Council bids for £20m to transform Boston town centre

Boston Borough Council has submitted £20m plans to regenerate and revitalise Boston town centre from a Government fund.
Artists' impression of how the new greener town centre would lookArtists' impression of how the new greener town centre would look
Artists' impression of how the new greener town centre would look

The district has already been given £21m in Town Fund cash from the Government for a number of schemes for the district.

The latest bid for town centre cash is to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, specifically aimed at capital projects for areas identified as having been left behind.

Working in tandem with the Town Fund schemes, the latest bid would allow the council to create new living and learning spaces in the town centre, along with creating a green park area within the town centre and market place.

The three strands of the new project would be:

· Creation of a new integrated hub and learning centre – this would land and buildings within the identified PE21 area of the town being developed into a hub and learning centre, creating sustainable employment and increasing footfall within the core of the town.

· Development of ‘urban living with contemporary housing, hospitality and retail uses’ – this would include using redeveloped spaces to create new town centre residential space with development of retail and civic uses, with the aim of introducing a 24 hour opening to the heart of the town.

· Town Centre greening project – a programme of works to undertake urban landscaping to create a park area within the town centre and market place.

The council says the greening project would be complemented by work to bring Boston’s town centre heritage and leisure to life, helping to attract more visitors and increase visitor spend, along with furtherinvestment in leisure boat moorings on the River Witham’s Southern Terrace, allowing easier access for sea going leisure boats to stop off in the town.

It says that in developing the bid, it has worked to identify projects that will work in tandem with investments being made thanks to the Towns Fund.

Councillor Nigel Welton, Boston Borough Council Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Planning, said: “This bid is all about delivering long lasting and meaningful change for our town centre.

“Through these projects, and those being taken forward through the Towns Fund, we can help ensure that our town centre is sustainable, vibrant, and attractive.

“I’m delighted with the bid has been put together, and it once again has showed the value of our Alliance with East Lindsey District Council as our shared teams have been able to develop quality, concurrent bids for the two areas.

“We want to ensure that Boston is a prosperous place to live, do business, and visit and this bid can help us do exactly that – creating a town centre that is set for the future and attractive to residents, visitors, and business alike.”

The council expects to hear the outcome of the bid from the government in the Autumn.