they might be – but they are not much to write home about given the time and cost involved over the past few years looking for a solution which are told will make or break the town’s future.
We fear that it is already to late to anticipate that the design issued by the council will alter very much as it is a matter of months before work is due to start.
But who knows – it may end up looking better than the impression being given so far.

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

The week in words

The words most used in Boston Eye this week

Click on the photo to enlarge it

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 14th January

Our Friday miscellany

of the week's

news and events

Rough with the smoothie …We are sorry to see that – after triumphing over the petty planning rules – Boston’s smoothie bar in Dolphin Lane seems to have closed. Certainly, when we passed by the other day it appeared to have been completely cleared of fixtures and fittings. Doubtless a glass of something stronger than milk is being raised in Worst Street. The apparent closure comes just as Dolphin Lane was starting to look very presentable – apart, that is, from the atrocious display which is part of Poundstretcher. Perhaps a word in the store manager’s ear might improve things?  STOP PRESS - this morning decorators moved into the shop, so we are hoping for a refit rather than a replacement owner.  Watch this space...
Take once weekly ... Now that Boston’s binmen have won praise from a government minister for battling the elements to carry on working during the recent heavy snow, we wonder how the Borough will react to reports that ministers are to encourage councils to abandon fortnightly rubbish collections and revert to weekly ones. Then we remembered that back in August the portfolio holder for bins, Councillor Dave Hobson, reminded us that he was “encouraged” by the “support” of local people for the fortnightly scheme. We wonder who he asked!
In your own time … After our comments last week on postal deliveries in Boston and the long absence of service over the Christmas and New Year period, we heard of one household where seventeen items were delivered on Friday 7th January – four of them subscription magazines which are never published simultaneously. Is Boston unique in having such a poor postal service? It does seem that Royal Mail delivers to suit itself, rather than the customers.
Whipping up debate … Another piece last week referred to the letter to the local “newspapers” from Councillor Alison Austin who joined other councillors in protesting how easygoing the BBI is, and that members are never forced to vote in a way that they don’t want to. A reader commented: “This letter seems to mean different things to different people. The only comment made to me regarding her letter indicated that many readers are interpreting her words as an acknowledgement that, although BBI includes the word Independent, members are, in many instances expected to vote en bloc whatever their independent views. Is this, or is it not, a form of whipping?”
International relations … An e-mail comes all the way from South Africa where a Boston Eye reader is keeping up to date with his old home town.  "As much as I try, I am unable to get rid of the image of Councillor Austin kneeling before a growing hole in the dyke whilst his finger seems to grow ever smaller. I wonder whether the Boston of the future (if it survives that long under the present regime) will not regard the current flood of Boston Borough Council incompetence as more damaging than that of the more comprehensible flood of 1810? Just an idle deliberation on Boston's vulnerability to unhindered swells.”
Cashing in … Another e-mail, this time from a local business, comes up with an idea for raising funds locally in these straitened times. “Your piece on red traffic light jumpers struck a chord with me. Considering the amount of assistance Boston Borough Council gives to the local police with CCTV and the recent musings on overseeing the May Fair, why don`t we record these jumpers and agree a 50/50 cut of the fines? We could even apply a rate of return for the odd prison absconder or miscreant acting badly, and it is obvious there must be a fortune to be had for illegal parking on constant double yellow parking along the length of West Street day and night. Whilst we’re about it, why don’t we check vehicles for invalid tax discs and out of date MOT`s, faulty lights, or bald tyres? We could really go private and set charges to seek out lost pets, stolen bikes, shoplifters, unfaithful partners. What about getting a cut of the price of all the private car sales along old High Street?”
Tomb it may concern … The irrepressibly dead Herbert Ingram bounces back from beyond with an observation on how Boston marks historic events. An e(ther)-mail says: “I note with interest that there was an exhibition of the anniversary of Boston being flooded but there is to be no celebration of the 200th anniversary of my birth in May 1811 here in Boston - self trumpet blowing was one of my ‘skills.’ Boston Borough Council was made an offer that volunteers (including Ingram family members, Illustrated London News Group and the Boston Victorian Cemetery Trust) would happily organise an event and that the council would not be asked for funding, only practical in-house support. There was absolutely no response. They responded to queries about tidying up my grave in the Victorian Cemetery and said they WILL NOT be doing anything because I am now officially a ‘nature so reserve.’ So my position as Boston's ‘Old Man’ is now redundant......as if I never contributed to this town’s growth and improvement. Does Boston have a possible contender for the position? Mr Austin perhaps? Might I nominate, from the beyond, him for his own role please? - Herbert Ingram Esq. Deceased and in Disgust...still.
VAT boiling over … After a welcome absence for a couple of issues, the Mouth of the Haven is back in the letters column of both the Boston Standard and Boston Target, with an attack on the former Labour government and the coalition increase on VAT – described as enforcing “their real New Year resolutions on the people of Boston.” Although the letter is signed “Councillor” Ramonde Newell of the BBI, we cannot for the life of us think what this frothing fomentation of political invective has to do with local politics or the BBI. It’s just another way to get this councillor and his party’s name in the papers – which sensible editors should recognise as the cheap campaigning ploy it is and consign the letter to the bin.
Watch this space ... A new blog  called Watching Lincolnshire County Council has hit the internet to keep an eye on our masters in Lincoln. If you want to take a look you’ll find it by clicking here 
‘Old on – that’s a good idea … Stephen Glover devoted his entire column in yesterday’s Daily Mail to an attack on the BBC and the corporation’s attitude to older staff. He concluded: “The BBC’s Creative Director Alan Yentob, who at nearly 64 is himself no spring chicken and perhaps a candidate for retirement, has said: ‘What we’ll be saying to Miriam O’Reilly is if she wants to, we’d like to talk about further opportunities for employment.’ Oh yes? I expect she will be offered a job reading the news on Radio Lincolnshire.” Speaking for many listeners to our local station, Boston Eye would be grateful to hear someone on Radio Lincolnshire who can actually read a news bulletin.
Last word - but the wrong one ... Finally, we are grateful to the Boston Target for this week’s misuse of English contribution. Beneath the headline: “Help Pilgrims to find their new mascot an win VIP match day treat as prize” the papers asks “Do you have a flare for names and an eye for design?” If you do, perhaps you might consider redesigning the much-loved flared trousers of the sixties – for which you would need flair.


