Boston Waterways’ Development Plan May 2008 CONTENTS PAGE (i) Acknowledgements 2 1.0 Introduction and Methodology 3 2.0 Boston Profile 4 2.1 Location and Setting 2.2 Socio-Economic Overview 3.0 Boston Waterways 5 4.0 Historical Importance of the Waterways 8 5.0 Character Areas of the Waterways 10 6.0 Strategic Context 13 7.0 Consultation Issues 14 8.0 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats 15 9.0 Vision, Aims and Objectives 16 10.0 Development Plan Themes and Projects 16 10.1 Theme 1 – Infrastructure 17 10.2 Theme 2 – Transport 19 10.3 Theme 3 – Boating and Tourism 20 10.4 Theme 4 – Leisure and Recreation 23 10.5 Theme 5 – Environment 26 10.6 Theme 6 – Waterside Development 27 10.7 Theme 7 – Public Realm 34 10.8 Theme 8 – Activities 38 11.0 Outline Costs and Funding 39 12.0 Next Steps 41 Appendices—Available as separate document Appendix A - Design Guidelines Appendix B - Strategic Context Appendix C - Stakeholder and Partner Consultation Page 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Client: Boston Area Regeneration Company would like to express their gratitude to the following individuals for their Boston Area Regeneration Company time, input and assistance with this Development Plan: C/o Boston Borough Council Municipal Buildings Barrie Higham Boston Borough Council West Street Boston, PE21 8QR Mary Powell Lincolnshire County Council John Adams Environment Agency In Partnership with: Also, to the following individuals who took part in the consultation exercise: Boston Borough Council Councillor Richard Dungworth Boston Borough Council, Chair of Planning and Alan Flintham / David Mayfield Boston Borough Council, Planning Department Caroline Killeavy / John Nuttall British Waterways Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership Dave Carnell Inland Waterways Association “Lincolnshire County Council, Environment Agency, Simon Johnson / Richard Walker Port of Boston British Waterways working together to Tammy Smalley Wash Estuary Project regenerate Lincolnshire’s Waterways” In addition, the following people were contacted to follow up specific queries raised by the above consultees: Prepared By: Adrian Isaacs Boston Woods Trust Focus Consultants (UK) Limited Nick Bromidge Environment Agency Focus House Rob Kirkham Witham Sailing Club Millennium Way West Peter Coleman St Botolph’s Church Phoenix Business Park Nottingham, NG8 6AS and Jackson Design Associates Latimer House Latimer Way Sherwood Energy Village Ollerton, NG22 9QW Part Funded By: East Midlands Development Agency Apex Court City Link Nottingham, NG2 4LA Page 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY Introduction Agency’s Combined Strategy for Boston – nationally the first of its type; schemes. This Plan has therefore been commissioned to develop a vision for West Street/ Merchant’s Quay Redevelopment – developers Modus the borough’s waterways and waterside sites, to demonstrate the different The long term aim of the Boston Waterways Development Plan is to enable Properties, working with Boston Borough Council, are planning a £80 roles and uses of waterways and to identify a range of improvements that Boston to maximise the potential of the borough’s waterways. A key million redevelopment scheme in Boston’s town centre, including can be undertaken to maximise the benefits and attractiveness of Boston’s objective of this Plan is to enable Boston Area Regeneration Company – waterfront sites adjacent to the Haven; waterways. BARC, to demonstrate to potential investors, developers and landowners, as well as public sector funding partners, what can be achieved in Boston, and Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership – investment of £16 million has been Methodology just how the borough can benefit by making better use of waterways and spent since 2002 on improving Lincolnshire’s waterways as a whole, waterside sites. increasing visitors and users of the waterway system; The Boston Waterways Development scheme involves two phases: The Waterfront – significant investment by Persimmon Homes in the Funding from the East Midlands Development Agency’s Waterways Fund, development of over 200 residential units close to London Road Quay; Phase 1 – Waterways Development Plan: This involves establishing a clear along with its own resources, has enabled Boston Area Regeneration vision and structure for future development, bringing together separate St Botolph’s Church – major investment including café, shop, offices and Company to commission this Plan, and BARC is grateful to emda for projects to unlock the potential of Boston’s waterways and undertaking toilets as well as major restoration works to the Great West Door and a recognising the potential of the borough’s waterways and for providing this feasibility work and preparing outline sketch designs