Scottish Borders Council

Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: To be advised

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

Link: Teams Live Event

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and Meeting Protocols

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership held remotely via Microsoft Teams, which included Elected Members, guests attending within the meeting and those watching via the Live Stream.  He outlined how the meeting would be conducted.

 

2.

Feedback from meeting of 18 February 2020 pdf icon PDF 167 KB

Copy of Minute attached.

Minutes:

The Minute of the meeting of the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership held on 18 February 2020 had been circulated and was noted. With reference to paragraph 2.2 of the Minute relating to Storm Dennis, Newcastleton Community Council asked that it be acknowledged that although the flood warning was received at 1625 hrs, it had been 1745 hrs before Newcastleton received any assistance and this had placed their local fire service at risk.

 

3.

Other information and news for noting pdf icon PDF 54 KB

(a)  Outstanding Community Fund Applications for 2019/20 - these have been dealt with as per the report that went to Council on 27 08 20 which also contains the evaluation of Localities Bid Fund 1&2 and Participatory Budgeting (summary attached)

 

(b)      The Teviot & Liddesdale Community Fund for 2020/21 is now open - guidance and application form is on SBC website: https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20076/community_grants_and_funding/261/community_fund

 

(c)   Community Councils - grants are being paid as normal for 2020/21

 

(d)  Festival Grant Scheme – commitments re pubic liability and insurance are being met for 2020

 

(e)    Federation of Village Halls – grants are being paid as normal for 2020/21

 

(f)     VE Celebration Fund – this fund is now closed and commitments re expenses are being met

 

(g)    Teviot & Liddesdale Locality Plan & Action Plans - these plans are now published and outline the priorities of the Teviot & Liddesdale area and could be the focus of a future Area Partnership meeting: https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/downloads/download/1310/locality_plans

(h)     Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 – Currently, there are no formal Participation Requests or formal Asset Transfer requests being considered within Teviot & Liddesdale

Minutes:

The Chairman, Councillor Richards, advised that outstanding Community Fund applications for 2019/20 had been dealt with as per the report to Council on 27 August 2020.  The report also included the evaluation of the Localities Bid Fund 1 and 2 and Participatory Budgeting.   The Teviot and Liddesdale Community Fund for 2020/21 was now open, guidance and an application form was available on the Council’s website.  https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20076/community_grants_and_funding/261/community_fund

Councillor Richards also advised that Community Council grants would be paid as normal for 2020/21 as would grants to the Federation of Village Halls   Festival Grant Scheme commitments regarding public liability and insurance were also being met for 2020.  Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, there had been no formal Participation Requests or formal Asset Transfer requests being considered within Teviot and Liddesdale.  Councillor Richards went on to advise that the Teviot and Liddesdale Locality Plan and Action Plans had been published on the Council’s website:

https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/downloads/download/1310/locality_plans

 

In response to a question, the Communities and Partnership Manager, Shona Smith, Communities and Partnerships Manager, advised that Federation of Village Hall grants had been processed; Community Council grants were being paid as documentation was received and checked.  It was advised that the Participatory Budget Charter had been published and is accessible here: https://pbscotland.scot/charter. The Charter is about wider involvement in spend at local level.   

4.

Fit for 2024: Review of Area Partnerships & Community Fund and action for Teviot & Liddesdale Area Partnership pdf icon PDF 60 KB

(Summary of reports attached).

Minutes:

A summary of reports to Council on 27 August 2020, on the Review of Area Partnerships and the Community Fund, had been circulated with the agenda.  Jenni Craig, Service Director, Customer and Communities, gave a presentation highlighting the key areas from the summary document.    She advised that following the review and report to Council by the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDS), the Council agreed that a further report be presented to them for consideration in March 2021.  This report will reflect the opinions and ideas of Area Partnerships and communities on how the Area Partnerships and Community Fund should evolve.   Mrs Craig advised that Area Partnerships had yet to realise the level of community engagement and involvement that was envisaged when they were established.  That Community Councils and community groups should be involved in shaping how their Area Partnership should develop going forward.  It was therefore anticipated that each locality should develop recommendations which reflected their own localities’ circumstances. These recommendations would then go forward for further public consultation in February 2021.  At the end of the public consultation, a report would be considered by Council in March 2021.  Mrs Craig advised that in some localities there was not enough community capacity to sustain local activity and that the Council were considering a model for communities going forward.   Mrs Craig went on to explain that the SCDS review had also reviewed Community Fund arrangements.   Findings were that most found the application process and criteria positive but that improved transparency was required about the decision making process and the grants available.   It was also the preference for Village Hall, Community Council and Festival grants to remain ring fenced. Mrs Craig then asked for views about how the Area Partnerships could be developed going forward, acknowledging that this might be different within each of the localities.

