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.

Minute of the meeting of 28 January 2016 to be approved and signed by the Chairman. (Copy attached).

There had been circulated copies of the Minute of 28 January 2016. 

DECISION

NOTED for signature by the Chairman.

Consider Briefing Note by the Regulatory Services Manager.  (Copy attached).

3.1       With reference to paragraph 5 of the Minute of 29 October 2015, the Chairman welcomed Mr Anthony Carson, Regulatory Services Manager, Mr Anthony Barker, Environmental Health Officer, and Mr John Hayward, Development Standards Manager, to the meeting to give a presentation on the Protection of Private Water Supplies across the Scottish Borders.  There had also been circulated copies of a Briefing Note by Mr Carson.  Members were advised that there were currently 1,500 known Private Water Supplies (PWS) in the Borders which supplied over 4,500 properties and explained that, when a Planning application was made, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) both had a role in ensuring that private water supplies were protected.  The different roles and responsibilities of these organisations were summarised including where consideration had to be given to the protection of water supplies, whether a proposed development did or did not need a water supply, an example being where a development did not require a water supply but had the potential to impact on water supplies in the locality.  Mr Carson gave examples of three different Planning applications and the approaches/responses required for developments of varying size and complexity, including that of a large wind farm application.

3.2       Members were informed that under the Water (Scotland) Act 1980, any person erecting a building was required to satisfy the Council that there would be a sufficient supply of wholesome water in pipes for the domestic purposes of the persons occupying or using the building.  SBC also had a duty to keep itself informed about the wholesomeness and sufficiency of water supplies to all premises in its area.  In order to comply with these duties, Regulatory Services, on behalf of SBC, reviewed every planning application in relation to the proposed water supply required for the development and/or the impact the development could have on existing water supplies.  In considering the water supply required for a development, Mr Barker explained that when the supply was to be served by the public mains water supply, the applicant was expected to provide written evidence from Scottish Water to that effect.

3.3       Mr Barker then explained that there were two types of developments, the first of which was where a development was to be served by a private water supply.  In this case, a range of information was required, such as the type of supply/source eg borehole, spring, well etc; an 8 figure grid reference for the location of the site; details of other properties supplied by the same source; details of any flow tests; evidence that the supply would not have a detrimental effect on other supplies in the area; details of any treatments to be installed on the system; and data relating to tests that had been carried out to ensure the wholesomeness of the water.  In situations when this information was not provided, a suspensive condition was applied in order to ensure that the site was adequately serviced without detriment to the surrounding water  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Update on Subjects included in the Future Scrutiny Review Programme. (Copy attached).

4.1       With reference to paragraph 5 of the Minute of 26 November 2015, there had been circulated an updated list of subjects which Scrutiny Committee had been asked to review and which included the source of the request, the stage the process had reached and the date, if identified, of the Scrutiny meeting at which the information would be presented.  In addition, Members were also asked to consider further subjects for inclusion on this list for presentation at future meetings of the Committee.  When deciding whether subjects would be reviewed by the Scrutiny Committee, Members required a clear indication from the initiator of the request as to which aspects of the subject they wished to be reviewed.  This would enable the Committee to determine whether the subject was appropriate for consideration.  With reference to Renewable Energy and Biomass Boilers in High Schools, Ms Wilkinson would request an update from the Projects Team on the current position and Scrutiny Committee would then consider how this would be taken forward.  Further subjects for review were discussed and it was agreed that, following the recent inclement weather and flooding in some areas, an update on the Council's Bridges Asset with an emphasis on processes for inspection and maintenance be added to the list of reviews for presentation no earlier than the May meeting of the Committee.

4.2       Members discussed the success of the Council's Recycling Centres and noted the range and volume of goods received at the Centres.  Further discussion identified an opportunity to review how these goods could be remarketed or recycled and it was agreed that this would be added to the Scrutiny Review Programme, including consideration of how other Local Authorities such as North Ayrshire had approached this.  Members discussed the request by Greenlaw and Hume Community Council to review outsourcing successes by the Council and it was agreed that a briefing paper would be presented to the Committee and that this would identify which services the Council had outsourced, which had been successful, and where the outsourcing had not been so successful, to approach other Local Authorities to ask how they had outsourced similar services.

4.3       Members discussed the use of 3G pitches and the recent media reports on the views of some high profile footballers who did not consider artificial pitches to be the best playing surface.  Members noted that these were the views of professional sports people and that for training purposes, 3G pitches offered the most comprehensive use of the facilities.  It was agreed that a briefing paper would be presented to the Committee on the use, costs, benefits and issues related to artificial pitches already installed in the Scottish Borders.  Members would then make a decision on whether they considered a full Review to be appropriate.

4.4       Members were asked to consider how Equalities legislation was applied in the Scottish Borders in relation to local festivals, particularly when the Council allocated grants to the local committees responsible for such events.  It was noted that while  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

            The presentation by the Service Director Children and Young People on Support for Highly Able Learners at School was deferred and would now be made at the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee on 28 April 2016.

            DECISION

            NOTED.

            With reference to the recommendation at paragraph 2.8 (b) of the Minute of 20 August 2015, no reply had yet been received from the Scottish Government.  The Clerk to the Council would ascertain what progress had been made and would report back to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.

            DECISION

            NOTED.

The next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to take place on Thursday 24 March 2016.

The next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee would take place on Thursday, 24 March 2016.

            DECISION

            NOTED.