Don't let Boston get trapped in time

We’ve mentioned before the perception that Boston is seen as being in something of a time warp – a medieval town trapped in amber for visitors to come to enjoy, where tourism holds the key to prosperity.
But is this really the image we should be settling for?
Time and again, we see Boston’s “heritage” trumpeted – but what does it really comprise?
Whilst comparisons are made between Boston and York – often by people who really should know better – this is really comparing chalk and cheese.
We have Boston Stump, the Guildhall – now sadly spoiled by its “restoration” - and … er … Fydell House, which is nothing much to write home about, and the Maud Foster Windmill.
In Lincolnshire as a whole, 80% of the workforce is employed in one of just six areas.
Twenty-seven percent are in government services – which means the council or district councils) 18% work in the retail and wholesale sectors – shops - while 14% are in financial and business services – banks and building societies.
The agri-food industry accounts for just 10% of the workforce - almost three times the England average, followed by non-food manufacturing at 8% and tourism at the bottom of the list with 7%.
The employment situation sums up Boston problems in a nutshell – and if we are to avoid unemployment rising in the years ahead, the time to do something is now.
Government services are a contracting rather than expanding area – as is the financial sector.
Shops will always be there – but don’t we want better for the next generations than an eight hour grind behind a Tesco checkout?
Manufacturing has never been a Lincolnshire industry in this part of the world – and even if we got our bypass at some distant point in the future it seems unlikely that serious manufacturing will ever find its way here.
Even the food industry in slowly becoming less labour intensive, and more jobs in this area are being taken by migrant labour rather than the traditional gangmaster core.
Tourism – with such a small share of the jobs market – is not really the basket in which to put Boston’s eggs.
The attractions that we mentioned at the start are unlikely to employ many more people, even if we attract more visitors.
The shops – and therefore the local economy may benefit in increased sales – but with declining “truly local” businesses, most of the money will head out of the borough and into the coffers of the national chains.
The Lincolnshire Local Economic Assessment recognises Boston’s difficulties.
“Job creation will need to be achieved in the places where the need is greatest.” It says. “This includes areas such as the east coast, Gainsborough and Boston, where levels of worklessness are higher and the skills of the workforce lower than the county average.”
Boston does of course have opportunities for development on the jobs front.
The much trumpeted Endeavour Park which was built by Boston Borough Council still has plenty of capacity – and we are sure that there are other such estates with room for new business.
Yet we never seem to hear much about the opportunities available.
This week saw the announcement of major government investment in rural broadband – with Lincolnshire in the top five areas in terms of the cash allocation with an allocation of £14.3m.
All the signs are there.
A sea change could occur in Boston if the right people seized the initiative now.
Lincolnshire is conspicuously absent from the latest list of Enterprise Zones announced by the government yesterday morning. There are now around thirty counties on the list of locations to benefit from initiative which could see tens of thousands of jobs created.
Soon, our part of the world will be famous for nothing at all – unless someone gets a finger out to improve local work and business opportunities.

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