Scottish Borders Council

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Rosetta Road, Peebles

Contact: Louise McGeoch Tel: 01835 825005  Email:  lmcgeoch@scotborders.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 107 KB

Consider Minutes of Meetings held on:-

 

(a)     20 November 2019; and

 

(b)     6 February 2020.

 

(copies attached.)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Meetings of Peebles Common Good Fund Sub-Committee held on 20 November 2019 and 6 February 2020 had been circulated.

 

DECISION

AGREED to approve the Minutes.

 

2.

Financial Monitoring to 31 December 2019 pdf icon PDF 163 KB

Consider report by Executive Director, Finance and Regulatory.  (Copy attached.)

Minutes:

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Executive Director, Finance & Regulatory providing details of the income and expenditure for the Peebles Common Good Fund for the nine months to 30 September 2019 and full year projected out-turn for 2019/20 and projected balance sheet values as at 31 March 2020.  Appendix 1 to the report provided a projected Income and Expenditure position which currently showed a projected surplus of £31,322 for the year.   Appendix 2 to the report contained a projected Balance Sheet to 31 March 2020 and projected a decrease in the reserves of £6,119.  Appendix 3 to the report detailed the breakdown of the property portfolio showing projected rental income for 2019/20 and actual property expenditure to 31 December 2019.   Appendix 4 to the report showed the value of the Kames Capital Investment Fund to 31 December 2019.     The Treasury Business Partner, Sara Halliday, highlighted the main points.   In response to a question regarding the grants budget and the recently approved loan, Ms Halliday explained that the loan was not shown in this part of the accounts and that the unallocated balance remaining in the grants budget was £6,508.

 

DECISION

AGREED:-

 

(a)     the projected Income and Expenditure for 2019/20, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report;

 

(b)     to note the projected Balance Sheet value as at 31 March 2020, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report;

 

(c)     to note the summary of the property portfolio, as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report; and

 

(d)     to note the current position of the investment in the Kames Investment Fund, as detailed in Appendix 4 to the report.

 

3.

Peebles Park Run pdf icon PDF 52 KB

Consider request to reverse route. (Copy letter attached.)

Minutes:

There had been circulated copies of a letter from Mr Martin Kelso, Co-Event Director of Haylodge parkrun, regarding the Haylodge parkrun which operated every Saturday in the park subject to no other pre-planned usage. Mr Kelso, who was in attendance, explained that to mark Leap Year, it was proposed to run the course in reverse on Leap Year day.  Formal permission was being sought for this change from Peebles Common Good Fund Sub Committee, as landlord of the park. If the reverse route proved to be popular it was possible this might be used for other special events in the future.  Mr Kelso added that the standard parkrun Risk Assessment showed that there were no material risks arising from the change. Members expressed their support for the regular parkrun events and gave permission for the course to be run in reverse.

 

DECISION

AGREED to give permission for the Haylodge parkrun to follow a reverse route.

 

4.

Applications for Funding pdf icon PDF 156 KB

Consider requests for funding from the following:-

Additional documents:

Minutes:

4.1       Tweed Wheels

There had been circulated copies of a request from Tweed Wheels, The Bridge,for funding of £10,000 towards the purchase of a new vehicle costing in the region of £40,000.  Tweed Wheels currently had a mini bus and a car to provide accessible community transport.  Capital funding was required to purchase a replacement mini-bus as the existing vehicle was coming to the end of its life. The application advised that £20,000 had already been raised towards the total required and the organisation was awaiting to hear if an application for a further £10,000 had been successful.  Members were very supportive of Tweed Wheels and noted that £10,000 had recently been awarded to this Community Transport initiative from the Tweeddale Community Fund. In further discussion, Members had questions about the unrestricted funds shown in the accounts of the umbrella organisation The Bridge, whether other ways of purchasing the vehicle had been explored and also about long term sustainability of funding for Tweed Wheels.  It was agreed to seek further information and delay consideration of the application to the next meeting.

 

DECISION

AGREED to seek further information and defer consideration of the application from Tweed Wheels to the next meeting.

