You are not '˜second class' - Transport minister looks at Quadrant plans

‘No-body in our county should feel like second-class citizens’, a transport minister visiting Boston has said.

Andrew Jones, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Transport, was in town on Friday, looking at the plans for the Quadrant development.

Asked for his response to residents in Boston feeling like they came second to the county ‘capital’ Lincoln, he said: “No-body in our county should feel like second-class citizens, wherever they are 
that should be across the country.

“There is ambition here. These plans are not only ambitious but they are delivrable and it is a local solution for a local problem.”

Mr Jones went on to say that Lincolnshire County Council were ‘basically revising their highways plans to develop for the longer term’ and that the authority would be measuring the traffic in the town.

Mr Jones, met with developers, borough and county councillors, representatives of transport companies and Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman.

He said: “I like these plans because they are ambitous and will improve the area. They will create opportunities for a potential 450 jobs.

“It’s quite a diverse and complex set of projects that will add to the quality of life in the area.”

The development at Wyberton includes 500 new homes, a new football ground for Boston UNited and a new road infrastructure.

Mr Jones admitted there were hurdles that the plans, which developers Chestnut Homes hope will begin soon, will have to overcome, but he praised its benefit to the future of road, cycling and walking infrastructure.

He said: “They have got some wuite difficult challenges including crossing waterways and there’s some significant stuctures involved.”

He said the difficulties could push the price up and that the developers would have to look for extra support from Local Enterprise Partnerships and other sources.

Mr Jones also pointed to the new marina which is planned as part of the development’s second phase and said it would promote ‘waterbased leisure travel’.

He praised the plans as having benefits for the whole of South Lincolnshire as well as the Boston area.

He said: “These plans should not be viewed entirely as a Boston scheme, the benefits of this ambitious thinking is for the whole part of this county.

“This is an area where there is significant opportinity. We have a level of resorts on the coast and this is about helping access not just Boston but the surrounding area.”

Those attending the meeting on Friday have sounded their praise for how it went.

MP for Boston and Skegness Matt Warman said: “We are finally getting some serious attention from the highest level of Government that will be able to look at what we can get - sooner rather than later.”

He added that Boston should be getting its fair share of investment, asking people to bear in mind that Lincoln had had some already.

He also noted the benefit of the Quadrant for the area as a whole saying that tourism chiefs in Skegness often asked for those trying to reach the resort through the town to have it made easier.

Chestnut Homes managing director David Newton said: “It went very well. In terms of ourselves and the Quadrant project, we demonstrated that we were there in terms of progress and moving on to Q2.”

Work is hoped to start on the first phase in the next six weeks.