Agenda item
Questions from Elected Members
Minutes:
The Chief Executive confirmed that thirteen questions had been received.
1. Question to Councillor Sandeep Ghosh from Councillor Jonathan Noble:
At Full Council on 10th November 2025 you stated: ‘Boston have paid back everything. At the moment we do not have any debts left’. Do you still stand by this statement?
Response from Councillor Sandeep Ghosh:
Thank you for the question and the opportunity to provide further clarification.
To address the point raised at Full Council, my reference to repayment in full related specifically to the PWLB loan, as that was the focus of the question. The State Street loan is a separate issue altogether and, given its very high interest rate, one that the previous administration appeared content to continue servicing for a considerable period.
From my very first discussion with the then Section 151 Officer after I took over the finance portfolio, I made it clear that, as Portfolio Holder for Finance, I had no appetite for retaining expensive, long-term borrowing. The intention was always to exit such loans when market conditions allowed, and since then we have kept a close and careful watch on opportunities to secure better-value alternatives.
For clarity on the State Street refinancing:
· The original State Street loan was taken out on 29 January 1991 for a period of 60 years at an interest rate of 11.125%, with an annual interest cost of £111,250.
· This loan was repaid on 11 July 2025.
· A replacement £1m PWLB loan was taken on 15 July 2025 for five years at an interest rate of 4.81%, with an annual interest cost of £48,100.
· This produces a full year net interest payment saving of £63,150 pa
· Reflecting that the premium paid on clearing the loan will be released over the remaining life of the loan, the full year budget saving will reduce by £18,047 to a net position of £45,103 saving in 2026/27.
In addition:
· The PWLB loans were repaid in full in 2024, delivering savings of approximately £6.5 million.
· The refinancing of the State Street loan means the Council is now paying roughly half of what it was previously paying in interest.
To confirm the wider debt position:
· Boston Borough Council currently has the £1m PWLB loan referred to above.
· Just to give you information about our partners…..South Holland District Council has £67.456m of debt relating to its Housing Revenue Account.
· Neither South Holland District Council nor East Lindsey District Council has any external General Fund borrowing.
Supplementary Question to Councillor Sandeep Ghosh from Councillor Jonathan Noble:
The question was “Do you still stand by this statement?” It was a yes or no answer and clearly it's “No” Councillor Ghosh doesn't stand by that statement because on the very next page he talks about the Public Works, Loan Board loan of £1,000,000 taken out in July 2025 and interest rate of 4.81% so that is a debt. It's a debt. So we do have debts. But my question about this PWB loan, this new one is, what is the money to be used for? One presumes its for a capital expenditure and in that case for what precisely?
Response from Councillor Sandeep Ghosh:
To pay back the State Steet loan, I’ve already answered.
2. Question to Councillor Sandeep Ghosh from Councillor Jonathan Noble:
What are the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using a Framework Agreement when it comes to the awarding of Council contracts?
Response from Councillor Sandeep Ghosh:
A perceived advantage of utilising a Framework Agreement is efficiency. Frameworks can streamline procurement by avoiding repeated full tender processes for every requirement. Once suppliers are awarded a place onto a framework agreement, Councils can call-off contracts quickly via direct award or mini-competition. This can save significant administrative time and cost. In addition to this, framework agreements can result in better rates being accessed due to the economies of scale of a national framework which can lead to bulk discounts and competitive fixed rates over the framework’s duration. They are also a public-sector compliant route to market for the Council, which reduces legal risk of challenge for the Council.
A perceived disadvantage of utilising a Framework Agreement can be that it reduces competition. This is because once a framework is established, no new suppliers can join until it expires. This can exclude local suppliers from a process. There is also the perception that frameworks are more expensive as there is often a percentage rebate fee that is required to be paid to the framework provider.
Each framework provider is slightly different in how their frameworks can be accessed. The Procurement & Contracts service provide support with regards to procurement options providing the relevant Council Officer with a recommended approach. This includes frameworks, where applicable.
Supplementary Question to Councillor Sandeep Ghosh from Councillor Jonathan Noble:
Historically these kind of agreements are useful for smaller value items which require repeat orderings. But we have this framework agreement with Pagabo. But do we have any other framework agreements, other than the Pagabo one?