 

4.2       The Chairman referred to the suggested questions included in the paper circulated as an aid to stimulate discussion on how Area Partnerships should operate, how they should be constituted and what their focus should be.  A discussion followed and the following points were raised:-

 

·                Covid-19 communications have been helpful and Community Assistance Hubs should be retained.

·                Local authority resources provided at local level to continue.

·                Communications on Covid-19 testing, vaccinations etc. could be advised at meetings.

·                Balance Hawick town and rural priorities.

·                Community Councils worked well together in relation to Pines Burn funding, a similar model could work for Area Partnerships. 

·                Chair to be appointed within the new committee, not imposed by Council.  Could rotate Chair annually

·                Representation - eight Community Councillors and six elected Members.

·                Learnings to be used from Newcastleton Community Trust which had been set up to manage community funding.

·                Equal number of community councillors and elected Members, community organisations also to be involved.

·                Sub-Group to stand separately from the Council.

·                Elected Members and Community Council know what is required in their areas. 

·                Engagement at local level required – involve other representatives from community organisations.

·                Council officers’ experience and support to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Teviot & Liddesdale Community Fund 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 183 KB

Three applications for approval:-

 

(a)  Saturday Polish School

(b)  Hawick Community Pump Track

(c)   Strawberry Lemonade Events

 

(Three assessments attached plus Teviot & Liddesdale funding information).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Assessments of three applications to the Teviot and Liddesdale Community Fund had been circulated, plus a summary of grant funding for Teviot and Liddesdale in 2020/21 and the source of that funding. The summary showed grant applications awarded, those under assessment and those to be considered by the Area Partnership.  Gillian Jardine, Locality Development Co-ordinator, outlined the process of assessment of applications to the Community Fund and the criteria used for that assessment.   She advised that applications to the Community Fund would be put forward to the Area Partnership for consideration based on the assessment and whether the criteria had been met.  Ms Jardine advised that since the agenda pack had been published, a grant to Hawick Rugby Memories had been approved to the value of £1,467.00.  Two other fast track applications were being assessed together with the three applications for consideration this evening.  Ms Jardine explained that the total requests amounted to £29,264 which meant that the funding pot was oversubscribed by £6,401.  It was therefore agreed that because of this shortfall, the decision on allocation of funding would follow consideration of all three applications.  

 

5.2       Saturday Polish School Hawick

The first application for consideration was from the Saturday Polish School Hawick (SPHS) who were seeking funding of £7,425 to enable the SPSH to continue to operate for the 2020/21 school year despite the loss in revenue due to reduced pupil numbers.  The grant would be used to cover the cost of teaching staff, additional teaching support for student and admin/management costs.   Since the start of lockdown classes had been provided virtually.  During this time student numbers had decreased by 40% which had a knock-on effect on income raised by parental fees.  A representative from the Polish School was in attendance and in response to a question advised that Brexit had caused a small part in the reduction in numbers attending the school, with some families returning to Poland.  The main reason for the reduction was because of Covid-19 restrictions.  Classes were currently held online and parents of younger children, particularly those 3 to 6 years of age, preferred attending classes in school.  The work of the Saturday Polish School Hawick was commended by those in attendance at the meeting.   

 

  5.3       Hawick Community Pump Track

An application for a grant of £9,757.35 had been received from the organisation Hawick Community Pump Track.  The grant would be used for the purchase of five year floodlight inspection and maintenance, electronic footfall counter, defibrillator and purchase and installation of eight picnic benches.  The organisation had been planning to introduce Club membership but because of Covid-19 this was currently on hold.   A representative from the Hawick Community Pump Track was in attendance and advised that the track attracted people from out with the area and they hoped to build on this when Covid-19 restrictions allowed.   In response to a question he advised that the five year maintenance grant was part of the planning agreement for use of the floodlights.  They had raised  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Date of next Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership - 12 January 2021

Are there any items you would like to propose for the agenda?

Minutes:

The next meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, 12 January 2021.  Suggestions for agenda items could be sent to the Locality Development co-ordinator at gillian.jardine@scotborders.gov.uk 

 

7.

Any other formal business

Minutes:

No items were raised.

8.

Open Forum

Minutes:

On behalf of Southdean, Mr Kerr raised a concern about lack of engagement with vulnerable residents to advise of power outages.  Recently there had been three separate Scottish Power outages at Southdean.  Calls from Keltbray, the contractor, advising of the outage had been from an unidentified number which many older residents might not answer.   It was requested that power companies liaise with the Council, to identify vulnerable residents in communities who could then be contacted and receive appropriate support.  Ms Smith advised that utility companies currently did not liaise with SBC and asked that communities contact the Council when they were aware of any proposed outages if they had concerns.   Mrs Elborn advised that Newcastleton had also recently had an unannounced power cut which had resulted in their fuel court being unavailable for three days. 

 

Chairman

The Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting.

 

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