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

Anti-hate campaign
is crime against
Boston's image

We mentioned yesterday that the current obsession with Boston’s past history of flooding can work against the town by highlighting problems that no longer exist.
Why the borough has such a death wish is beyond us – but it now seems to be doing it again.
A few days ago a press release highlighted the fact that Boston’s crime figures last month show the county’s greatest percentage decrease.
Good news at last.
We commented at the time that when studied closely, crime in the borough was not really that much to worry about, but still felt comfortable that at last Boston was getting a reputation for something encouraging for a change.
But now – under the headline “Murdered because she was ‘different’” – the borough is promoting a visit by the mother of a Lancashire girl who was killed “because she was a Goth” to talk about hate crime.
She will address a “Learning from Experience” session at Boston Borough Council next Tuesday - coinciding with Hate Crime week – and there will be other sessions during the week – including one to launch the Boston Community Showcase the following day – so doubtless we will be hearing about hate crime right the way through until the group’s annual knees up in Central Park in September.
Specially-invited audiences will include representatives from agencies, public voluntary groups, students, and councillors, members of the public and other relevant professionals.
East Lincolnshire Community Safety Partnership has raised as a “priority” for this year a campaign to raise awareness of hate crime
Boston’s principal community safety officer Peter Hunn, says the Tuesday session will include an overview of the newly-launched Hate Crime Strategy for Lincolnshire.
He added: “I am sure that this session will not only be informative but will also be very emotive. We really do need to get as many staff as possible on this session, in particular front-line members of staff.”
The way all this is presented paints a picture of Boston as the new hate crime capital possibly not just of Lincolnshire but of a much wider area.
People attending these sessions are going to have the fear of God put into them and most likely will see hate crime around every corner – most probably where none exists.
Just how bad is hate crime in Lincolnshire?
The figures below are for 2009 – the last available year of publication – produced by ACPO … the Association of Chief Police Officers. Click on the graphic to enlarge it.

