Agenda item

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

The Assistant Director – Leisure and Local Services provided updates on matters not otherwise covered by the agenda:

Tour of assets and open spaces

Earlier in the day, several members of the Committee and officers undertook a tour of BTAC assets and open spaces, visiting seven sites. The outcome of the tour was that some painting work would be undertaken and the replacement of safety surfaces at certain sites would require investment. Other issues identified, during the tour, including dog fouling, bins and signage were already being addressed. A report on the tour would be presented to the Committee, most likely at the January meeting.

Central Park security

At the March meeting, the Committee agreed that the contract for security and gate locking at Central Park would not be renewed after 31^st August and that a Working Group would be established to consider future arrangements. The Working Group met earlier in September following an extensive period of investigation by officers and Lincolnshire Police to explore alternative options that were both viable and affordable. Lincolnshire Police had expressed concerns about the gates being left unlocked overnight, and options had been considered including the Police taking responsibility for locking the gates with Council staff unlocking them. Despite exhaustive enquiries, no operationally viable and affordable alternative had been identified.

Since 1^st September, the gates had remained unlocked and the Council’s Community Safety Team, CCTV Team and Environmental Health Team had monitored incidents. To date, there had been one report of alleged drug use in the park and no incidents recorded by CCTV or reported to Environmental Health. It was hoped that incidents would reduce further when British Summertime ended. A further meeting of the Working Group would take place before a report was brought to the Committee on long-term options. The Working Group comprised of Councillors Dorrian and Gleeson following Councillor Ghosh’s resignation, and any additional members wishing to join were invited to notify Democratic Services.

Highways

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had invited Lincolnshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways to attend a meeting on 4^th September, but he was unable to attend due to ill health. It was now anticipated that he would attend in December, and BTAC members were welcome to attend.

It was also noted that Lincolnshire County Council’s Road Safety Manager would be attending an Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 2^nd October, which BTAC members were also welcome to attend.

Community Governance Review (CGR)

The CGR Working Group met on 25^th September to consider the outcome of the Phase One consultation. A total of 126 responses had been received, with a clear majority in favour of establishing a single parish council for Boston Town. The Group had agreed to progress to the next stage of the review, including drafting proposals for a single parish council based on the existing BTAC area, with consideration given to the inclusion of nearby unparished areas. Draft recommendations would be prepared for Full Council in November, with a second phase of public consultation planned for early 2026.

Green Flag Award

The Green Flag Working Group last met on 10^th September, when the Neighbourhoods Operations Manager and Volunteer Coordinator attended and provided updates on how their teams were supporting the application process. The Volunteer Coordinator had agreed to attend future meetings.

The Green Flag Management Plan was discussed, including the SWOT analysis and detailed history, which would be agreed at the next meeting. The Assistant Director and the Leisure Services Officer had also met Carl Beacock, the new Group Manager – Street Scene and Commercial Services, at Central Park to introduce him to the area. Carl brought extensive experience of the Green Flag Award process and would help shape the management plan and brief the Working Group at its next meeting.

Additional Query

During discussion, a question was raised regarding the removal of graffiti from sheep sculptures on Bargate roundabout by BTAC operatives and the involvement of a councillor not on the Committee. The Assistant Director agreed to investigate and provide clarification.