Agenda and minutes

The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed Members of the Sub-Committee and members of the public to the Scottish Borders Council’s open on-line meeting.  The meeting was to consider urgent items and was being held remotely in order to adhere to guidance on public meetings and social distancing currently in place, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Consider Minute of meeting held on 26 November 2020. (Copy attached).

There had been circulated copies of the Minute of the meeting held on 26 November 2019.

DECISION

APPROVED the Minute of the Meeting held on 26 November 2019 for signature by the Chairman.

            With regard to paragraph 6.4 of the Minute of 26 November 2019, the Chairman advised that because of the Covid-19 pandemic the Hawick Reivers’ Festival had not gone ahead as planned.  It was noted that for next year’s festival, a new funding application would be required to be submitted and that the grant for this year’s Festival should be returned to Hawick Common Good.   However, the amount returned to preclude any costs incurred by Hawick Reivers’ Festival unable to reclaimed.   

3.2       With reference to Item 6.4(b of the Minute of 26 November 2019, the Sub-Committee considered that Council had not given appropriate consideration to the request and that the recommendation that Hawick Reivers’ Association be included within the Council’s Festival budget be reconsidered.

DECISION

(a)     AGREED To request that Hawick Reivers’ Association reimburse the Sub-Committee the funding granted for the 2020 Hawick Reivers’ Festival, precluding any costs incurred that they were unable to be reclaim.

*        (b)   AGREED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL that inclusion of Hawick Reivers’ Association within the Council’s Festival budget be reconsidered.

Consider application for financial assistance from:-

Hawick Royal Albert United AFC.  (Copy attached)

Hawick Royal Albert United Football Club

There had been circulated copies of an application for financial assistance from Hawick Royal Albert United Football Club requesting £5,000.00 towards refurbishment works and repairs to their car park.  The application explained that the Football Club’s premises and car park had received extensive damage during the recent flooding in February this year.   The Chairman thanked the Secretary of the Football Club for attending the meeting remotely and for the detailed application and explanation given for Football Club’s request.   The Sub-Committee noted that the Football Club had raised £15k towards the works and unanimously supported the application for funding. 

DECISION

AGREED to award £5,000.00 to Hawick Royal Albert United Football Club towards refurbishment works and repairs to their car park.   The works and repairs to be undertaken within government guidelines in relation to Covid-19. 

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

With reference to paragraph 8 of the Minute of 26 November 2019, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Executive Director Finance and Regulatory providing details of the income and expenditure for the Hawick Good Fund Sub-Committee for the year 2019/20 and proposed budget for 2020/21.  Appendix 1 to the report provided the projected income and expenditure for 2019/20. This showed a surplus of £108,805 for the year which was slightly higher than the surplus figure reported at the 26 November 2019 meeting.  Appendix 2 provided an actual balance sheet value as at 31 March 2020 and showed an increase in reserves of £947,895 due to the revaluation of properties off set slightly by unrealised loss on the Kames Investment Fund.  Appendix 3 provided a breakdown of the property portfolio showing the effect of the revaluation.  Appendix 4 showed the value of the Kames Capital Investment Fund to 31 March 2020.   Mrs Robb advised that the Kames Capital Investment Fund return was less than anticipated due to the global impact of Covid-19.  In response to questions Mrs Robb advised that Kames Capital Investment Fund provided an annual update on performance for Members.  To adhere to social distancing measures, this would be held remotely this year.  With regard to the income and expenditure detail provided in the report, a summary of annual income received would be included in the annual end of year report going forward.  Regarding the heritable assets value these were shown as nil as heritable assets could not be sold.

DECISION

AGREED the proposed income and expenditure for 2020/21 in Appendix 1 to the report.

NOTED within the appendices to the report:-

(i)   The actual income and expenditure for 2019/20 as shown in Appendix 1

(ii)  The final balance sheet value as at 31 March 2020 in Appendix 2;

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

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

Update by Property Officer and Estates Strategy Surveyor on:

·        Woodland Management Scheme

·        New building at St Leonards Farm

·        Pilmuir Farm building.

Woodland Management Scheme

With reference to paragraph 16.4 of the Minute of 26 November 2019, the Estates Strategy Surveyor advised that a hard core timber stacking area had been installed at the Nip Knowes to assist with timber removal.  This would be beneficial for parking of walkers’ vehicles after the timber had been extracted.  Once the timber removal had been completed at the Nip Knowes, the contractors would upgrade the track leading from the Golf Club car park, and fell any remaining trees and wind blow remove from the site.   Members raised the issue of fly tipping at the area Nip Knowes.  It was agreed that once the work was completed fencing and a gate be erected to prevent access to the land by fly tippers.

6.2       New Building at St Leonards Farm

With reference to paragraph 16.1 of the Minute of 26 November 2019, the Property Officer displayed photographs showing progress of the works to the byre and landscaping of the midden.  Works to the byre had stopped because of Covid-19 and would recommence when the contractor was unfurloughed.  

5.3       Pilmuir Farm Building

With reference to paragraph 16.3 of the Minute of 26 November 2019, the Property Officer advised that works to the roof would commence following completion of works at St Leonards Farm.

DECISION

NOTED the report.

AGREED that fencing and a gate be erected at the Nip Knowes, once the timber removal was completed.

Before proceeding with 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.”

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.

Councillor Marshall left the online meeting.

Consider Private Minute of meeting held on 26 November 2019.  (Copy attached). 

Members approved the Private Minute of the Hawick Common Good Fund Sub-Committee held on

The Sub-Committee considered an update on works at the Wee Haugh, Hawick.

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

The Sub-Committee considered a private verbal report by the Chairman.

The date of the next meeting would be dependent on the amount of urgent business to be discussed and would be advised in due course.