Agenda item

A report by the Joint Deputy Chief Executive – Communities.

The Portfolio Holder Councillor Dale Broughton presented the report, supported by the Deputy Chief Executive for Communities advising members that the report afforded committee with the first annual review of the Boston Town Centre Strategy and Action Plan covering the period 2023-2027. The Strategy and Action Plan provided a vision and seven strategic objectives along with over seventy actions that cover the themes of 1) Clean and Safe, 2) Open for Business 3) Culture, Heritage, and Events and 4) Transformation.  The Strategy and Action Plan had been approved by Boston Borough Council’s Cabinet on 25^th October 2023.  The report provided feedback on progress against the Strategy and its associated action plan to date. In summary 24 actions have been completed, 47 are on target and 3 required further attention.

The first year of the plan has seen delivery of a host of activities/initiatives including: -

§  A deep clean of the marketplace had taken place on 27^th February 2024 to 2^nd March 2024. 

§  A four-day Christmas Festival and Illuminate Parade.

§  A Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy was approved and adopted by full council on 15^th July 2024.

§  Enhanced floral displays had been provided in partnership with North Sea Camp Prison.

§  A volunteer co-ordinator post had been introduced to support volunteering.

§  A Changing Places toilet had been installed in Central Park.

§  A joint operation with the police and the Council called Operation Plotting continued which focused on addressing anti-social behaviour, street-based violence, and serious harm.  This work had been enhanced through the introduction of Community Rangers.

§  The production of town centre specific promotional material.

§  The production of a Market Development Plan that was agreed by Boston Borough Council’s Cabinet.

§  A Public Space Protection Order regarding feeding wild birds in designated areas in the town center (which was a new action in the Strategy/Action Plan) has been agreed at Cabinet.

§  A Street Art Policy had been produced and agreed by Boston Borough Council’s Cabinet.

§  A Business Development Plan for the Guildhall in Boston had been developed and agreed at Boston Borough Council’s Cabinet.

§  A business forum had been established for the town.

§  The installation of twenty-six new car park ticket machines.

§  Additional significant events that had happened in the town centre such as the Foodfest and Boston’s Strongest event on 14^th July 2024, boosting community cohesion and enhancing trade.

Boston Town Centre remained a key economic and social hub for the

borough of Boston.  Importantly it was a sub-regional retail centre, second in the county to Lincoln that provided retail employment and a variety of visitor attractions.  Boston’s town centre has like many places suffered in recent times due to a number of factors.  However, as a town centre Boston had a lot to offer and the Town Centre Strategy and Action Plan that had been adopted in 2023 was a key strategic document that has been developed to help tackle, along with other initiatives, the challenges that are impacting this important place within the borough. 

During year two of the strategy/action plan it was proposed to conduct analysis work that will pull together an up-to-date profile of the town centre which would cover matters such as the health of the retail and leisure sector, skills, and demand studies.  That would support the further targeting of resources (where available) towards town centre improvements.  This analysis work is helpfully being commissioned by the Town Board.

Member deliberation followed which included:

Referencing the loss of the Boston Big Local funding members sought confirmation that alternative funding would be in place to ensure the continuity of the beach event and other similar events and the Portfolio Holder confirmed such events would continue and funding would be available.  There was recognition from a number of members at the success of the recent events programme, including those events which had taken place for the first time.

On questioning the promotion of the town, a member also asked if anything was being undertaken to encourage the coach companies to bring in visitors from further afield, especially during the summer season from the coast with holidaymakers visiting the market, which had been so popular historically.  The Portfolio Holder confirmed that negotiations had and continued to take place with the coach operators.

Citing his own impression that the ongoing issue of residents feeling intimidated by groups of foreign nationals within the market place, appeared to have improved, a member sought clarification on what measures had been taken to dispel the public fears.  The Portfolio Holder advised that a new role had been created with an officer working with the different communities to help their integration in the town. which was proving very successful, and the Council had also worked alongside the Police in Operation Plotting.  Members were advised that there was not one single action to improve things, but that through the strategy there were a number of methods which were working in bringing people together.  Foreign nationals had also taken on market stalls and businesses.

The Portfolio Holder further advised that events had been held in collaboration with businesses and work was ongoing in encouraging those businesses, along with the various communities within the town, to take ownership of events moving forward.

A member further voiced their recognition of the work of the Town Rangers which was also having an import impact on the town centre.

In summary the Chairman congratulated the Portfolio Holder for the work to date, noting the change in atmosphere within the market place and the praise from the public at the events which had taken place.