Agenda and minutes

1.         APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN

          Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Mountford, proposed that Councillor Robson be appointed as Chairman.  There being no other nominations, Councillor Robson was appointed as Chairman and took the Chair.

          DECISION

AGREED that Councillor Robson be appointed as the Chairman of the Cheviot Area Partnership.

1.    WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

            The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting via Microsoft teams, which included Elected Members, Community Council representatives, Community Organisations and guests attending within the meeting and those watching via the Live Stream.  He outlined how the meeting would be conducted.

1.         Feedback from meeting on 23 MARCH 2022  

The minute of the meeting of the Cheviot Area Partnership held on 23 March 2022 had been circulated with the Agenda.  A response to the questions raised on Electric Vehicle Charging points had been circulated by e-mail.

In terms of paragraph 4.3 of the Minute of 23 March 2022, it was highlighted that in term of the Community Empowerment Legislation, participatory budgeting required to go further

3.1       The evaluation of the March meeting was circulated with the agenda. There was a request made in the evaluation of the last meeting to have an update at a future meeting on SBC’s climate emergency action plan and community actions.  This would be included in the September agenda. There was also a request for training on the Area Partnership.  The Communities and Partnership team were happy to speak with anyone outside of an Area Partnership meeting to go through any items they would like to learn more about

·         Place making- progress report

James Lamb, SBC Portfolio Manager

SECTION 1: SERVICE & PARTNER UPDATES AND CONSULTATIONS

          Place Making

4.1     With reference to paragraph 3.1 of the Minute of 26 January 2022, James Lamb, SBC Portfolio Manager was present to set out options for the Cheviot Area Partnership in supporting the development of community-led place plans in communities across the locality.  Over the past year, conversations had been continuing with Area Partnerships around:

·         How to develop a place making approach in each locality and across the Borders

·         Where to make a practical start

·         What the role of Area Partnerships should be in overseeing the implementation and delivery of place making in their communities

4.2     The conversation began in February 2021 with proposals being presented to the February 2021 Council meeting and continued in summer with a series of brief workshops facilitated by Scottish Futures Trust to gauge views on what place making means to communities and what the priority issues and ambitions were for the approach.  The output from the workshops was used to draft more detailed proposals which were endorsed by the Council in August 2021, with a view to further engagement and development with Area Partnerships over autumn and winter.  In spring of this year, a series of facilitated workshops were held to explore the subject in greater detail and to help shape local arrangements.  The focus now needed to turn to how practical support was given to communities in developing their place plans.

4.3     Across the five localities, different approaches were emerging reflecting the diversity of the area.  In Berwickshire, a short-life Place Making Working Group, comprising representatives from across local communities and organisations and was proposing an inclusive “opt-in” approach, initially seeking expressions of interest from Communities across the locality and chaired by community representatives, with Tweeddale taking a similar approach.  The remaining three localities being presented with option at the Area Partnership Meetings in June.

4.4     In all localities, with the exception of Tweeddale, there were also commitments to begin place making in the 4 target towns identified in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal - Eyemouth, Galashiels, Hawick and Jedburgh this year.  Nationally agreed guidance from the Borderlands Place Programme and experience from the development of associated place plans (both locally, and across the Borderlands local authorities – Carlisle, Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway and Northumberland) could also provide models to guide place making elsewhere.   For Cheviot, this meant that there was already a commitment under the Borderlands Place Programme to support the Jedburgh community to develop a Town Plan and an associated Investment Plan.  As this was part of an agreed programme under separate governance arrangements, this was outside the scope of the options be presented.

4.5     Mr Lamb went onto summarise the points raised at the Cheviot Workshop held on 27 April 2022, which included - a broad understanding of place making – that it should be inclusive, community-led, extend beyond spatial planning and cover all aspects of life in a community – although the name “place making” was not seen as helpful; Recognition  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

·         Financial Inclusion Fund / Food Conversation

Update on activity and conversations taking place across Borders and in Cheviot

SECTION 2: LOCAL PRIORTIES 

            Financial Inclusion Fund/ Food Conversation

Ms Jardine, Community Co-ordinator updated the meeting on the discussions and conversations taking place across localities with volunteers and 3^rd parties in terms of the Cost of Living; Cost of Energy; Food security.  Services and volunteers across the Scottish Borders are looking at a longer term approach to food access and how households and communities can help sustain themselves.  During these meetings, partners and volunteers have been sharing good practice from their area to develop a better understanding of the challenges communities face and what community approaches are needed to help find solutions to these challenges.  The next meeting takes place in August and if open to anyone interested in attending. 

