Who will help

poor old Boston?

Given the glittering incompetence of Boston Business Improvement District - which we make no apologies for banging on about these past three days - we thought that we would take a look and see whether anyone, anywhere, was flying the flag for Boston.

It seems that there are plenty of places, but none of them show much, if any, interest in our part of the world.
A quick search around comes up with Lincolnshire Enterprise “an independent, business led partnership between the private sector, local authorities, public bodies, voluntary and community groups across the (sic) Lincolnshire.”
It calls itself a “key vehicle” through which Lincolnshire County Council engages and consults with partners to champion economic development and regeneration in the county, which has worked with other business leaders and local authorities to develop a proposal to create a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Lincolnshire.
A trawl though its web pages finds little mention of Boston – except in the context of its heritage value.
Whilst heritage is important, it butters no parsnips, as the bard might have said on an off day.
So what of this Local Enterprise Partnership?
It met for the first time in December – and although it was initially intended to be based on the Lincolnshire County Council area, it now includes North East and North Lincolnshire and will work closely with the LEPs covering Nottinghamshire and Greater Peterborough.
We’re not sure this is a good move.
In the LEP’s own words, “Greater Lincolnshire is largely rural, with much of the population living in market towns, coastal communities and isolated rural settlements. Individuals and businesses looking to grow in these areas face particular challenges, and the LEP will work with partners and local businesses and entrepreneurs to provide support they need to thrive.”
It sounds good – but partnering with the four far more industrialised areas mentioned previously can do nothing but divert much needed assistance from the area the LEP was once intended to serve.
And again, there is an element of secrecy in all of this. The board will meet quarterly – in private – but unlike Boston BID, will publish the minutes of its meetings.
Having said that, we can find no trace of any meeting to date - although by now there should have been at least two - nor any sign of the Prospectus for Action that was promised after the first meeting.
The founding board has 12 members - six from business and six civic leaders from across publicly-funded organisations – and guess what? Boston is not represented.
But the good news for one member at least - Neil Corner, Siemens’ Director of Service – is that the LEP’s first bid included money for a transport infrastructure and to facilitate Siemens’s turbine operations move to Teal Park in North Hykeham near Lincoln.
Oh well, there’s always Visit Lincolnshire, the former tourism quango now run by Lincolnshire County Council after funding was withdrawn.
But even this only pays lip service to Boston.
A search of attractions comes up with 15 places – some of them outside the borough – and does not include Boston Stump. Doubtless it listed elsewhere but ….
The website also lists what’s on events.
We looked for next month’s Boston Community Showcase – a major event that draws thousands of visitors – but it wasn’t listed. Having said that, it doesn’t appear on Boston Borough Council’s website list of events, either, as September is totally blank.
As we mentioned the other week, the draft economic strategy report produced by Boston Borough Council recognised the “poor marketing and image of Boston.”
It’s taken long enough, and we hope that this serious omission is addressed as soon as possible.
But it is also clear that we can look for little, if any help, in funding or promoting the area from the various quangos that are supposed to be taking our needs into account.
We think that one of the best things that could happen would be for Boston to set up its own promotional organisation – but staffed by professionals who know whereof they speak and who have the strength and ability to get things done.

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