Scottish Borders Council

Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: via Microsoft Teams

Contact: William Mohieddeen  Tel: 01835 826504; Email:  william.mohieddeen@scotborders.gov.uk

Link: Live stream link

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and Meeting Protocols

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the Meeting of the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership.  The meeting was held via Microsoft Teams and the Chair outlined how the meeting would be conducted and how those both in the meeting and watching via the live stream could take part.  Ward councillors were invited to introduce themselves to those present.

 

2.

Feedback from Meeting of 22 March 2022 pdf icon PDF 134 KB

Consider Minute of the Meeting held on 22 March 2022 for approval and signature by the Chairman.  (Copy attached.)

Minutes:

There had been circulated Minutes of the Meeting held on 22 March 2022.

 

DECISION

AGREED to approve the Minute for signature by the Chair.

 

3.

Place Making - next steps pdf icon PDF 375 KB

Outline from SBC Portfolio Manager, James Lamb, on next steps for Place Making in Teviot and Liddesdale.  (To follow.)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

1.1         With reference to paragraph 3 of the Minute of the Meeting held on 22 March 2022, there had been circulated copies of a report setting out options for the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership to choose in taking forward Place Making.  The Chair invited Naomi Sweeney, Project Manager, to explain the possible next steps in progressing Place Making.  Ms Sweeney explained that the options were to establish a Place Making Working Group as had been established in other Area Partnerships, or to invite communities through the Area Partnership to take forward place plans.

1.2         In response to a question about capacity, Ms Sweeney explained that discussions were ongoing, that there were 9 place making officers in place since November, funding was being sought to secure a consultancy for Place Making, and best practice was being sought from neighbouring local authorities.  Ms Elborn noted that clarification on available resource and capacity could inform how communities could take forward work on place planning.  In response to a question about available place plans, Ms Sweeney explained that four place plans would be from Borderlands towns, which were Eyemouth, Galashiels, Hawick and Jedburgh, and that communities were being sought from elsewhere.  It was advised that some communities were taking a district approach working with neighbouring settlements.  Ms Sweeney advised that place planning had a five-year plan and the 15 plans were aimed as a minimum commitment.

1.3         Councillor McAteer enquired as to whether detail might be available for models of place planning groups citing Borderlands initiatives as providing a model.  Ms Sweeney explained that Borderlands were prescriptive in what they expected for groupings and while it might provide a model discussions were ongoing on how groups may be formed.  In response to a question about the number of place plans in place in a financial year, Ms Sweeney explained that place making may take place over a period of time that communities were comfortable with and that the number of place plans did not have to be split evenly amongst localities.  Attendees discussed the role of schoolchildren that attend schools in other communities and the issue of rural-proofing noting that there would be those that had stakes in the development of different places depending on schooling, work and employee groups, and other users of a service in a community within rural hinterlands of towns.  In response to a question from Councillor McAteer on community masterplanning, Ms Sweeney explained that place plans were designed to gather aspirations and ideas of communities to translate those into deliverable plans, that masterplans covered the progression of asset and building development whereas place plans were holistic covering services in an area.  Ms Sweeney advised that consultancy was aimed to be in place in August 2022 and then supporting the delivery of workshops in autumn 2022.

 

DECISION

 

(a)       AGREED to nominate Hawick and Burnfoot, Newcastleton, and Southdean and Hobkirk as the three communities to begin Place Making planning; and,

(b)       NOTED the update.

 

4.

Community Council update

Sharing good practice and current activity from across Teviot and Liddesdale.

Minutes:

1.1         The Chair invited community council representatives to take the opportunity to share activities and best practice they had undertaken.

1.2         Mr Kerr of Southdean Community Council advised that their election period was coming to a close, there was an application for funding for a new heating system to replace the coin-operated system that had been in place since 1962, that there had been liaison with regards to EV charging in rural communities, and that there had been a windfarm application exhibition that highlighted significant impact on traffic.  Mr Kerr thanked Scottish Borders Council for funding for the successful Southdean Platinum Jubilee party.

1.3         In response to a question from Ms Short of Hawick Community Council about face-to-face meetings, Ms Jardine advised that there were discussions taking place in the Council regarding face-to-face meetings and balancing issues such as those that live in rural areas that would need to travel and whether technology would be available for people to access the meetings online.  Ms Short advised that Hawick Community Council held a successful jubilee party funded by Scottish Borders Council, that the community council had established a sub-group to explore the provision of CCTV, and that there were concerns with grass-cutting and weed-spraying.  Ms Short further advised there would be a music event taking place in Wilton Lodge Park.