A total of 298 just hate crimes across a county with a population of around 600,000 – a fraction of one per-cent. How significant it is in Boston is unknown.
Yes, hate crime is a very bad thing.
But why, once again, has Boston chosen to make such a fuss about something that is not really such a big issue.
It will get lots of publicity – but for all the wrong reasons – and yet again, will give the borough a bad name which it doesn’t deserve .

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

Time to stem

this flood saga

We’ll have more to say about the proposed revamp of Boston Market Place next week, as we still have a couple of outstanding issues from the Christmas/New Year break to deal with.
But a quick glance at the plans suggests that – at the thick end of £2 million – this will be the most expensive re-arrangement of deckchairs on the Titanic that Boston has ever seen.
But back to business.
This year marks the 201st anniversary of the last serious flooding in Boston.
How do we know that?
Because of Boston Borough Council’s ceaseless obsession to ram last year’s exhibition marking the 200th anniversary down our throats – even though it came and went more than two months ago.
News of Boston 200 has appeared in every borough bulletin since last August, and we have lost count of the number of words that have been lavished on what was nothing more than a bog-standard collection of display boards that drew a paltry 1,300 visitors over four days.
Now, instead of slowly sinking down the borough’s website like a waterlogged piece of flotsam, it has bobbed back up the list, and seems unwilling to go away.
Proclaiming a “virtual tour” of the exhibition, the site links to a commercial video – including a generous plug to buy one.
In fact, nothing will stop us from rushing out to get our copy of “Mud, dykes and draglines” before they fly off the shelves.
There is also a link to a thirty-three page file.
Boston 200 was the creation and obsession of council leader Richard Austin - and apart from that, we can think of no reason why it should receive such disproportionate publicity.
It popped up recently in a letter to the local papers, which addressed a number of other contentious local issues.
For once, Councillor Austin found himself in agreement with the Conservative opposition leader when he acknowledged Boston’s lacklustre Christmas lights.
But he still tried to blame this on someone else.
The lights were bought some years ago by “the last Tory-led administration,” he said. Technically this is correct, although Boston has been under “no overall control” since local government re-organisation in 1973 – a total of nine elections before the BBI stole the council under false pretences.
Moving on, Councillor Austin takes on the Boston 200 exhibition.
It appears that “it has become difficult for us to judge its value” because of a “boycott” by the Tory councillors. A variation of “a big boy did it and ran away.”
Finally he defends his other pet project – the Roll of Achievement.
From being a major feature of borough life it is now dismissed as “simply a page on the borough website that anyone can use” to give any Tom, Dick or Harry a plug. It sounds as though he has rapidly become bored with the project.
One final observation: In the early days, the borough website vacillated between spellings – using both “Role” and “Roll” of Achievement.
Councillor Austin’s letter to the Boston Target appeared with the spelling “Role” in both instances.
Councillor Austin’s letter to the Boston Standard sees the first instance corrected to “Roll” and the second amended to the pronoun “it.”
We shudder to suggest it – but was it Councillor Austin who didn’t know the correct spelling of his own creation?
Boston 200 was ok as an exhibition – but to continue to force it on to us in the way that is happening send only one message- “Come to Boston – flood capital of the country.”

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

Put us down for

some of these jobs ...

