July 3, 2019 10.06 am This story is over 56 months old

New shops, hotel and health hub promised in major Boston plans

It will include retail units, housing and a hotel
Councillor Aaron Spencer was the leader of Boston Borough Council until January 2020 - he has since only attended three out of nine meetings across Boston and Lincolnshire County Council.

New shops, a hotel and a health and wellbeing hub have been promised by the new Conservative leader in Boston as part of a proposed multi million pound redevelopment project.

Proposals include moving the bus and coach park to the current Staniland car park, all-new development of retail units, a hotel, housing and car parking and a major health and wellbeing hub. It also includes a green corridor linking the station and the new centre with the rest of the town.

It is likely that only the former Job Centre building near St Botolph’s footbridge will also be repurposed.

As previously reported, Conservative Councillor Aaron Spencer, 27, was chosen by his fellow members to take over from Councillor Michael Cooper following a meeting of the party’s local branch association.

Councillor Spencer has since revealed his vision for the town. Draft proposals will form a joint public and private partnership plan to redesign and redevelop an area between the railway station and the river, north of West Street.

A report will be considered by the borough council on July 15 to appoint a new leader of the council. A small exhibition of the project has been scheduled for July 29 for all the council’s elected members to contribute ideas to the draft proposals.

Project partners already include Lincolnshire County Council and health partners. The views of the public will also continue to be sought. A bid for finance has already been lodged with the Government’s Future High Streets Fund and another bid is being worked out for an application to the Stronger Towns Fund.

Councillor Spencer said: “It will be a comprehensive and complex project over many years – perhaps as many as 15 – and involving many partners and is a long-sighted vision for the future prosperity of our town. I want to turn around the negativity and secure a positive future.

“This scheme will be phased, and the first phase will involve freeing up the bus and coach station space and building the new one-stop health and wellbeing hub to tackle our current health issues, such as obesity, with the emphasis on prevention.

“The scheme in total will completely revitalise this large area of the town.”

Councillor Spencer added that he is planning more community involvement, with quarterly video presentations on social media about how the council is performing.