1.4         Ms Elborn advised that Newcastleton Community Council were in their election period and that there would be fewer community councillors than they previously had prior to the election.  Ms Elborn advised that in-person meetings would be welcomed but she was conscious that she would not return to Newcastleton before 10pm from meetings, and subsequently she wished to know whether there would be expenses from Scottish Borders Council for those attending face-to-face Area Partnership meetings.  Ms Elborn advised that there was technology to support hybrid meetings at Newcastleton as part of the Borders College network.  CCTV in Newcastleton had gone live in June.  Ms Elborn had noted that there had been complaints with weed control and that she had requested for community councils to have authority to procure weed control and wished this to be considered on the next agenda.  Ms Elborn advised that people in the community were affected by the increased cost of fuel noting that a high proportion of households relied on oil for energy.

1.5         The Chair suggested that the Hawick Borders College campus may be suitable as a host for future Area Partnership meetings to allow blended meetings to take place.

1.6         Mr Marshall of A Greener Hawick advised that there should be greater representation at Area Partnership meetings from third sector organisations.

 

5.

Financial Inclusion Fund/Food Conversation

Update on activity and conversations taking place across the Borders and in Teviot and Liddesdale.

Minutes:

Ms Jardine advised that the Financial Inclusion Fund was included on the agenda to highlight day-to-day support for people affected by the cost of living crisis and how the fund had invested in related projects.  Caroline Hamilton, Health Improvement Specials at NHS Borders was introduced to deliver a presentation on the Low and Slow Project.  The project launched pilots in Newcastleton and Burnfoot to address fuel and food poverty in the Borders.  The cost of using a slow cooker was compared to that of a conventional oven.  At the start of the project in December 2021, a slow cooker cost 3p per hour to run compared to 5p per hour in April 2022 compared to a conventional oven which cost 44p per hour in December 2021 to 75p per hour in April 2022.  The Low and Slow Project advised that their message wasn’t that a slow cooker was to replace all meals but to demonstrate that a slow cooker can cut the cost of a meal by a quarter.  The Low and Slow Project partners were drawn from different partners to expand the knowledge base in tackling food and fuel poverty.  An individual from Newcastleton found that their energy bill had reduced by 70%.  Ms Hamilton highlighted next steps of the project being to change the conversation of the stigma around fuel and food poverty.  Ms Elborn advised that the Low and Slow Project has been a success in Newcastleton and there had been enthusiasm to participate in the village.  Attendees requested resources and handouts with regard to the Low and Slow Project for distribution into communities.

 

DECISION

NOTED the update.

 

6.

Overview of Community Funding

SBC Communities and Partnership Team.

Minutes:

Ms Jardine introduced herself and Scott McKail, Community Engagement Officer for Teviot and Liddesdale, and advised on the role of the Communities and Partnership Team which worked with communities to support them take forward initiatives in their area.  A key part of the role of the Community Engagement Officer was to engage community groups to secure support for development.

 

DECISION

NOTED the update.

 

7.

Teviot and Liddesdale Funding Table 2022-23 pdf icon PDF 379 KB

SBC Communities and Partnership Team.

Minutes:

Ms Jardine presented the Teviot and Liddesdale funding table which showed that Neighbourhood Support Fund Pot B underspend resulted in the total being available for 2022-23 was £87,455.  Underspend from the Pot A underspend went back to community councils that were responsible for their fund.  Ms Jardine advised of other funds available in the Teviot and Liddesdale area.

 

DECISION

NOTED the update.

 

8.

Neighbourhood Support Fund pdf icon PDF 417 KB

Recommendations to be presented by the following assessment panels:

 

Pot A Fund (Copy attached.)

-           Southdean Community Council Panel
Application: Southdean Village Hall

-           Hawick Community Council Panel
Application: Hawick Community Council

-           Burnfoot Community Council Panel
Application: Burnfoot Community Council

 

Pot B Fund (Copy attached.)

-           Application: Burnfoot Community Council

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Neighbourhood Support Fund – Pot A

1.1         Mr McKail presented the summary of recommendations by the Burnfoot Community Council Pot A Assessment Panel.  The panel met to consider an application by Burnfoot Community Council for the funding of Wilton Cemetery Garden of Remembrance Project.  The panel raised questions about the shortfall however agreed that it would be positive to complete the project.  The panel recommended that the project be awarded a grant of £7,566.50 with the conditions that the funding would be paid once the project shortfall is secured, and if there was any change to costs then the applicant may not be able to reapply to the Pot A fund to make up any difference.

1.2         Ms Short presented the summary of recommendations by the Hawick Community Council Pot A Assessment Panel.  The panel met to consider an application from Hawick Community Council for the funding of a project to finalise the walkway around the perimeter of Williestruther Loch which was to be a mixture of gravel path and boardwalk.  The panel recommended that the project be awarded a grant of £2,916.25.

1.3         Mr Kerr presented the summary of recommendations by the Southdean Community Council Pot A Assessment Panel.  The panel met to consider an application from Southdean Village Hall for the funding of upgrades to the hall’s heating system.  The panel recommended that the project be awarded a grant of £3,685.93.

