Investment Plan
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BOSTON TOWN INVESTMENT PLAN OCTOBER 2020 CONTENTS 1. Board Members 04 5. Vision 17 9. Delivery 50 2. Boston 05 6. Strategy 20 10. References 56 3. Analysis 10 7. Accelerated funding 32 4. Engagement 13 8. Projects 33 2 TOWN INVESTMENT PLAN — BOSTON “In such difficult and challenging times, the Town Deal provides a fantastic opportunity to attract significant government funding to make a real difference to the local economy in Boston. It has provided the platform for some of the key stakeholders from across all sectors to work together to formulate a plan to help deliver key projects to enable the town to kickstart economic growth and act as a catalyst for future investment to realise the Chair of the Boston Town Deal undeniable potential in the area. With a and particular emphasis on the skills agenda Land and Development Director of Chestnut Homes and raising the aspirations of the people of Boston, the Town Deal aims to build on the unique and historic nature of the town to deliver a better future for everyone.” 3 TOWN INVESTMENT PLAN — BOSTON 1 MEET OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS CLAIRE FOSTER EMMA HADLEY CLLR PAUL VICE-CHAIR Chief Executive PETER ISAAC SKINNER OF BOSTON DONNA WATTON Officer, The Finance Director, Leader of the TOWN DEAL Donna Comm Ltd Boston Witham Oldrids Council, Boston and Principal of Academies Borough Council Boston College Federation MATT WARMAN ANDY CLLR EDDY POLL JOHN HARNESS JACQUI BUNCE MP for Boston LAWRENCE Lincolnshire NHS NHS and Skegness Port of Boston County Council PROF VAL ALISON CLIVE FLETCHER BRAYBROOKS ROB BARCLAY FAIRMAN BEM RICHARD TORY Historic MBE ShodfrIars Community Boston Big Local England University of Representative Lincoln SIMON NICK WORBOYS BEARDSLEY KINGSLEY NORMAN SANDRA Director of Chief Executive, TAYLOR ROBINSON DOWSON Development & Lincolnshire CEO, Lincolnshire Environment One Public Estate Sales, Longhurst Chamber of CAB Agency Group Commerce CLLR PAUL NICK HEATH GREG PICKUP DAVID FANNIN ALICE OLSSON GOODALE Delivery Director, Heritage CEO, Lincolnshire MetsaWood Boston Borough Wilmott Dixon Lincolnshire CVS Council 4 TOWN INVESTMENT PLAN — BOSTON 2 BOSTON 5 TOWN INVESTMENT PLAN — BOSTON HISTORY OF BOSTON The earliest recording of Boston May Fair. Held during the 1125 - May Fair first week of May, it is one of the few remaining fairs in the country still held in the town centre and is an important event in Boston residents calendars. 13-14th Century - Port Only London was richer and more important than Boston as a port. Boston’s wealth was based on wool being a staple port for the wool trade by Edward III. The town was sending three million fleeces a year abroad. 1308 - Markets Boston is granted a charter for weekly Wednesday and Saturday markets which are still held today in the 1309-1520 - The Stump wonderfully striking medieval Market. The stump began being built in 1309 and was completed in 1520. The tower is 272 feet 6 inches high, making it the tallest parish church in England. Views from the top of the tower reach 32 miles, with sights of The Wash and Lincoln Cathedral. 1450 - Hussey Tower The ruined Hussey Tower is all that remains of a medieval brick-fortified house. It was occupied by John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford until he was executed in the Lincolnshire Rising. 1620 - The Mayflower A group of pilgrims from Boston set sail on the Mayflower to America, naming their new settlement after our town. They established the first school in America based on Boston Grammar School; this school would eventually evolve into Harvard University. 1819 - Maud Foster Windmill Built in 1819, the windmill is unusual due to it’s odd number of sails. It was owned by Thomas and Isaac Reckitt and is now the most productive mill in the country. 6 TOWN INVESTMENT PLAN — BOSTON BOUNDARY MAP 7 TOWN INVESTMENT PLAN — BOSTON THE PLACE [9]Ageing BOSTON’S population is Lowest POPULATION Boston – a town rich in heritage, unpretentious yet 21% packed with potential, its people independent and self-sufficient, humble and with a heart of gold. 10% 22% compared to in terms of RISE DUE national average Situated on the coastline connecting the Wash chose to leave the European Union and there is still and the Humber, Boston is one of the three major work to be continued on community cohesion. skills ranking TO INWARD (18%) centres including Lincoln and Grantham that provide across towns for the administrative county of Lincolnshire. It has Boston’s population has grown rapidly over the MIGRATION a thousand years of history as a Wash Port and last few years. Between 2001 and 2017, it grew in England[8] served for centuries as a nucleus of international by just under 22% - greater than Lincolnshire trade and commerce. The town provides a centre County at 6.3%, regionally