Scottish Borders Council

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Via MS Teams

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

Link: link to live stream

Items
No. Item

1.

Minute pdf icon PDF 86 KB

Consider Minute of Meeting held on 24 February 2021.  (Copy attached.)

Minutes:

The Minute of the Meeting of Peebles Common Good Fund Sub-Committee held on 24 February 2021 had been circulated.

 

DECISION

AGREED to approve the Minute for signature by the Chairman.

 

2.

Matters Arising Since the Last Meeting

Minutes:

The Chairman reported on the following:-

 

            (a)     Permission had been given for the planting of 6 further fruit trees in the Peebles Community Orchard in Haylodge Park; and

 

            (b)     that in response to an invitation from the BBC to participate in an item on Common Good Funds the Chairman had taken part in the filming.

 

 

3.

Budget Monitoring for the 12 Month Period to 31 March 2021 pdf icon PDF 178 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 year 2020/2021 including balance sheet values as at 31 March 2021, a full year projected outturn for 2021/2022 and projected balance sheet values as at 31 March 2022.   Appendix 1 provided the actual income and expenditure position for 2020/21 and showed a surplus of £51,329 for the year.  Appendix 2 provided an actual balance sheet value as at 31 March 2021 and showed an increase in the reserves of £53,935.  Appendix 3a provided a breakdown of the property portfolio showing actual rental income and net return for 2020/21.  Appendix 3b provided a breakdown of the property portfolio showing actual property expenditure for 2020/21.  Appendix 4 provided a breakdown of the actual property valuations at 31 March 2021.  Appendix 5 showed the value of the Aegon Asset Management Investment Fund to 31 March 2021.  The Treasury Business Partner highlighted the main points in the report and confirmed that the Aegon Asset Management Investment Fund was now back in a positive position.  In response to a query on the map of assets to match the list shown in Appendix 3a the Estates Surveyor advised that a review of property was being undertaken by the Legal and Finance Sections so the map could not be finalised until this was complete.

 

DECISION

AGREED:-

 

(a)       to note the actual income and expenditure for 2020/21 in Appendix 1 to the report;

 

(b)       the projected income and expenditure for 2021/22 in Appendix 1 to the report as the revised budget for 2021/22;

(c)       to note the final balance sheet value as at 31 March 2021, and projected balance sheet value as at 31 March 2022 in Appendix 2 to the report;

 

(d)       to notes the summary of the property portfolio in Appendices 3 and 4 to the report; and

 

(e)       to notes the current position of the Aegon Asset Management Investment Fund in Appendix 5 to the report.

 

4.

Application for Funding pdf icon PDF 159 KB

Consider request for funding from Peebles Cricket Club.  (Copy application attached.)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There had been circulated copies of an application from Peebles County Cricket Club requesting £2,600 to support the Club to allow juniors and seniors to play cricket during the summer.  Mr Steven Slater, Club Chairman and Niall Burns who worked with the junior members were present at the meeting and explained the impact that Covid 19 had on the Club and the need for funding to allow them to continue.  They were trying to make the Club more sustainable and were trying to increase the number of young members and also start a ladies group.  Members discussed the request.  Councillor Haslam, seconded by Councillor Bell proposed that the request be approved and this was unanimously accepted.

 

            DECISION

            AGREED to award a grant of £2600 to Peebles County Cricket Club.

 

5.

Highland Games Container

Continue consideration of request to site container for the Highland Games in Haylodge Park.

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 5.4 of the Minute of 24 February 2021, it was noted that the Highland Games representative was unable to attend the meeting.  Members asked that visuals of the proposed container be provided for their next meeting to allow a final decision to be made.

 

            DECISION

            AGREED to defer this matter until the next meeting to allow further information to be provided.

 

6.

Property Update

Consider general property update by Estates Surveyor.

Minutes:

6.1       Venlaw Quarry

With reference to paragraph 5.2 of the Minute of 24 February 2021, the Estates Surveyor advised that the following the landslip heras fencing had been erected.  Engineers had now examined the quarry and prepared a report recommending improved fencing and signage and investigations of dangerous trees around the top of the quarry in the short-term and in the longer term scaling around the sides. Works to ensure the quarry was safe such as continued use of heras fencing, new signage and tree surveys were ongoing. Community Councillor Hayworth asked that if the Common Good Fund only had permission to remove stone from the quarry could this right not be given up so that any costs would then fall to the owner of the quarry.  The Estates Surveyor advised that she would investigate this option and report back to a future meeting.

 

DECISION

AGREED that the Estates Survey investigate the possibility of the Common Good Fund giving up its rights to the quarry.