Ms Jardine went on to share the outcomes of the Low and Slow project which has been supported by the Financial Inclusion Fund and is a partnership approach to addressing food and fuel poverty in communities. The partners involved, including NHS Borders and Changeworks provided specialist knowledge from their service to help with problem solving in the home in order to reduce energy consumption. The programme was being rolled out in other areas of the Borders but at present, no Cheviot service had been identified to deliver Low and Slow in the Locality.

(a)       Overview of Community Funding – SBC Communities and Partnership Team

(b)       Cheviot Funding Table 2022/23 – SBC Communities & Partnership Team

(c)       Neighbourhood Support Fund

(d)       Cheviot Assessment Panel to present funding recommendations for the following NSGF applications:

(i)        Abundant Borders

(ii)       QME

(e)       The National Lottery – Community Funding

Neal Bennison Funding Officer, National Lottery

(f)        Participatory Budgeting

SBC Communities & Partnership Team

SECTION 3: COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AND COMMUNITY FUNDING

There had been circulated copies of the Cheviot Funding for 2022/2023 which detailed the funding available together with information on the allocation of the Community Grant Fund in 2022/23.  The opening balance at 1 April 2022 was £80,268.39 plus an underspend from the Community Fund in 2021/22 of £28,640.65 and an underspend in the Local Festival Grant in 2021/22 of £2,953.00, which resulted in an overall budget of £111,862.04.  Neighbourhood Support Fund applications assessed and awaiting a decision totalled £4,237.72, totalling an overall budget of £107,624.32.  Other sources of funding included Local Festival Grant Budget totalling £16,675.00, Annual Support Grant to Community Councils totalling £11,100.00, Common Goods, SBC Enhancement Grant, SBC Welfare Grant and SBC Small Schemes totalled.

     6.1    Other sources of Grant Funding for Cheviot totalled £110,706.17, less Build Back a Better Borders Recovery Fund applications awarded totalling £2,492.000.  In response to questions about the underspend in the Festival Grant Funding, Ms Jardine agreed to provide a breakdown.  Councillor Scott requested information on the £7,900 shown against the Jedburgh Common Good and Councillor Mountford requested that the criteria on the Welfare Grant be refreshed.  It was noted that there was a large underspend in the Small Schemes Budget and information on the criteria and process for small schemes was requested.  In response to a question from Community Councillor Gavin Horsburgh in regards to how often the Community Council Grant was reviewed, Ms Jardine agreed to look into the matter.

          DECISION

NOTED.

7.       CHEVIOT COMMUNITY FUND 20/23

There had been circulated copies of a report which detailed the recommendations of the Cheviot Community Fund Assessment Panel. The report provided a brief description of each application received and a recommendation on the sum to be awarded to each project.

7.1     St Boswells Golf Club 

An application was received for loft insulation in the Clubhouse. The application was deferred at the last Panel meeting due to lack of clarity with regard to the golf club’s reserves.  The information was provided to Panel Members at their meeting in June, and following a lengthy discussion, the Panel concluded they could not support the application.

Key points influencing the Panel’s decision were:

·       No community involvement or benefit

·       There were more suitable funds available to support this project

The Panel recommended no award be made.

7.2     Abundant Borders

An application was received to create a community garden that will provide residents with the skills they need to grow their own food. The project will clean an unused area within a social housing development and children from the high school will also benefit. The Panel were supportive of the project and the key points influencing the Panel’s decision were:

·       Create an accessible community space

·       Community empowerment with connection to the High School

·       Supports the healthy living agenda

The Panel recommend awarding £2,492.

7.3     QME CARE

An application was received for a secure storage area for bikes to encourage employees and visitors to cycle to the care home. The Panel had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

(a)      Additional Information document

(b)      Next Area Partnership – Wednesday, 21 September 2022  - Agenda    

             issued on 7 August 2022.

(c)       AOB

(d)       Meeting evaluation via Menti

ANY OTHER COMPETENT BUSINESS

Community Empowerment

Mr Colin McGrath advised that he was working with the Scottish Government on a working group looking at empowering communities.  Mr McGrath had prepared a report, which he would circulate to all members of the Cheviot Area Partnership.  Mr McGrath further raised whether allowing unpaid Carers to be represented on the IJB had been considered and if so requested an update on progress.

10.     DATE OF FUTURE MEETINGS

          Future Meetings of the Cheviot Area Partnership would be held on the following dates:

          Wednesday, 28 September 2022 at 6.30 p.m.

          Wednesday, 23 November 2022 at 6.30 p.m.

            The next meeting would be held on Wednesday, 28 September 2022 at 6.30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams.

11.     MEETING EVALUATION     

Ms Jardine reminded those present about the meeting evaluation form which could be accessed via the link https://forms.office.com/r/HHH1dEcmz3.  She added that feedback about the Area Partnership meetings was really helpful and always appreciated.