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.

Welcome and Introductions pdf icon PDF 90 KB

Additional Information document attached.

Minutes:

1.1       The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Tweeddale Area Partnership being held via Microsoft Teams and outlined how the meeting would be conducted and how those both in the meeting and watching via the Live Stream could take part.

 

1.2       Mr Steven Renwick, Project Manager for the works at Peebles High School advised that a community consultation on the new Community Campus to replace the fire-damaged Peebles High School had now been launched and he encouraged everyone to take part.

 

2.

Feedback from Meeting on 30 March 2021 pdf icon PDF 106 KB

Copy Minute from meeting on 30 March 2021. (Copy attached.)

 

Link to evaluation of meeting Tweeddale Evaluation 30th March

 

Minutes:

The Minute of the meeting of the Tweeddale Area Partnership held on 20 March 2021 had been circulated and this was noted. 

3.

Place Making Approach pdf icon PDF 434 KB

This conversation seeks to build on the energy of communities and local responses to Covid, and engaging with developing national policy on the importance of ‘place’ to support people to live better locally. It is an interactive, facilitated session, focused on local experience and insights, to begin the process of working out the best way to work together to shape the future of our places on shared priorities.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 3 of the Minute of 20 March 2021, the Chairman welcomed Diarmaid Lawlor from Scottish Futures Trust to the meeting    .  Mr Lawlor had been invited by Scottish Borders Council to work with Area Partnerships to assist with the development of Place Making proposals.  Mr Lawlor had already worked with other areas and had a wide experience of place making.  Mr Lawlor gave a short presentation and advised that from an understanding of local need and ambition, and using Covid learning, there was an opportunity for a different way of working between communities and public agencies. A ‘place based’ approach sought to co-produce an understanding of local priorities and co-deliver action. The format for the workshop was based on three area namely what were the key issues, what would success look like and how could we work together better. Mr Lawlor led the discussion and made real-time notes to summarise the comments and points made.  Those present contributed to the discussion and highlighted what was important to communities within Tweeddale and the need to take account of the differences between communities especially between rural and town.  The importance of not losing the gains in communities working together during the Covid pandemic was highlighted.  The need to listen to all age groups was also highlighted as was the need to make Tweeddale an area where young people wanted to live and work.  Mr Lawlor advised that his notes summarising the key points of the discussion, would be circulated following the meeting and are also be attached as an appendix to this Minute. Mr Lawlor was visiting all Area Partnerships and a summary of all the workshop discussions across all the five area partnerships would inform a report to Council at the end of August setting out the detail of the place-making approach.  The Chairman thanked Mr Lawlor for his facilitation.  Mr Harrow asked that if anyone had anything further to add that they should get in touch with him.

 

4.

Area Partnership Consultation

Minutes:

Mr Harrow advised that advised that the consultation was now live, the link to which was included on the agenda.  He encouraged everyone to engage and advised that he was happy to talk to any group or individual if they wished.

 

5.

Tweeddale Community Assistance Hub

Margaret Smail, Tweeddale Community Assistance Hub – Written update within the Additional Information document attached above.

Minutes:

A note of the recent work had been circulated with the agenda.  If anyone had any questions or requests they were asked to email Ms Margaret Smail.

 

6.

Community Fund Working Group update / proposals pdf icon PDF 45 KB

Update from the working group/ SBC Officer on proposals for the Tweeddale Community Fund 2021/22.  (Copy papers attached.)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

With reference to paragraph 4 of the Minute of 30 March 2021, Councillor Anderson gave a presentation on the outcome of the Sub-Group meetings.  They had met 10 times and copies of various documentation relating to the work of the Group had been circulated with the agenda.  These included the proposals they had drawn up, the criteria for funding and the draft application form.  It was proposed that the Assessment Panel comprise 6 Members including 2 community councillors, representatives of young and older people and representatives from the voluntary sector.  Those present discussed the proposals and the Sub-Group members answered questions on the operation of the fund.  Mr Harrow confirmed that recipients of funding would still complete evaluation forms and come and speak at Area Partnership meetings.  Those present supported the proposed operation of the Community Fund Assessment Panel and that it should be reviewed after 1 year of operation.  A report on the recruitment process would be brought to a special meeting of the Area Partnership later in the summer.

 

7.

Community Fund Applications pdf icon PDF 764 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

7.1       Applications

            (a) Men’s Shed

            There had been circulated an application for funding of £13,500 to cover additional costs of their toilet refurbishment programme.  Mr Harrow advised that although additional information had been provided by Mr Malcolm Bruce the application did not currently meet the criteria for the fund as no estimates for the expenditure of the funds had been provided.  Mr Bruce advised that he had now reduced his request to £9,500 towards an estimated total cost of £14,000.  However, estimates for the work were still not available.  Mr Bruce answered questions from those present.  Following a discussion Councillor Tatler proposed that this application should be withdrawn and a new application be submitted for consideration by the new Assessment Panel in the next financial year.  Councillor Haslam supported that proposal.  Mr Bruce agreed to withdraw his application.

 

            (b) Peebles Lawn Tennis Club

There had been circulated an application for funding of £10,000 from Peebles Lawn Tennis Club towards the cost of replacing their existing clubhouse. Ms Anne McKinnon from the Club advised that slow progress was being made regarding funding with £2k achieved so far.  A number of applications were due to be considered soon and it was hoped that these would be successful as the building was in a very poor condition and membership was increasing significantly.  Councillor Bell, seconded by Councillor Haslam moved approval of the application for £10,000 and this was approved. 

 

(c) Citizens Advice Bureau

There had been circulated an application for funding of £4,000from Peebles CAB to install a new telephony system which would allow a streamlined system of call handling.  Ms Jill Westwood, Manager of the Peebles CAB outlined the benefits of a new system which would also enable the recruitment of new advisers.  Councillor Anderson, seconded by Councillor Small, moved approval of the application for £4,000 and this was unanimously approved.

 

7.2       Evaluations

            There had been circulated evaluation forms from St Ronan’s Bowling Club, Peebles Christmas Lights and Innerleithen Community Fund and these were noted.

 

8.

Build Back a Better Borders Recovery Fund pdf icon PDF 20 KB

For noting - Build Back a Better Borders Recovery Fund

 

Minutes:

The new fund had been launched on 1 June and the link for applications had been circulated.  Applications would be brought to the Area Partnership for approval.  Mr Harrow reported that no applications had yet been received for the Tweeddale Area but he was expecting some soon.

 

9.

Parking Review Group update

Minutes:

Councillor Tatler reported that the work of the Parking Review Group had been halted due to Covid but a meeting would be set up within the next few weeks to agree how to take this matter forward and proposals would be reported back to the Area Partnership.

 

10.

Date of next Tweeddale Area Partnership

Are there any items you would like to schedule for future meetings?  For example:

 

24 August 2021

Budget

2 November 2021

Winter maintenance

18 January 2022

Locality Plans

 

Please contact your local Elected Member or Communities and Partnership Team with your suggestions - communityengagement@scotborders.gov.uk

 

Minutes:

The next full meeting of the Area Partnership was scheduled for 24 August 2021 and the Chairman asked for agenda item suggestions to be submitted.

11.

Any Other Formal Business

Minutes:

No items were raised.

 

12.

Open Forum

Opportunity to raise local matters.

Minutes:

No items were raised.

13.

Meeting Evaluation

Minutes:

Mr Harrow reminded everyone to provide their feedback via the link on the agenda.

 

 

CONTACT US

Scottish Borders Council

Council Headquarters Newtown St. Boswells Melrose TD6 0SA

Tel: 0300 100 1800

Email:

For more Contact Details