Scottish Borders Council

Agenda and draft 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, Councillor Marshall, welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership.

 

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.

Quality of Life and Neighbourhood Small Schemes pdf icon PDF 104 KB

To consider briefing note by Service Director – Assets & Infrastructure. (Copy attached).

Minutes:

There had been circulated briefing notes by the Service Director – Assets & Infrastructure, seeking approval for proposed projects within Hawick & Hermitage and Hawick & Denholm Wards under the Council’s Quality of Life Scheme and Neighbourhood Small Scheme.   

 

DECISION

AGREED:

 

(a)        The new projects under the Quality of Life Scheme and Neighbourhood        Small Scheme detailed in the briefing papers attached to the Agenda; and

 

(b)       To delegate authority to the Service Director Assets and Infrastructure to approve future applications under Neighbourhood Small Schemes and Quality of Life Schemes up until 31 March 2019, subject to the following:

 

  (i)    Application(s) for projects to be carried out through funding from Neighbourhood Small Schemes and Quality of Life Schemes were received, assessed and costed by Council Officers;

 

(ii)   Officers would then send details of the project(s) to Elected Members along with a recommendation for their consideration;

 

  (iii)  Elected Members would advise Council Officers of their support or otherwise for a particular project – support would be required from a majority of Elected Members for a project to proceed;

 

(iv)  Should support by the majority of Members not be given for a project, this application would be refused; and

 

  (v)   Details of projects funded by Quality of Life Schemes and Neighbourhood Small Schemes be presented to the Teviot & Liddesdale Area Partnership as part of any future updates on Grants and Funding. 

 

 

4.

Introduction to the new Area Partnership

To set the scene for how the new Area Partership will develop.

https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20015/your_council/472/area_partnerships

 

Minutes:

Councillor Marshall set the scene for how the new Area Partnership would develop.  He explained that as well as Councillors and Community Councillors, Area Partnerships would bring together representatives from key organisations, groups, businesses, and individuals from across the public and private sector and third sectors and from local communities to collectively work together.   Meetings would be more interactive which would give everyone the opportunity to have discussions in groups at their tables.  This first meeting would provide some context to both community planning, as well as an overview of grants and funding.  Future Area Partnership meetings would be themed to help discuss and debate issues in a more manageable way. 

 

5.

Scottish Borders Community Plan and Teviot and Liddesdale Locality Plan

An overview of the Scottish Borders Community Plan and the development of the Teviot and Liddesdale Locality Plan.

https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/yourcommunityplan

 

Minutes:

Jenni Craig, Service Director for Customer and Communities, explained that the introduction of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 had seen the Scottish Borders Community Planning Partnership publish a Community Plan to address Borders-wide challenges and opportunities.  Copies of the Community Plan were included in the information packs provided at the meeting.  At a local level, Area Partnerships would take forward the development of Locality Plans; so the meeting was an opportunity to participate in an informal discussion about the challenges and issues affecting the Teviot and Liddesdale area.  There were four main themes of the Community Plan, namely: our Economy, Skills & Learning; our Health and Wellbeing; our Quality of Life; and our Place. 

 

 

6.

Open Forum pdf icon PDF 238 KB

Minutes:

Colin Banks, Lead Officer for Localities, invited those present to discuss at their tables the emerging issues in the Teviot and Liddesdale area across the themes of the Community Plan and to write these down on the post-it notes provided. 30 minutes was given for this activity.  He also asked those present to complete meeting evaluation forms which had been provided.   From the feedback, it was clear that the debate had included issues, challenges and opportunities across all four themes, with ‘Economy Skills and Learning’ emerging as the priority theme for discussion at the next meeting of the Area Partnership.  This feedback was summarised as shown in the appendix to this Minute.

 

7.

Overview and Localities Bid Fund

An overview of what grants and funding streams are available to local communities, as well as an update on the Localities Bid Fund.

Minutes:

Shona Smith, Communities and Partnership Manager, summarised the grants and

funding streams available to local communities and introduced members of the Scottish Borders Council team of officers who could provide further information and assistance.  She also gave an update on the Localities Bid Fund in the Teviot and Liddesdale Area where there were 14 projects being put forward to a public vote which would end on 28 February 2018.   In response to questions, Ms Smith advised that there had been a good response from the community and 20,000 voting papers had been issued.   Future adjustment in terms of funding allocation could be made if it was found that projects from communities with a low population were at a significant disadvantage in the voting process.

 

8.

Date of Next Meeting

Minutes:

Councillor Marshall thanked everyone for attending and advised that the next meeting of the Area Partnership would be held on 17 April 2018.  The layout of the venue had encouraged discussion and he suggested that the next meeting be held again in the Lesser Hall, or Main Hall, if there were significant numbers, of the Town Hall, Hawick at 6.30pm.

 

 

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