Scottish Borders Council

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Via Microsoft Teams

Contact: Fiona Walling 01835 826504  Email:-  fwalling@scotborders.gov.uk

Link: link to live stream

Items
No. Item

1.

Minute pdf icon PDF 75 KB

Minute of Meeting held on 10 December 2020 for noting (copy attached).

Minutes:

The Minute of Meeting of the Innerleithen Common Good Fund Sub-Committee held on 10 December 2020 had been circulated.

 

DECISION

APPROVED the Minute for signature by the Chairman.

 

2.

Monitoring Report for 12 months to 31 March 2021 and Proposed Budget for Financial Year 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Consider report by the Executive Director, Finance & Regulatory (copy attached).

Minutes:

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Executive Director, Finance & Regulatory providing details of the assets held by the Innerleithen Common Good Fund as at 31 March 2021, a full year revenue out-turn for 2020/21 and projected balance sheet values as at 31 March 2022.  Detail on income and expenditure for the year to 31 March 2021 was provided in Appendix 1 to the report.  Appendix 2 provided actual balance sheet values as at 31 March 2021, which showed a decrease in the reserves of £31,230 as a result of the release from the Revaluation Reserve at the end of the financial year. The report explained that all fixed assets of the Common Good Fund were revalued every five years as part of the Council’s rolling programme.  The fixed assets had been revalued at 1 April 2019. Appendix 3 to the report showed the actual value of the individual properties at 31 March 2021, actual depreciation charges for 2020/21 and projected values at 31 March 2022.

 

DECISION

 

(a)      NOTED within the appendices to the report:-

 

            (i)         the actual income and expenditure for 2020/21 in Appendix 1;

 

(ii)        the final balance sheet value as at 31 March 2021 in Appendix 2; and

 

(iii)       the summary of the property portfolio in Appendix 3.

 

(b)      AGREED the proposed budget for 2021/22 as shown in Appendix 1.

 

3.

Innerleithen Memorial Hall

(a)     Update.

 

(b)     Progress on office space rental.

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 3 of the Minute of 10 December 2020, the Chairman welcomed Mr Ross McGinn to the meeting, representing the Innerleithen Community Trust and Memorial Hall User Group and also Mr Ben Lamb and Mr David McKearney from Live Borders. Mr McGinn explained that the User Group had continued to meet regularly, on a remote basis, to keep contact and maintain continuity in terms of planned improvements to the hall.  However, apart from the installation of the cooker there were no further developments to report. As requested at the last meeting, the Estates Surveyor, Tricia Hill, had arranged for the electrics to be checked and the User Group confirmed there were no ongoing issues with the electrics. Mr Lamb reported that the partnership between Live Borders, the Innerleithen Community Trust and Scottish Borders Council had been working well over the past 12 months.  Mr McKearney explained that, in terms of tenancy of the office space, all 6 available rooms had now been taken.  It was clear that there was a lot of interest and demand in the area.  Going forward attention was being given to the availability of space on the ground floor to meet the demand. With regard to the condition of some of the rooms, it was noted that there had originally been an undertaking from the Council to investigate whether funding could be sourced to take forward works to refurbish the rooms in preparation for handover to Live Borders for letting as office space. Members agreed that re-decoration should be carried out as soon as possible.  Mr Lamb confirmed that Live Borders were happy to continue to invest in the hall and to share the cost of refurbishment.  After further discussion it was agreed that Mr McKearney and team would move quickly to draw up a list of requirements and costs to carry out necessary improvement to the décor.  Mr Lamb would then liaise with Ms Hill about how this would be funded.  In order for the work to be implemented as soon as possible Members agreed to delegate to Mr Lamb and Miss Hill, in consultation with the Chairman, the authority to work up a proposal including funding to implement the work required, noting that no work should commence until funding was in place. 

 

DECISION

 

(a)        NOTED the update in relation to tenancy of office space within the Memorial Hall; and

 

(b)       AGREED:-

 

(i)         in principle to improve the décor within the Memorial Hall foyer and available space to prepare rooms for letting;

 

(ii)        that Live Borders get quotes for the redecoration work and that the Estates Surveyor discuss obtaining funding from SBC to support this work; and

 

(iii)       to delegate the decision to identify funding and then implement the work to the Service Director Assets & Infrastructure, in consultation with Live Borders and the Chairman.

 

4.

War Memorial and Garden

Update

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 4 of the Minute of 10 December 2020, Mr McGinn reported that the Innerleithen Community Trust had, at the end of January, pulled together a working group made up of local organisations and groups who had an interest in the Memorial Garden.  The services of a landscape architect had been obtained and following a meeting on site a professional sketch was prepared and quotes requested from local contractors.  Funding options were also being looked at.  Although it was unlikely that the work could be done during this centenary year Mr McGinn was hopeful that the design and estimated costs could be brought to the next meeting in August.  Members welcomed the proposal to improve the War Memorial and garden to enhance the visual impact of the hall as well as respecting the war dead. Mr McGinn added that an information board may be included in the garden as an offer to write a history of the hall and site had been received.

 

DECISION

NOTED the progress in relation to the plan to improve the garden adjacent to the Innerleithen Memorial Hall and that more detailed proposals would be brought to the next meeting.

 

 

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