Council faces

crunch time

over cuts

The county organisations have already had to grasp the nettle, and now it's the turn of Boston Borough Council.
We're talking of course, of staff cuts – with Lincolnshire already proposing 800 for starters and Lincolnshire Police more than 150.
Tonight, Boston's policy and projects committee dons its cloak of secrecy to consider how to deliver the savings required after the economic crash and subsequent cuts in government grant – and a key item is to review staff costs.
The council currently employs the thick end of 300 staff which cost £8,648,581 - or 82.11% of its net spend – so the problem is obvious.
“Given that staff costs make up the highest proportion of our controllable spend the council has limited opportunities to deliver the overall required savings through service transformation without reviewing staff costs overall. “ says the report to tonight's meeting.
“Officers have been working with staff and the representative trade unions since early 2010 to consider options for a reduction in overall staffing costs whilst endeavouring to maintain front line services. This has culminated in a set of proposals being developed which are currently being considered by staff which make changes to their overall terms and conditions of employment.
"The council is seeking to reach voluntary agreement with staff on these changes but may need to consider an alternative approach should agreement not be reached.”
The carrot ... or the stick?
The problem here, as we very well know, is that no-one wants to lose their job. But the other problem is that it is very well known that the public sector is heavily over-staffed, and in many areas the work is not especially arduous. Notwithstanding that, no trade union representative in his or her right mind is going to agree a package of jobs for the axe.
Boston's management structure has already been slimmed down and now comprises a Chief Executive and deputy plus a part-time Strategic Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer. Having said that, a number of fancy new job titles appear to have emerged on the next rung down the ladder.
The borough is braced for the possibility of legal action by staff against any job losses and is seeking ongoing legal advice employment law issues arise but thinks the risks are under control.
However, the fact remains that at the end of the day the responsibilities of district councils are few in the great scheme of things, and Boston has already handed off a few of these to the private sector with more to come.
We have said before that a service which costs £8million out of a budget of £10 million to administer simply cannot be an efficient service.
Boston had the chance to share a number of its back office services with neighbouring districts but blew it.
A thorough analysis of the benefits to be gained from merging what are currently separate departments could well deliver some interesting opportunities for cuts that would both improve efficiency and save considerable sums.
But at the bottom line, perhaps the best thing to do would be for someone in Whitehall to consider whether the time is right for a compete revamp of this tier of local government.

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Sites for sore eyes ...

Let's hope English

Heritage isn't disappointed

Stand by your boots with your bed in your hand ... English Heritage are coming to town today for a walkabout to see some of Boston's historic sights.
Because English Heritage is a quango, no fewer that 23 people will be paying us a visit - including the chairman Baroness Andrews, the chief executive Dr Simon Thurley and regional director
Anthony Street.
And as if spending your Tuesday trooping the mean streets of Boston wasn't enough, the visitors will be entertained by a presentation from Steve Lumb, the council’s head of planning and strategy.
It was Mr Lumb, who in a radio interview some while back described Boston's heritage as: ..... "really second to none. Sometimes we smile when we compare it to York, but really it is very comparable to York  ... except York has had its money and in terms of listed buildings, in terms of  its archaeology. Really there is nothing much else to beat it (Boston) in the East Midlands."
Having visited York a time or two, we puzzled at Mr Lumb's comparison, and hope he doesn't try to hard to sell the notion too hard during today's talk.
In that same interview, English Heritage Historic Areas Advisor Clive Fletcher  referred to Boston  as “one of the most important market towns in the country, but it's more important than that even  - partially because of its past. It was a very important port in the medieval period - busier than London at times - so it was a very, very important medieval town and because of that it's got a great heritage of medieval building and also  medieval  archaeology. But unfortunately it's fallen on harder times. Over the past number of years it hasn't really had a great deal of investment in a lot of its historic properties so a lot of them are in danger of not collapse necessarily, though there are one or two like that, but certainly they're not being used because they can't be - holes in roofs and things like that - and also general decline in the quality of repairs to things like shop fronts and windows which we think we could possibly help with.”
But he also pointed out: “We don't invest massive amounts every year but when we're interested in a place we'll consistently invest over a period of time. It might take seven or eight years to regenerate a place. In Boston it might take longer"
As if that length of time wasn't bad enough, he then cited a programme in one town where they spent 15 years helping shop owners do their places up  and convert space over shops for residential  use.
According to the borough's latest bulletin, English Heritage's interest in Boston is long standing, and over the past few years it has been involved in heritage-led regeneration, and urban design, grant aid for urgent works, archaeology and planning advice and is now considering ideas for the Market Place and wider area.
All very fine, but if any more help is to be spread over a decade or more, the impact will be lost in time and will appear never to have happened. What Boston needs is quick action - and now.
We just hope that our visitors aren't too disappointed when they tour the town.
It's one thing to picture the place from papers and reports but when they see it in bricks and mortar we hope that they won't think our reputational pudding has been over-egged.

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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.

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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.

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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 …


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