for priority projects. high profile festival programme for 2009. investment. Phase 2 – Project Delivery: This will involve the implementation of individual Boston owes much of its heritage and historic pattern of development to its priority projects and other waterway related activities as identified in the waterways, but today the waterways of Boston are largely ignored or Waterways Development Plan. unused, with the town turning its back, both physically and metaphorically, The methodology for Phase 1 - The Waterways Development Plan, can be on the waterways. BARC believes that Boston now needs to build on summarised as follows: significant investment that is either taking place or which is planned in the near future by both public and private sector bodies on Boston’s waterways Location and site analysis and waterside areas. These investments include: Documentation review Consultation with key partners and stakeholders Project assessment and development Identification of priority projects Sketch design work Investment in St. Botolph’s Church These investments will create significant opportunities for Boston, bringing with them: Increased numbers of visitors and users, both on the water and waterside Construction of the Lock Link Construction jobs and expenditure The Boston Lock Link – construction of a lock linking the Haven and South Raised water levels, giving opportunities for mooring of craft Forty Foot Drain at a cost of approximately £8m is currently being Boston’s lively waterfront undertaken by Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership and the Environment Increased numbers of residents living near to waterways Agency; Greater demand for leisure activities The preparation of the Development Plan has been guided by a small The Haven Barrage – investment of over £35m into the construction of a Increased demand for boat moorings and related facilities and services. Steering Group consisting of representatives from Lincolnshire Waterways flood defence barrage is proposed by the Environment Agency and Partnership. This group has been instrumental in the preparation of the Plan, Lincolnshire County Council which, if approved, will begin construction in However, if Boston fails to recognise the opportunities and implications of particularly with regard to the identification of priority projects and advising 2010. Both the Lock Link and the Barrage form part of Environment these investments, the town will be unlikely to benefit fully from these on earlier drafts of the Plan. Page 3 2.0 BOSTON PROFILE Location and Setting Boston is located in south-east Lincolnshire, midway between Lincoln and Peterborough, east of the town lies the Wash Estuary. The town is surrounded by largely reclaimed freshwater fen to the north and west, and salt marsh to the east. As a result the surrounding landscape is generally low and flat. Little tree cover or hedgerow exists, due to the intensive farming of the area. Such a landscape is highly distinctive, and against this the town is sharply profiled from any approach, with the most notable landmark being the 272 ft. tower of St. Botolph’s, or Boston Stump - the parish church with the highest tower in England, visible in the flat lands of Lincolnshire for miles. Socio-Economic Overview In 2005, the resident population of Boston borough was estimated at 58,000, a rise of 4% since 2001 and higher than regional and national population increases. In terms of population trends, Boston has seen a significant increase in the population since the expansion of the European Union in 2001. The borough is ranked as one of the top five authorities nationally for registered citizens from A8 Eastern European countries per thousand of the total population. Reference: Population Trends No 129, Office of National Statistics Boston has a higher than average economically active population with 82.9% of the working age population being economically active compared to 80.3% in Lincolnshire, 80.1% in the East Midlands and 78.4% in England. The business and economic structure of Boston is, to a large extent, defined by its position within the predominately rural county of Lincolnshire. In terms of industry sectors 23.5% of enterprises in Boston are within the agriculture sector. This is significantly above the regional and national averages. Boston also has a higher than regional and national average percentage of enterprises in transport, motor trades and wholesale. The average house price in Boston between July and September 2006 was £136,193 compared to an average of £164,788 in the East Midlands. England. Since 2003, average house prices in Boston have risen by 20%, which is less than both regional and national increases. Boston Borough Council were involved in the Fens Link feasibility work which began in 1997 and were a funder in 2002