at 6.2% and nationally point and an anchor for South East Lincolnshire. at 6.6%. However, various reports suggest Boston has a substantial freight and logistics that the figure could be as high as 55% due to sector and is significant as a food processing and the net migration of eastern Europeans. Local wholesale hub. It is relatively well connected and communities still believe there is underinvestment Average salary is High usage of has both a railway station and a port railhead. in Boston as a place to support the level of inward migration and the impact on local services, as Boston’s little known but internationally notable evidenced through the Town Deal consultation. PUBLIC cluster of heritage buildings should be the envy of many an English city, but the retiring town has In addition to the statistics opposite: TRANSPORT yet to rekindle its former glow, encouraging new £130 investment. St Botolph’s Church, a magnificent • The town is struggling with its health per week[10] landmark that soars above the Fens, is one of outcomes and is in the lowest third of the largest parish churches in England and is all areas in England for this indicator [2] WORLD less than affectionately known as ‘The Stump’ and is one (English Indices of Deprivation 2019) . of the only surviving examples of its kind left in CLASS national average the country. The church’s scale and grandeur • The area has low levels of crime ranking is testament to the town’s previous wealth and 237 out of 317 local authority areas in the [3] heritage assets status. Boston boasts a major hospital - the English Indices of Deprivation 2019 . second largest acute facility in Lincolnshire. • The economic outlook for its young people is Boston schools are proud of their alumni and include in jeopardy. Before Covid-19, the number of England’s Deputy Chief Medical Advisor and a benefits claimants as a proportion of its 16-24 Boston in former Director General of the CBI. Its creative souls population was very high (over 7% compared Low levels of [4] include composer John Taverner, poet Jean Ingelow, to a national figure of less than 2%) . worst a Hollywood film producer and world-renowned • Although pay is low, Boston is nonetheless a music producer. The town is not short of talent. very hard-working town with levels of economic The town recognises the limitations on development inactivity at 15%, 6% lower than the national [5] posed by flood risk but continues to develop average at 21% (Nomis, March 2020) . 30% 6.4 CO sensibly, due to the new £120m flood protection Boston has borne the effects of Covid-19 more 2 barrier which came into operation in 2020. housing cost effectively to date, with furlough rates of 23%, of Boston is a town of diversity and home to a large below both the Lincolnshire rate for East Lindsey to salary ratio [6] neighbourhoods emissions per cluster of migrant worker communities attracted of 35% and England of 28% (ONS) . This is because of its focus on the food chain, a strategic vs national principally to the food and land based economic in England in head sectors. However, 75% of those voting in the 2016[1] sector with strong growth potential in the town. average of 8[12] referendum (the highest percentage in England) employment outcomes[11] 8 TOWN INVESTMENT PLAN — BOSTON THE PLACE CONTINUED Deputy Chief Executive (Place) at Boston Borough Council and Notwithstanding this, 7200 workers were on furlough role as a departure point for the Pilgrim Fathers East Lindsey District Council in July 2020 (ONS)[7]. Boston’s greatest challenge, 400 years ago this very year. Its maritime however, is low skills. It ranks worst of all local tradition was instrumental in unlocking large authorities in England in terms of the skills domain swathes of the New World through individuals within the 2019 English Indices of Deprivation. such as Matthew Flinders, the first person to The number of people qualified to NVQ3 and circumnavigate Australia. It is a place that has above in Boston is over 20% points lower than the spirit and determination to exceed expectations. national average[13]. This tracks through into wages with the area having wage levels that are £130 a Working against the grain of these challenges week lower than the England average (ASHE). and determined to realise the full potential of Boston, the Towns Fund Board has extensively “The Town Deal has been However, in recent years there has been significant consulted and engaged with business and the investment in Boston College through the community to determine a vision for the town. quite simply an extraordinary Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership The Board gathered a collection of project ideas (GLLEP) and the college is now ranked in the through the #MyTown portal and a dialogue top 5 in the country, with a national reputation with local people and organisations.