Agenda item

To report progress on outstanding actions from the minutes of the last meeting, for information only.

The following update was provided by the Lead Officer for the committee, the Assistant Director – Leisure and Local Services, in relation to issues not otherwise covered by the agenda:

·       Central Park

It was confirmed at the meeting on the 27^th March 2025 that the contract for security services at Central Park, due to expire in September 2025, would not be renewed. A Working Group would be established to consider the future position. This item would be returned to the Committee under the Work Programme.

·       Buses

Following the previous meeting, Marrianne Garbutt of Brylaine Travel had met with Councillors Anne Dorrian and Barrie Pierpoint, along with officers. It was reiterated that Boston Borough Council, while not a transport authority, continued to act as a proactive partner in public transport matters. The Council remained the only district-level authority represented on Lincolnshire County Council’s Public Transport Partnership Board. Officers confirmed that the Council would continue to work closely with Brylaine and other stakeholders to advocate for improved connectivity and investment in local services.

·       Green Flag

The Green Flag Working Group had held two meetings to date, with a third scheduled on 11^th June. The Working Group had been tasked with helping to shape elements of the Green Flag management plan. Several sections of the plan had been completed and were awaiting validation from the relevant service areas. Over the past month officers had engaged with local community groups to understand the activities they undertook in the park and activities they would like to support in the future, and following discussions with some of these groups, it appeared they were supportive of the Council’s aspirations to achieve the Green Flag Award. The Council had also been conducting a small questionnaire exercise among park users, which was ongoing, to collect feedback to further inform and evidence the plan.

The Assistant Director – Leisure and Local Services indicated that the project had some challenges, as it involved engagement from several services, all of which were currently working at capacity. Their involvement was crucial for validating and owning the processes and policies outlined in the plan. Without their support, it would be difficult to move forward with the formal application. To address those challenges, the Council continued to engage in regular communication with officer colleagues, seeking their advice and expertise to help align current practices and procedures with relevant policies. These challenges would be discussed further at the next working group meeting on 11^th June, and the working group would be bringing a report back to committee later in the year.

·       Highways

The Committee had previously expressed a desire to hear from Lincolnshire County Council regarding highways matters, which had been delayed due to the recent election period. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be receiving a presentation from the Highways Authority in due course and all councillors would be invited to attend.

·       Community Governance Review Working Group

The first meeting of the Working Group was scheduled to take place on 19^th June. Thereafter, regular meetings would be held. The Working Group membership comprised Councillors Pierpoint, Dorrian, Cresswell, Gilbert and Gleeson. The Working Group was being supported by colleagues in Democratic Services. In the lead up to the meeting on 19^th June, Democratic Services were liaising with officers as part of an information gathering exercise. Updates would be provided to the Committee throughout the year via the Work Programme.

The Committee noted the updates and agreed to continue monitoring progress through the Work Programme.