Audit Commission

Boston Borough Council's work on regeneration is 'fair' but has poor prospects for improvement according to a report released today by the independent Audit Commission.

On a scale from zero to three stars the Audit Commission inspection team gave the Council’s regeneration services, which focus on supporting local businesses and delivering regeneration projects, a 'fair' one-star rating. The Council is helping to promote Boston town centre as a shopping location with more shoppers and fewer empty shops. It is also starting to tackle traffic problems in the town. But it has made little progress in attracting higher skilled and higher paid jobs to the borough.

'The Council has successfully promoted shopping in the town through facilities like Pescod Square and the newly refurbished Bargate Market. But commercial and industrial development across the borough has been less successful. The council doesn’t have clear plans to achieve improvement in some important areas including attracting high quality jobs.'

Strengths include:

• The Council has developed some of the cultural attractions in the town like St Mary's Guildhall and the Haven arts centre
• It is working with the County Council to improve traffic flow and provide better bus services
• There are some major projects planned, such as the Boston Barrage, although the benefits of these are still some years away

Weaknesses include:

• Some regeneration projects, like the refurbishment of the Market Square, are taking a long time to deliver
• Plans for future regeneration in the Borough and for the town centre are unclear
• Poor promotion of the town’s cultural attractions together with unattractive and derelict sites along the Haven waterway could put off tourists
• The Council cannot demonstrate that it is providing value for money for all its regeneration work
• The Council is starting to address poor leadership and lack of finance but it is too early to say what effect this will have

Recommendations include:

• Setting clear plans and targets for regeneration aims that address current issues such as the economic recession
• Identifying how the Council will work with partners and businesses to deliver regeneration projects
• Evaluating more clearly the impact that regeneration activities have and the value for money they provide
• Improving performance management to help ensure that regeneration aims and targets are met

Notes to editors

The inspection covered all aspects of the Council's regeneration services. They are delivered directly by the Council as well as through partnerships with the private sector, regional agencies and local voluntary groups.

The Audit Commission is an independent watchdog, driving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local public services to deliver better outcomes for everyone.

Our work across local government, health, housing, community safety and fire and rescue services means that we have a unique perspective. We promote value for money for taxpayers, auditing the £200 billion spent by 11,000 local public bodies.

As a force for improvement, we work in partnership to assess local public services and make practical recommendations for promoting a better quality of life for local people.

For more information, or an embargoed copy of the report, please contact Eric Ludlow on 0844 798 4183.