Response from Councillor Sandeep Ghosh:
It's a bit technical. I will respond to you with a written answer.
[A copy of the written response is appended to the Minutes.]
3. Question to Councillor
Sandeep Ghosh from Councillor Jonathan Noble:
Response from Councillor Sandeep Ghosh:
I thank Councillor Noble for his question. The demolition works were procured compliantly via the Pagabo Framework, a public-sector compliant framework that Boston Borough Council is able to utilise. This framework allows for the direct award of a contract to any company who has met the very stringent assessment and assurance requirements to be admitted onto the Framework; for the Rosegarth Square project, a direct award contract was entered into with Lindum, a local assured contractor. This contract award complied fully with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules as well as the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (under which the Pagabo Framework was awarded).
As the Council’s contract for the scheme is with Lindum, the
Council itself does not then seek or receive any tenders for the
different elements of the contract such as demolition or
electricity connection as those quotes are secured by the
Council’s contractor, Lindum, from its supply chain
partners. In respect of the demolition works to which
Councillor Noble refers, Lindum sought three quotes and secured
two. The winning quote was then confirmed as representing best
value for money by the Council’s own Cost Consultants prior
to Lindum contracting those works.
Supplementary Question to Councillor Sandeep Ghosh from Councillor Jonathan Noble:
As I said earlier these framework agreements are normally there for long term umbrella contracts with pre vetted suppliers for setting standard items, for example price quality for future smaller orders avoiding repeat returns. So why did we use a framework agreement for a contract that was so expensive, about £380,000?
Response from Councillor Sandeep Ghosh:
I'll go back to the previous answer I gave you. Frameworks can streamline procurement by avoiding repeated full tender process for every requirement. So that's your answer.
4. Question to Councillor Dale Broughton from Councillor Anne Dorrian:
Please provide an update on the GLMCCA Board Meetings you’ve attended as the representative of Boston Borough Council and a summary of decisions which will most affect the residents of Boston.
Response from Councillor Dale Broughton:
Supplementary Question to Councillor Dale Broughton from Councillor Anne Dorrian:
Actually, a decision was made at that meeting. You voted during that meeting with the mayor, the Reform Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns, to withdraw free ESOL courses for the residents of Boston and given our reliance on migrant workers in our healthcare and medical industries, our food processing plants, our tourism and culture sections, how on earth are you going to mitigate the impact that it’s going to have on those migrant workers?
Response from Councillor Dale Broughton:
I'm happy to send Councillor Dorrian a written response.
[A copy of the written response is appended to the Minutes.]
5. Question to Councillor Dale Broughton from Councillor Anne Dorrian:
Response from Councillor Dale Broughton:
A Greater Lincolnshire for All proposal submitted to Government sets out our vision for neighbourhood committee structures and involvement. Essentially, our suggestion in the proposal is a number of neighbourhood committees based on Primary Care Network areas with relevant ward Councillors from the Unitary Council, alongside Town and Parish Council representation and strategic partner representation. The final model will be for the new Councils to determine though.
In terms of democratic representation we set out in our proposal the number of Councillors we believe to be required per Council. However, for the chosen option, it will be for the Statutory Order to set out the initial arrangements.
Supplementary Question to Councillor Dale Broughton from Councillor Anne Dorrian:
So, for Boston residents, what binding decision making powers will neighbourhood or area structures have over budgets, service priorities and policy decisions? And how will Boston's elected members be prevented from being consistently outvoted by a much larger Southern Lincolnshire authority?
Response from Councillor Dale Broughton:
Thank you for that Councillor Dorrian. I'm really surprised you're taking such an interest now in our Greater Lincolnshire For All proposal when we've had several Full Council meetings on it and none of you or any of your Boston independent councillors could be bothered to turn up, send apologies or anything else to the meeting. So, it's quite comical that you're now starting to question the proposal when you had no interest up to now, but I will give you a written response.
[A copy of the written response is appended to the Minutes.]
6. Question to Councillor Dale Broughton from Councillor Anne Dorrian:
Response from Councillor Dale Broughton:
Supplementary Question to Councillor Dale Broughton from Councillor Anne Dorrian:
How will Boston residents be able to scrutinise and challenge financial decisions such as capital investment priorities, adult social care spend or homelessness funding, when those decisions are taken at scale, and what guarantees exist that Boston's high levels of deprivation and service, demand will not be diluted by competing priorities elsewhere in the southern Unitary?
