Scottish Borders Council

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Lesser Hall, Town Hall, Hawick

Contact: Judith Turnbull Tel No. 01835 826556  Email:  Judith.Turnbull@scotborders.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced Mr Jock Campbell,  Hawick Community Council’s representative on the Sub-Committee.

 

DECISION

NOTED.

 

 

2.

Order of Business

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.

 

 

3.

Minute pdf icon PDF 72 KB

Consider Minute of meeting held on 20 August 2019.  (Copy attached),

Minutes:

There had been circulated copies of the Minute of the meeting held on 20 August 2019.

 

DECISION

APPROVED the Minute of the Meeting held on 20 August 2019 for signature by the Chairman.

 

4.

Urgent Item

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  keep Members informed.

 

 

5.

Future Hawick - Welcome Hosts

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 5.1 of the Minute 19 March 2019, the Chair welcomed Mr Tait, Chair of Future Hawick, who was in attendance to provide an evaluation on the Welcome Hosts.   Their report on Hawick Welcome 2019 had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting.   Mr Tait advised that there had been 5,000 visitors to the town, which had exceeded expectations.  The number of coaches, first time visitors, camper vans to the town had also risen.    The Sub-Committee thanked Mr Tait for the evaluation and congratulated him on the continued success of the project.

 

DECISION

NOTED.

 

 

6.

Financial Assistance pdf icon PDF 967 KB

 

Consider applications for financial assistance from:-

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Hawick Pantomime Group

There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from Hawick Pantomime Group requesting £1,040 towards the cost of storage and transportation of costumes, scenery and advertising.  The Chairman asked that Hawick Pantomime Group also consider applying for a community grant. 

 

DECISION

AGREED to award a grant of £1,040.00 to Hawick Pantomime Group towards the cost of storage and transportation of costumes, scenery and advertising,

 

Hawick Congregational Community Church Reaching Out Project

There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from Hawick Congregational Community Church Reaching Out Project for £4,000.00.  The funding would be used to assist with, develop and sustain their day to day activities in particular Souplaunch and the Friendship Afternoon, during 2020.  It was noted that this application was not eligible for a community grant.

 

DECISION

AGREED to award a grant of £4,000.00 to Hawick Congregational Community Church Reaching out Project to assist with, develop and sustain their day to day activities in particular Souplaunch and the Friendship Afternoon.

 

Hawick in Bloom

There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from Hawick in Bloom (a sub group of Hawick Community Council) for £1,779.35 to purchase bedding plans for the area surrounding the War Memorial in Wilton Lodge Park.  An estimate for the cost of the plants was attached to the application.   Following discussion it was agreed to award the grant and also to grant funding for the cost of the 2021 and 2022 summer and winter bedding plants.   Hawick in Bloom would provide details of the amounts required. 

 

DECISION

AGREED

To award a grant of £1,779.35 to purchase summer and winter bedding plants for the area surrounding the War Memorial in Wilton Lodge Park; and

To award further annual grants for 2021 and 2022 to purchase summer and winter bedding plants for the area surrounding the War Memorial in Wilton Lodge Park.

 

(NB: Following the meeting, Hawick in Bloom advised that the amount required for

2021 was £1,832.74, and, for 2022 £1,887.72.  This covered the cost of summer and winter bedding plants).

 

Hawick Reivers Association

There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from Hawick Reivers Association £3,000.00 towards the overall running costs of the festival including insurance, marketing, venues etc.  This would allow Hawick Reivers Association to continue to provide many of the events free of charge to the local population and visitors alike.   The Sub-Committee discussed the application and unanimously agreed that as the Hawick Reivers Festival was of economic benefit to the town, it should receive annual funding from the Council’s Community Fund.

 

DECISION

AGREED to award a grant of £3,000.00 towards the overall running costs of the festival including insurance, marketing, venues etc.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL that Hawick Reivers Association receive annual funding from the Council’s Festival budget.

 

Hawick Honorary Provosts Council

There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from the Honorary Provost’s Council requesting £2,500.00 for their continued running costs.

 

DECISION

AGREED  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Application for use of Common Haugh pdf icon PDF 406 KB

Consider application from K Stuart Family Fun Fair (Copy attached).

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 5 of the Minute of 11 December 2018, an application had been received from K Stuart, Family Fun Fair requesting permission to lease part of the Common Haugh on two weekends in March 2019 for a Fun Fair. 