 

4.2       Peebles and District Men’s Shed

There had been circulated copies of a request from Peebles and District Men’s Shed for funding of £6,486 towards the conversion of their premises from a formal social club and bar into a multi-purpose venue.  Already members could undertake technical wood and metal working activities in newly fitted workshops but a large number also enjoyed modelling and art and a further section attended for social engagement.  The aim was to provide properly equipped and comfortable adjacent spaces for modelling/art and social activities.  A breakdown of the costs for the conversions was included with the application.  Members spoke in support of the project and agreed to grant the funding request in full, noting that this was part of an ongoing process of investment into the fabric of the building.

 

DECISION

AGREED to grant funding of £6,486 to Peebles and District Men’s Shed.

 

4.3       Peebles Community Trust

There had been circulated copies of a request fromPeebles Community Trust for funding of £1,500 towards a project to save for posterity the old weighbridge office which stood in the East Station car park.  Mr Les Turnbull explained that the project was being carried out by the Peebles Railway Heritage Project, under the auspices of the Community Trust. The group believed that it was essential to save this building and preserve the significant history of Peebles as a railway town.  The building was currently owned by Scottish Borders Council, who had agreed to a long term lease at a marginal rent. It was hoped to engage a local consultation to provide expertise to enable submission of a full and detailed application to the Scottish Heritage Fund for funding the fitting out of the building. It was anticipated that the full costs of the project would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Draft Revised Application for Funding pdf icon PDF 148 KB

Consider draft revised application for Common Good Fund Funding.  (Copy draft form attached.)

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 1.2 of the private section of the Minute of 6 February 2020, there had been circulated copies of a draft revised application form, for funding from all the Council’s Common Good Funds, which had been re-designed to a format similar to the form used for applications to the Community Fund.  Members considered the form to be an improvement.  Councillor Haslam asked for an additional box to be added after box 2 of the form to request how outcomes of the project would be measured and evaluated.  It was noted that the application form would also be presented to the other Common Good Fund Sub Committees for comment.

 

DECISION

           

(a)        NOTED the draft revised form for applications for financial assistance from Common Good Funds.

 

(b)       AGREED to recommend that an additional box be added to the draft after box 2 of the form to request how outcomes of the project would be measured and evaluated.

 

6.

Property Update

Consider:-

 

(a)     General Property Update by Estates Manager;

 

(b)     Replacement of Peebles Tennis Club clubhouse; and

 

(c)     Drainage at Haylodge Park.

Minutes:

6.1      Jedderfield Farm

With reference to paragraph 5 of the Minute of 20 November 2019, the Estates Manager advised that a market appraisal of the Jedderfield Farm property being carried out by the Chartered Surveyors had raised several questions in relation to options for its sale or lease.  The house and buildings were in poor condition and the way forward would involve a complex legal process.  A high level costed plan would be included in a full report on the property.   The report would include a wider survey of other grazing land in the ownership of the Common Good. 

 

DECISION

NOTED 

 

6.2       Update on other property matters

The Estates Manager referred to breakage of a water main across Victoria Park, which had been fixed.  Recent flooding of the Gytes allotments had led to damage to fences with an estimated repair cost of £8k.  The Council was currently exploring whether this cost would be met through Insurance or through the Bellwin scheme.  At Haylodge Park there had been a problem with an external tap, which was being repaired.  With regard to the replacement of Peebles Tennis Club clubhouse the Estates Manager advised that a new lease was still under discussion and that a planning application had not yet been submitted.

 

DECISION

NOTED the update

 

CHAIRMAN

As this was the last meeting that would be attended by solicitor Emma Moir prior to her departure from Scottish Borders Council, the Chairman thanked her for her support to the Sub Committee and wished her well for the future.

 

7.

Private Business

Minutes:

DECISION

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 Paragraph 6 of Part I of Schedule 7A to the Act.

 

 

SUMMARY OF PRIVATE BUSINESS

 

8.

Private Minute

Consider private section of Minute of meeting held on 6 February 2020.  (Copy attached.)

Minutes:

Minute

Approved the private section of the Minute of the meeting held on 6 February 2020.

 

9.         Urgent Business

Members considered an item of urgent business regarding applications for events on Victoria Park.

 

 

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