 

Neighbourhood Support Fund Pot B

8.4       Copies of the summary of recommendations from the Teviot and Liddesdale Neighbourhood Support Fund Pot B Assessment Panel were circulated that summarised recommendations for an application received by Burnfoot Community Council.  The application received was for the funding of a garden of remembrance.  The Panel recommended that the applicant be awarded a grant of £5,000 with a recommendation that funds be withheld until the remainder of project funding had been raised, and that the project be phased in line with funding.  Mr Fletcher of Burnfoot Community Council advised that the project would be £12,000 short if the funding was approved, and that there were plans in place to continue fundraising.  The Area Partnership agreed with the assessment panel recommendation that the project be awarded funding of £5,000 and that funding the project is phased in-line with available funding.

 

DECISION

AGREED to:

 

(a)       Award Burnfoot Community Council a grant of £7,566.50 from Pot A, subject to the conditions that:

(i)        funding would be paid once the project shortfall is secured; and,

(ii)       if there was any change to costs then the applicant may not be able to reapply to the Pot A fund to make up any difference;

(b)       Award Hawick Community Council a grant of £2,916.25 from Pot A;

(c)       Award Southdean Village Hall a grant of £3,685.93 from Pot A; and,

(d)       Award Burnfoot Community Hall a grant of £5,000 from Pot B, with the recommendation that the project is phased in-line with available funding.

 

9.

Build Back a Better Borders pdf icon PDF 194 KB

Underspend request from Hornshole Greenway Development Group.  (Copy attached.)

Minutes:

The Community Co-ordinator presented a proposal from Hornshole Greenway Development Group for the use of underspend on delivering workshops as part of their Eco Education programme to be used on delivering a similar suite of workshops in October 2022 working with a different primary school.

 

DECISION

AGREED to support the use of the grant underspend for future workshops.

 

10.

The National Lottery - Community Funding

Stewart Sanderson/Neal Bennison

Minutes:

The Chair introduced Stewart Sanderson, Funding Officer for South of Scotland Team, National Lottery to the meeting who delivered a presentation on funding opportunities with The National Lottery Community Fund.  There were four live funding programmes, with two closing soon which Mr Sanderson presented.  Awards for All offered groups awards up to £10,000 which has been used for projects such as the repair of village halls, community growing projects and to cover costs such as staff time and for activities.  Community groups did not need to liaise with the funding team beforehand although it was encouraged to establish a relationship with the funding team and offer support.  Young Start offered awards of up to £100,000 and was not raised through lottery ticket sales but through money in dormant bank accounts.  The fund was aimed at younger people to encourage them to make change in their lives.  This fund required applicants to be in touch with the funding team in the first instance so that a conversation could take place about what applicants wanted to achieve with their project.  Community Led and Improving Lives funds were closing on 30 September 2022.  Community Led offered awards of up to £150,000 over three years for activities that communities led on such as improving wellbeing and connecting communities.  Groups had to have an elected board that anyone could join and awards could cover salary costs and limited building costs.  Improving Lives offered awards up to £200,000 over three years directed at supporting communities to overcome challenging circumstances and led by the people concerned to ensure their voices were heard as far as possible.  New projects would be launched by The National Lottery which were still in development and consultation with the Scottish Government, communities and the third sector to ensure the new programmes are as relevant as possible.  Mr Sanderson provided his contact details and answered attendees’ questions about available funds.

 

11.

Participatory Budgeting

SBC Communities and Partnership Team

Minutes:

The Community Co-ordinator provided an update on participatory budgeting which all local authorities were required to have 1% of its budget reserved for.  Participatory budgeting at Scottish Borders Council was to be called community choices.  Community choices aimed to involve community members in shaping services being delivered and having a say in how public money was spent.  An e-learning module had been created for staff so that all departments understood Community Choices and the decision-making process to support involving the community in the decision-making process.  Ms Jardine provided an example of participatory budget in action such as pupils at Peebles High School using funding from the Tweeddale Community Fund to run a Community Choices event aimed at improving the school environment.  The Community Co-ordinator advised that if anyone wanted to find out more about Community Choices they could get in touch with the Communities and Partnership Team.

 

DECISION

NOTED the update.

 

12.

Additional Information document pdf icon PDF 384 KB

(Copy attached.)

Minutes:

The Chairman advised that additional information was included in the agenda pack which contained information on current consultations and links to useful information.

 

13.

Next Meeting of the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership

Next meeting: 13 September 2022, agenda issued 30 August 2022.

Minutes:

It was noted that the next meeting of the Teviot and Liddesdale Area Partnership was on 13 September 2022 and the agenda would be issued on 30 August 2022.

 

14.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

1.1         Mr Kerr advised that there was an EV Charging survey being circulated and suggested that the survey could have been improved with consultation.

1.2         Councillor Marshall advised that options should be considered for venues to hold the next meeting of the Area Partnership.

1.3         Ms Elborn noted that the length of the meetings should be considered and suggested that actions may be recorded to aid discussion.

 

15.

Meeting evaluation via Menti

Minutes:

Members were encouraged to complete the Menti meeting evaluation.

 

 

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