Response from Councillor Dale Broughton:
Again, Councillor Dorrian, I'll give you the same answer to the last one if you'd have shown interest previously, you might know the answer to them questions. But I will give you a written response.
[A copy of the written response is appended to the Minutes.]
7. Question to Councillor Mike Gilbert from Councillor Anne Dorrian:
Please update Members on any recent progress against town centre development goals, including support for local traders and improvements to public amenities.
Response from Councillor Mike Gilbert:
I thank Cllr Dorrian for her question.
It gives me an opportunity to explain how as a local council we operate in a commercial and business environment over which we have far less control than people imagine we do. Sadly we can’t sweep our hand at an empty shop and magically a business occupies it.
What many people are becoming increasingly aware of is the state of the national economy is not in the responsibility of a local council to control. We don’t control the commercial decisions of private businesses. Therefore, we have no short-term control over whether Banks leave our town, retail units are viable, or what changes there are in the pattern of retail and services in our area. We know policies around the minimum wage, business rates and welfare spending are set by government, and these policies affect our Borough and its business community. So with that statement out of the way, it is clear people should expect us as a local council to do what we can to mitigate the effects of whatever winds are battering us from Westminster and to improve our area in meaningful ways that may tilt our town away from the relentless decline that has affected so many towns in our country.
The Town Centre Strategy identified Clean and Safe as objectives for our town. In partnership with Boston Town Board we have secured funding for two Community Safety Wardens, who operating along side the police and our Environmental enforcement officers to monitor and enforce the Public Spaces Protection Orders and deal with littering and spitting etc. There is much to do to coordinate the activities of these important people and I am looking at the Idea of a community safety hub in the town centre where the public and agencies can have a single point of contact to share intelligence and report antisocial behaviour and other issues linked to public anxiety.
Since I took over the Portfolio for the Town centre in August last year I have established under the Town Centre Strategy, a town centre coordination group. This consists of all operational managers and portfolio holders responsible for delivery of services as well as events in the town centre. This enables us to refer issues into the group and to look at overcoming operational barriers to change and where possible funding opportunities. The scope of this group is wide and includes car parking and green spaces, heritage and culture as well as the market manager and Environmental services.
A review of the Town Centre plan is underway to ensure actions are being progressed, actions completed can be closed and outcomes reported, and more importantly. new and emerging issues captured to ensure we continue to respond to the changing needs of Boston town centre.
Our Market goes from strength to strength and last year won an award. We are looking to establish a closer working arrangement with HMP North Sea Camp to enable us to improve things like Town Centre Street name signage, and with other volunteers, the appearance of street furniture like finger posts and bollards, seating and bins, as well as tackling weed growth and general tidiness. This work will be enhanced I hope by a new volunteer scheme based on an allocation of tasks to volunteers, rather than a time-based and supervised model and will include a schedule for town centre upkeep and maintenance. I hope for reasons of civic pride and mental and physical wellbeing Boston’s community come together and get involved as volunteers.
In respect of Boston being Open for business, I am actively pursuing the establishment of a Boston Business Association. This has been work in progress for over 18 months. However, I am hopeful that we can get this Association established shortly and then we can hear the views of the Business community and feed their observations into what I hope will evolve into a self-sustaining town centre development and community safety, eco system. With the on going support of the Boston Town Board we have the opportunity to partner to spend money on the physical infrastructure of our Town Centre
In respect of the Culture, Heritage and Events, as I have said we now have operational managers contributing to our operational co ordination group. We also have had successful events such as the Xmas light switch on and with the support of the Boston Town Board we are looking to develop a range of promotions and events to celebrate Boston’s Contribution to Establishing the World Class City of Boston Massachusetts 400 years ago in 2030. This celebration will I hope become a catalyst for a leap in our local prosperity.
With grants from central Govt and we need to ensure we use this money to its maximum impact. This council operates within an economic context that is not of our making. However we have an excellent opportunity to achieve lasting change it we avoid quick fixes and plan for longer term strategic change.
The remaining questions were withdrawn as the relevant members were not present to ask or respond.
[Councillor Peter Bedford left the meeting at 8.14pm, during consideration of the above item.]
Supporting documents:
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