Jobs seem to be making the headlines in Boston at the moment …
First there is the job sharing scheme under which the council’s recently appointed Director of Resources, Rob Barlow, will be dividing his working week equally between Boston Borough and East Lindsey District Council.
This is now being trumpeted by the borough as a brilliant money saving initiative. According to a press release (slavishly repeated in the local “newspapers”) savings of “around” £43,000 are being made in Boston - although the figure according to East Lindsey is £58,000 a year.
If a £15,000 higher difference constitutes “around” in council parlance, then it comes as no surprise that the borough is so far down Queer Street that it needs a map to find its way out.
Readers may recall that the news was broken by Boston Eye.
We took some stick for this, as it was felt by some of the great and the good within the authority that such negotiations should be kept confidential – in this case not only from Boston taxpayers, but also from other councillors.
In fact the information was in the public domain – in East Lindsey District Council agenda papers – although we hear that Boston Chief Executive Richard Harbord was miffed that East Lindsey opted to be open and transparent rather than follow the example so often set by his own authority.
Mr Barlow must scarcely can scarcely have got his feet on the desk before talks about sharing his job were underway, which leads us to a major unanswered question.
At the time the job was advertised , was it known that it would only command the post holder’s attention for half his working week?
If so, why was the vacancy filled when there must have been alternatives available.
If not, what has changed in a few short months that means the full time attention of one of the borough’s most senior and highly paid officers is now no longer required?
At the opposite end of the job market, Boston Borough Council’s website is advertising the post of a volunteer co-ordinator for the “Master Gardener” programme - “a vibrant network of volunteer ‘Master Gardeners’ who encourage and support people and communities to grow their own food … on newly established schemes at community sites, as well as in their own gardens, allotments, windowsills, etc.”
We guess that this is linked with the recent visit by Doctor David Bellamy to launch the “Grow2Eat” and “Cook4Life” initiative – which whilst it might improve people’s gardening and culinary skills will do little to help their grasp of language and spelling.
Who knows? Perhaps the produce from this latest waste of time and money will wind up on the tables at Boston’s next one - the proposed Healthy Eating Café, which now seems almost sure to inherit a chunk of the government cash allocated to improving the look of the town centre which appears to have conveniently gone unspent.
Finally, we note that Boston College is looking for a new principal, as the incumbent for the past six years – Sue Daley - is taking early retirement.
Apparently, the successful applicant to run the town’s premier school of hairdressing will need to demonstrate fourteen “competencies.”
And the salary?
Up to £115,000.
That’s £8,200 a competency.
Yes. We thought so too.

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

Living up to
one's
name
Here at Boston Eye we’re old enough to remember the days when councillors thought that ownership of the title made them masters rather than servants of the public.
We had thought that those days were happily long gone – but it appears that there has been something of a flashback in the shape of Councillor Richard Dungworth - portfolio holder for regeneration, planning, sport and cultural services.
“The outrageous behaviour of Councillor Dungworth continues unabated,” we are informed by Better Boston Group councillor Brian Rush.
“What he demonstrated yet again at last Tuesday’s Performance Review Committee was his inability to properly understand his political responsibility as portfolio holder for sport.
“In the full glare of the local press, two senior council officers, and the Chair of Boston Sports Initiative, Dennis Bell, he blew a gasket.
• Refusing to pay proper respect to the questioning of a fellow councillor.
• Accusing the chair of being insensitive to an undeclared disability.
• Refusing to leave the meeting when requested by the chair.
• Laughing and insulting two council members who decided to extricate themselves from the meeting due to his disrespectful behaviour.
• Finally telling the committee chair to shut up.
“It must be stated that this cross-party committee had previously set down, and agreed unanimously, a time framed request for information from the board of the Boston Sports Initiative relating to performance figures, in order to consider future funding, hence the presence of Mr. Bell.
“It is also important to note that Councillor Dungworth had stated at a previous meeting that funding was already being linked to performance, and that amounts were set accordingly.
“It has since been proven that no such evaluation had taken place since January 2010.
“The least that one could now rightly expect is that Councillor Richard Austin seeks to interview all those present, including Councillor Alison Austin, and Councillor John Grant, both Boston Bypass Independents Party, with a view to the possible removal of Councillor Dungworth from Cabinet.”
The recommendation from the meeting was to suspend BSI funding with immediate effect.
The only BBI-er that remained was Councillor John Grant - and he agreed to the recommendation, so we will note his future actions with interest.


