Agenda and minutes

The Chairman varied the order of business as shown on the agenda and the Minute reflects the order in which the items were considered at the meeting.

CHAIRMAN

Councillor Rowley chaired the meeting for consideration of the Economic Development business.

There had been circulated copies of report by the Executive Director updating Members on the progress being made in delivering improved broadband services in the Scottish Borders.   Digital connectivity was critical to the economic development and competitiveness of the Scottish Borders.  Scottish Borders Council had contributed significantly to the roll-out of the Scottish Government’s Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme, spending £8.4M over two years to help extend the roll-out as far as possible in the Scottish Borders.  The Council Administration had identified digital connectivity as a key priority in its ‘Connected Borders’ plan.  More than 130 new superfast broadband cabinets and exchange upgrades had been delivered as part of the roll-out, connecting over 31,800 premises in the Scottish Borders.  Figures provided by the DSSB programme indicated that up to the end of September 2017, 82.7% of premises had been connected to fibre enabled cabinets or exchanges.  The DSSB roll-out, with added ‘Gainshare’ funding, would continue until the end of 2018, and aimed to connect 94.9% of all the premises in the area.  Although progress was being made in delivering the DSSB programme, there remained a number of challenging issues to be addressed in relation to providing superfast broadband services across the Scottish Borders.  One of the key issues was that although a home or business might be connected to the new fibre enabled technology, if they were located too far from the cabinet or exchange, then it was likely that there would be no improvement in their broadband service.  This was acknowledged as the ‘long lines’ issue. The Scottish Government had announced its commitment to investing £600m to extend superfast broadband access to 100% of premises across Scotland by the end of 2021.  The Scottish Government was delivering a national approach to this issue, putting in place a “Reaching 100% Programme” (R100) to cover the remaining premises where the DSSB roll-out would not reach.  As well as providing connections for those premises that had not been covered by the DSSB roll-out, R100 would also addressed the ‘long lines’ issue.  The R100 programme also raised the superfast broadband speeds being targeted, up from 24Mbps to 30Mbps.

2.2       Members discussed the report and agreed the importance of the facilitation of a Scottish Borders Digital Network.  It was also suggested that representatives from the Network be invited to attend Local Area Partnership meetings, when appropriate.  Members also requested that accessible information should be available on the Council’s website and include the planned rollout timescales.  In response to questions, Mr McGrath clarified that the target of 93.8% was the original target specified with BT Open Reach for connection of premises to Superfast Broadband.  However, although connections might be in place, this did not mean that all properties would be connected immediately, and this would be one of the challenges the R100 programme sought to address.

DECISION

(a)        NOTED:-

            (i)         the progress made on delivering the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme, as set out in Appendix 1 to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

There had been circulated copies of a report proposing that the revised Scottish Borders Admissions Policy 2018 was approved by Members.  The previous version was approved in 2012.  The current version had been revised to take into account best practice across Scotland.  The Policy now included advice on class composition and established a date by which schools would not be expected to re-composite/re-timetable classes.  The report also updated procedures in terms of waiting lists when placing requests were refused.  The updated Policy was responsive in clarifying procedures in areas which had led to dispute with families in recent years. In particular, the process to be followed when parents/carers made placing requests during the school year and when children were unable to get a space in their catchment school during the school year.  The changes being made would provide clear guidance to Headteachers and ensured greater stability in class composition after census date in September in each year.  The changes also provided parents/carers with clear information and had been made in response to parental feedback during times of dispute.   In response to questions, Ms Manson clarified that extensive community consultation had taken place, including feedback received from Parent Council meetings and discussions, in particular, with rural school such as Broughton and Newlands.  With regard to placing requests, Ms Manson explained that requests were not granted until a detailed assessment had been carried out. There was no payment of fees between authorities, charges only being made for any additional provision to meet the child’s additional support needs.  

DECISION

AGREED the revised Scottish Borders Council Admission Policy 2018.

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Service Director, Children and Young People.  The report explained that Scottish Borders Council had a strong commitment to Reducing Inequalities and worked in partnership with a range of partners to address the barriers that families might face in their daily lives.  In the newly established vision set out by the Council in ‘Connected Borders’ there was a strong commitment to ‘ensuring that the vulnerable and marginalised were included and considered in every action we take’ and that ‘together we needed to ensure that no-one and no community was left behind but that we grew and developed together’.  Within this new vision there were specific themes that provided a focus on improving the lives of the most vulnerable.  Communities of wellbeing identified a commitment to taking a whole community approach to education to raise attainment and ‘close the poverty related attainment gap’, to deliver extensive work on tackling substance misuse and improving mental health support for the most vulnerable young people.  Communities of Caring identified a commitment to family support services focused on early intervention, mentoring and parenting.

4.2       There were many existing structures and workstreams that were currently focused on developing support for the most vulnerable in communities in the Scottish Borders. The new vision provided an opportunity for a review of the structures and priorities for action enabling the Council and its Partners within the Community Planning Partnership to set out a new five year plan. Work had already started with an initial workshop involving a broad range of community partners and the creation of the Area Partnerships structure; currently holding community workshops aimed at identifying priorities within the locality forums.  The Children and Young People’s Directorate was sighted on Reducing Inequalities developments through the Director’s participation in the Corporate Management Team, the Community Planning Partnership Board, the Reducing Inequalities Delivery Team and the Children and Young People’s Leadership Group. This broader context of Reducing Inequalities work was a key factor in supporting the ‘closing the poverty’ related attainment gap priority set by the National Improvement Framework for all schools.   The report provided an update on current attainment levels between the most and least disadvantaged children in the Scottish Borders and the actions being taken to narrow the attainment gap in schools.  The report also provided background information on how poverty was defined, the effects of poverty and recent statistics on the levels of children living in poverty within the Scottish Borders. The attainment gap that currently existed between the children living in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas in the Scottish Borders was presented within the report and an analysis provided across the stages of schooling. A key priority was raising attainment in numeracy. A significant part of the report outlined the extensive work taking place in schools to intervene and address the poverty related attainment gap. Part of the report outlined how the Pupil Equity Fund was being spent in schools in support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Consider Minute of Meeting held on 5 December 2017. (Copy attached).

The minute of the Executive Committee of 5 December 2017 had been circulated.

DECISION

APPROVED by signature by the Chairman.

With reference to paragraph 2 of the Minute of 17 October 2017, there had been circulated a report advising Members of the recent public consultation undertaken in connection with the statutory review of the current scale of charges for taxi fares.  The Council as licensing authority was required in terms of Section 17 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1981 (“the Act”) to review the scales for fares and other charges in connection with the hire of a taxi at intervals not exceeding 18 months of the last review.  A report on the consultation with the taxi trade was presented to the Council’s Executive on 17 October 2017.  Following the Executives’ decision to keep fares at their current rates, the Act required the Council to then undertake a public consultation on taxi rates.  The outcome of the consultation was detailed in the report.  It was noted that only six people had responded to the consultation, two of which were taxi operators.

DECISION

AGREED that:-

(a)     the taxi fare rates should remain unaltered in line with the outcome of the Council’s established formula; and

(b)     Taxi Operators were written to in accordance with the Act and informed of the Council’s decision.

Before proceeding with the private business, the following motions should be approved:-

“That under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 7A to the aforementioned Act”.

AGREED under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the business detailed in the Appendix to this minute on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs of  part 1 of schedule 7A to the Act.

SUMMARY OF PRIVATE BUSINESS

Consider Private Minute of Meeting held on 5 December 2017. (Copy attached).

The Private Minute of the Executive Committee of 5 December had been circulated.

DECISION

APPROVED for signature by the Chairman.