Agenda item

(Report by the Assistant Director – Economic Growth)

Portfolio Holder: Councillor Richard Austin

Councillor Richard Austin, Portfolio Holder for Heritage, introduced a report by the Assistant Director – Economic Growth, on the proposal to submit an application for Boston to receive City Status as part of a competition launched to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

The report stated that the Council was working with partner organisations to form a bid for City Status.  Other towns know to be intending to apply included Bangor, Irvine, Merthyr Tydfil, Oban, Guildford, Warrington, Newport, Reading, Dudley, Swindon, Medway, Wrexham and Middlesbrough.  Although it carried no special rights, the status of city was considered to be a marker of prestige and conferred local pride.

The application for city status supported the priorities in the Corporate Strategy by raising the profile of Boston as a place to live, visit and invest in, supported the town Investment Plan (Town Deal), bolstered the growth objectives as a regional sub-centre of the County, championing skills development and learning, supporting businesses, promoting trade and inward investment opportunities and equipping Boston and its centre for the future.

There were five parts to the application process, which included a summary, an introduction highlighting why the area deserved city status, a profile of the area to incorporate statistics, up to 50 photographs of permanent features and a detailed map of the area showing the main tourism, leisure and entertainment sites, green spaces accessible to the public and main transport routes.

Full details of the focus and strength of the proposed application was set out in section 2 of the report, which had been created by an internal working group, and considered at meetings of Group Leaders, Boston Town Deal Board, Stakeholder engagement event, and Cabinet on 20 October which had supported the application for city status.

In order for the application to be submitted within the deadline of 8 December 2021, it was proposed to grant delegated authority to the Deputy Chief Executive – Growth, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, to approve and submit the bid on behalf of the Council.

Members expressed their overall support for submitting the City Status application, recognising the benefits that it could bring to the area by promoting the history and heritage, its worldwide connections and increase investment opportunities for economic growth.  However, it was also recognised that the application if successful would need to be supported by action and investment.

Clarification was sought as to why the Council was not applying for Royal Borough status rather than city status as it was suggested this would be of greater significance and attract more visitors.  In response it was noted that guidance had been sought on the option for Royal Borough status, but since 1926 the entitlement had been strictly enforced.

It was moved by Councillor Richard Austin, seconded by Councillor Nigel Welton and