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

The week in words

The words most used in Boston Eye this week

Click on the photo to enlarge it

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 7th January

Our Friday miscellany

of the week's

news and events

The lady doth protest too much … We note that Councillor Alison Austin is the latest member of the BBI to write to the local “newspapers” to tell them how free party members are to follow their consciences and that they are not subjected to a party whip. If these facts were as clear as she says, we wonder why she and other BBI members feel the need to tell the world so often. Perhaps in the hope that we’ll eventually believe it? It would be nice to hear these claims from someone other than the leader, his wife and the party’s mouthpiece – perhaps a rank and file member could speak up if ordered to?
It quango as far as we’re concerned … We note with little sadness that the tourism group Visit Lincolnshire may vanish as a result of county council cuts. Last year it spent more than £1,500,000 “promoting” the county – but we have always found it somewhat lacking when it came to giving Boston a fair share of the publicity cake. Instead the county is suggesting “investing in the product” – i.e. putting money into the locality, which we hope will do far more than what the group has achieved so far. The proposal to withdraw funding will go out to public consultation ahead of a decision in February. Proof of how valued the organisation is was reflected in a petition handed to Lincolnshire County Council supporting Visit Lincolnshire earlier this week. It contained just 100 signatures. ‘Nuff said.
Lies, damn lies and statistics - 1 … If you take a detailed look at the Sport England figures being trumpeted on the Boston Borough Council website (“Country’s best at getting fit”) you will notice that they aren’t quite as good as proclaimed. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop portfolio holder for Regeneration, Planning, Sport and Cultural Services Richard Dungworth bragging about it on the BBC Lincolnshire Breakfast Show on Wednesday. Sadly, the best he could come up with was that 200 people were now members of walking groups – which scarcely sounds much of a breakthrough. When asked if he walked to work, he pleaded ‘flu – then unfortunately for proponents of the Into Town bus services – added “like most rural areas our transport system is not the best, so unfortunately I’m one of the car users.” He also listed a string of meetings as a handicap to his “time schedule” - adding … “as borough councillors we really do have to work hard you know.” We think that this was intended as a joke. Look out for more bon mots from Councillor Dungworth on Monday.
Lies, damn lies and statistics - 2 … Not only did the fitness figures seem a little suss … the same is true of the crime figures published by the borough. The level of crime is really quite low, and so a further reduction – however small – can appear disproportionably big. For instance fall in crimes of fraud and forgery from six to four is a drop of 30% - but isn’t really much of a problem to begin with. Is it our imagination or is the borough guilty of making mountains from molehills simply to look good? And why is the borough council issuing crime statistics, when it is the job of Lincolnshire Police? Stealing someone else's thurnder, perhaps?
Post - not haste ... Hands up those among us who - whilst delighting in the year-round dodging of Boston's bicycling postmen on our pavements and footpaths - noticed their conspicuous absence when we really needed them in the run up to Christmas and in the brief delivery window between then and the New Year. The worst example we have received to date is the receipt of a Christmas card posted on 14th December which reached its destination on New Year's Eve - a mere two weeks after posting. Royal Mail's "service" in Boston is bad at the best of times - but (forgive us Mr Dickens) in the worst of times it excels itself for poorness of quality... If Boston's refuse collectors can brave the elements and deliver an almost normal service when bad weather strikes - despite their ailing vehicle fleet - then Postman Pratt has no excuse – other than that he simply couldn’t be bothered.
Value for money? … The Boston Standard sets another record this week. The paper that seems to bring you less and less with every edition is charging 45p for just forty pages – which at more than a penny a page must be the most expensive edition pro rata to date. It also falls hook, line and sinker, for the borough’s handout on how the council has solved the local crime problem. Surely, if dressing up as Batman and Robin and a couple of Star Wars storm troopers was all it took, everyone would be doing it. Once again, the BBI’s spokesman Councillor Ramonde Newell is quick to claim the credit for his council, and one can almost hear the grudging tone of voice when he gives Boston Police a name check.
Tale back … Meanwhile a writer to the Boston Target lists the endless parade of big ideas from the past fifteen years aimed at putting Boston “on the map.” They include an arts area in Red Lion Street, the West Street revamp with a new college building, the Guildhall fiasco, and the Haven gallery fiasco. What the town really needs, according to the writer, is what the Target calls a “multi-story” car park. Surely we’ve heard enough stories already.
Queue’s who? … Oldrids claim that queues formed outside their stores for the Boxing Day sale. Are they sure they haven’t confused Strait Bargate’s latest homeless resident with an over-enthusiastic shopper?

