Boston’s town centre is historic and has been a bustling market place for generations. It is a crucial gateway to visitors and is full of potential.
It must be noted, however, that the area has suffered from years of neglect and underinvestment despite consistent high occupancy in the stores that line the market place. This project provides the once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Boston’s market place into a place with a purpose that is more welcoming to visitors and locals alike.
This will be achieved through grants to building owners that allows them to properly invest in the outward-facing aspects of their property, including new high-quality signage and shopfronts, setting the standard for future decades and bringing Boston’s town centre back to its former glory.
Works will include the refurbishment and repair of 102 properties, ranging from new signage to façade repair and upper floor residential conversions.
Despite its prominent location, it is widely acknowledged amongst the community that the town centre has seen better days, and that there has been a visual decline over the past decade and beyond. A proliferation of uncontrolled signage and development has left the town centre as a patchwork of inconsistencies that could be improved upon. At its core, the area has several historic buildings that could be made more attractive and inviting. There is a growing appetite among local people for changes to be brought forward.
The council will therefore engage with building owners, the public and wider stakeholders to increase appreciation of the town centre and its potential to offer a more attractive and welcoming environment for the many thousands of visitors who come to Boston every year
The legacy of this project will be a far more attractive town centre, helping to generate visitors year-round. Shopfront improvements will be sustained for decades to come, with an element of revenue funding dedicated to developing a shopfront design guide and better protecting Boston town centre properties within the planning system by preserving the unique characteristics that give it such charm.
This project, along with other improved arts, cultural and heritage offers as part of the Boston Town Deal will make the town a more attractive, welcoming and pleasant place to visit.
Councillor Nigel WeltonPortfolio Holder for Economic Development - Boston Borough Council