 

6.2       Haylodge Park

            The Estates Survey showed pictures of the current poor condition of a path within Haylodge Park.  The cost of the repair would be £2465.  Member also noted that fencing at Fotheringham Bridge had been repaired.

 

            AGREED to repair the path at Haylodge Park at a cost of £2465.

 

6.3       Haylodge Park Toilets

The Estates Surveyor had sought approval in principle for the re-opening and cleaning of the toilets in Haylodge Park from 1 April 2021.  The cost of cleaning Haylodge Park toilets this year was £300/week. This was more than previous years due to additional cleaning, PPE, signage and hand sanitiser required as a result of Covid. The total cost for the usual opening period of 1st April to 30th September would be £7800 compared with the cost of £6500 in 2019.

 

DECISION

AGREED to ratify the decision regarding the re-opening and cleaning of the Haylodge Park toilets at a cost of £7,800 for the season.

 

MEMBER

Councillor Anderson joined the meeting.      

 

7.

Requests for Use of Common Good Land pdf icon PDF 570 KB

Consider the following requests:-

 

·                Underdog –Request to use Haylodge Park, Tweed Green, Kingsmeadows Car Park and Victoria Park for food trading from converted horse trailer. Hours of operation are currently Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday from 11am - 3pm but hoping to expand to Friday’s and possibly Sunday’s and bank holidays.  Set up around 10am to prepare for service and are usually off site by 3.15pm. Plan of proposed location within Victoria Park attached.

·                Flower of Milk –. Request to use Kingsmeadows Car Park or Tweed Green for selling ice cream from a trailer. Time scale would potentially be May 1st to October 1st. Days of the week would consist of Thursdays/Fridays/Saturdays and Sundays. Hours of the day would be 10am till 4pm on these days.

·                Tweed Valley Tourism - Managed provision for motorhomes at Kingsmeadow car park.

·                Request to open café in Tweedgreen pavilion – suggested hours of operation, May to Sept, 7am-3pm, Possibly Wed to Sunday

·                Use of Tweedgreen pavilion and Haylodge Park Shelter for creating safe managed outdoors spaces for young people.

Minutes:

There had been a number of requests to use various areas of Common Good land and these were listed on the agenda as follows:-

 

·                Underdog –Request to use Haylodge Park, Tweed Green, Kingsmeadows Car Park and Victoria Park for food trading from converted horse trailer. Hours of operation are currently Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday from 11am - 3pm but hoping to expand to Friday’s and possibly Sunday’s and bank holidays.  Set up around 10am to prepare for service and are usually off site by 3.15pm. Plan of proposed location within Victoria Park attached.

·                Flower of Milk –. Request to use Kingsmeadows Car Park or Tweed Green for selling ice cream from a trailer. Time scale would potentially be May 1st to October 1st. Days of the week would consist of Thursdays/Fridays/Saturdays and Sundays. Hours of the day would be 10am till 4pm on these days.

·                Tweed Valley Tourism - Managed provision for motorhomes at Kingsmeadows car park.

·                Request to open café in Tweed Green pavilion – suggested hours of operation, May to Sept, 7am-3pm, Possibly Wed to Sunday

·                Use of Tweed Green pavilion and Haylodge Park Shelter for creating safe managed outdoors spaces for young people.

 

Councillor Bell stated that he did not feel that some of the requests were sufficiently detailed and asked for consideration to be deferred to allow a short paper to be provided with an officer recommendation and this was supported by Councillor Anderson.  The Lead Officer Access and Transport was also in attendance to discuss the possibility of introducing a Temporary Traffic Order to allow motorhomes to stay in car parks overnight and noted that other car parks within Peebles should be considered. The Estates Surveyor advised that she was looking for guidance on whether or not the Sub-Committee were likely to support such requests.  However, the Chairman supported the request and asked that a further meeting be arranged to consider these at an early opportunity.

 

DECISION

AGREED that a further meeting be arranged to consider these and that paper be provided.

 

8.

Private Business

Before proceeding with the private business, the following motion 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 the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 7A to the aforementioned Act.”

 

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

 

9.

Minute

Private Section of Minute of Meeting held on 24 February 2021 to be approved and signed by the Chairman.  (Copy attached.)

Minutes:

Approved the private section of the Minute of the meeting held on 24 February 2021.

 

10.

Review of Rents

Consider briefing Note by the Estates Surveyor.  (Copy attached.)

Minutes:

Members received information from the Estates Surveyor

 

11.

Urgent Business

Minutes:

Under Section 50B(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the Chairman was of the opinion that the item dealt with in the following paragraph should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency, in view of the need to make an early decision.

 

12.

Jedderfield Farm

Minutes:

Members agreed that this property be advertised for lease in the press.

 

 

 

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