 

DECISION

AGREED to grant a lease of the Common Haugh to K Stuart, Family Fun Fair as follows:-

 

(a)        Thursday        26 March 2019           6.00 pm to 9.30 pm

            Friday             27 March 2019           6.00 pm to 10.00 pm

            Saturday         28 March 2019           1.00 pm to 10.00 pm

            Sunday           29 March 2019           2.00 pm to 4.30 pm.

 

(b)       Thursday        2 April 2019                6.00 pm to 9.30 pm

            Friday 3 April 2019                6.00 pm to 10.00 pm

            Saturday         4 April 2019                1.00 pm to 10.00 pm

 

To request that K Stuart Family Fun Fair and Hawick Reivers Association are advised of any impact the flood protection works might have on the Common Haugh during the Reivers Festival weekend.

 

 

8.

Monitoring Report for nine months to 30 September 2019 pdf icon PDF 164 KB

Consider report by Chief Financial Officer. (Copy attached).

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 4 of the Minute of 20 August 2019, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Financial Officer providing details of the income and expenditure for the Hawick Good Fund Sub-Committee for the six months to 30 September 2019, a full year projected out-turn for 2019/20 and projected balance sheet values as at 31 March 2020.   Appendix 1 to the report provided the projected income and expenditure position. This showed a projected surplus of £134,211 for the year which included a proposed increase to the budget for grants and donations.  Appendix 2 provided a projected balance sheet value as at 31 March 2019 and showed a projected decrease in reserves of £94,620.  Appendix 3 provided a breakdown of the property portfolio showing projected rental income for 2019/20 and actual property expenditure to 30 September 2019.  Appendix 4 showed the value of the Kames Capital Investment Fund to 30 September 2019.  Mrs Robb advised that with the grants awarded above, the surplus would be reduced to £120k for 2019/20 and it was agreed to increase the grants budget to £80k.

 

DECISION

AGREED the projected income and expenditure for 2019/20 in Appendix 1 to the report, as the revised budget for 2019/20.

 

NOTED within the appendices to the report:-

 

(i)         The projected balance sheet value as at 31 March 2020 in Appendix 2;

 

(ii)        The summary of the property portfolio in Appendix 3; and

 

(iii)       The current position of the Kames Capital Investment Fund in Appendix 4.    

 

9.

Tree Felling and Community Benefits

Update by Project Team.

Minutes:

The Chair advised that at a Members briefing on 5 November 2019 by the Flood Protection Team.  Members present had requested that any trees felled as a result of the protection scheme works, be sold by the project team.  Any money arising from the sale would be ring fenced for community benefit projects.   The details of which would be confirmed e.g. project type, suitability.

 

DECISION

AGREED that any trees felled by the Flood Protection Team be sold, with any money arising to be ring fenced for community benefit projects.

 

(Note: A member of public raised a query regarding trees that bordered Violet Woods.  As this was not a Common Good matter the Ward Councillor advised he would facilitate a meeting with officers out with the meeting).

 

 

10.

Property Update

Verbal update from Property Officer.

Minutes:

Williestruther Reservoir

With reference to paragraph 4.2 of the Minute of 14 November 2017, the Property Officer confirmed that Williestruther Reservoir had passed the annual inspection.

 

DECISION

NOTED.

 

 

11.

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 Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the aforementioned Act”.

Minutes:

AGREED exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the business detailed in the Appendix to the Minute on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 6 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

 

 

12.

Private Minute

Consider Private Minute of meeting held on 20 August 2019. (Copy attached).

Minutes:

Members approved the Private Minute of the Hawick Common Good Fund Sub-Committee held on 20 August 2019.

 

13.

Matters Arising from the Minute

Minutes:

There was a discussion on the Wee Haugh, Hawick

 

14.

Hawick Common Haugh

Consider report by Service Director Assets & Infrastructure (Copy attached).

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee considered a report by the Service Director Assets & Infrastructure.

 

15.

Moveable Assets Inventory - Additional Item

Consider report by Executive Director. (To follow).

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee considered a report by Executive Director.

 

16.

Property Update

Verbal update by Estates Surveyor.

Minutes:

The Property Officer and Strategy Surveyor gave a verbal update on matters pertaining to Common Good properties.

 

 

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