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

Our New Year message to voters:-

Don't be tricked  by the BBI

Once again local people have been treated to a “message from the council leader” on Boston Borough Council’s website and in the local   “newspapers.”.
But when looked at more closely, it is less a message and more an opening salvo in the battle for control of the council at this year’s election on 5th May – just four months away.
One would expect a council leader to write in a general tone about the work of the authority as we enter a new year – but the opportunity to bang the BBI drum seems to have been just too good to miss.
Lines such as: - “It is satisfying to note that most of the many other manifesto items identified in 2007 have been well progressed or completed,” show quite clearly that Councillor Richard Austin is writing in the context of his party and not the council that he leads.
It underlines the fact that despite the existence of opposition groups, Boston Borough Council is in fact an oligarchy run by a small elite.
All of which brings us to the point of today’s blog – a New Year message of our own.
This is an election year, and in several ways, the campaigning has begun –dominated by the BBI, as they begin the relatively brief task of imprinting their party on the minds of the electorate.
Scarcely a week goes by without a letter from one of more senior BBI figure appearing in or both of our local papers.
By and large the only time we see letters from any of the various opposition groups they are in response to a lead made by the BBI – which makes the writers appear wrong-footed and defensive.
The BBI has cleverly muddied the waters with its involvement with the Independent Network as a member empowered to endorse “independent” candidates locally. The fact that the BBI fails to meet many of the strict but fair criteria for membership seems to have bothered neither them, nor the Independent Network – which puts that organisation’s credibility in serious doubt.
However, it creates an opportunity for the BBI to entrap would-be councillors who feel that they are becoming part of an independent organisation, when the reverse is the case.
The six weeks before an election is known as purdah, when the government cannot publicise initiatives which might influence a voter’s choice, and candidates also have to exercise restraint.
However, there is nothing to stop campaigning from now until the start of that embargo.
As we have already observed, the BBI is taking maximum advantage of the local press as a means of blowing its trumpet.
But the opposition groups remain largely supine.
The largest of these – the Conservatives – should not assume that they will regain the seats they lost in 1997. Similarly, Labour, which was routed with the loss of all its seats, cannot realistically to gain much, if anything.
We think that both parties are wrongly assuming that after being so badly let down by the BBI local voters will revert to their national political persuasions. The departing Labour government has tarnished the party name for years to come, whilst the Tories and Lib Dems will lose popularity as the economic cuts begin to bite in the months ahead.
Boston’s opposition also includes the Better Boston Group – formed by a disaffected faction which fell out with the BBI. But it exists in name only – and is a completely unknown quantity to voters. To achieve anything by way of success in May, the BBG needs to start campaigning … now.
We also have a handful of independents, who are genuinely entitled to use the name – but we need more of these.
Complacency, inaction, leaving campaigning until the last minute could very well put the BBI back in power – gloating their way through another four years in office.
You have been warned!

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

A happy New Year

to all readers of

Boston Eye.

We'll be back on

6th January