Agenda and minutes

Consider Minute of Meeting held on 29 April 2019.  (Copy attached.)

There had been circulated copies of the Minute of the Meeting held on 29 April 2019.

DECISION

APPROVED the Minute for signature by the Chairman.

Consider Report by Principal Solicitor.  (Copy attached.)

2.1       There had been circulated copies of a report by Principal Solicitor seeking approval of the draft Common Good Registers for the former Burgh of Eyemouth and to advise on the next steps in the process for consultation and publication under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.  Following such approval, the list would be published on Citizen Space, together with a consultation survey.  The list attached to the report had been presented to the Sub-Committee previously as part of financial monitoring reports.  The Principal Solicitor advised that the register of the land under the public toilets should be updated to include the toilet building and facilities to be part of the common good.  The intention was to publish the consultation survey before the end of December 2021.  In addition to the electronic survey, the proposed lists of Common Good assets were to be published on the Council’s website and paper copies were to be made available, free of charge, on request.  Notification advising of the publication of the lists and the consultation period were to be made on the Council’s website and social media.  The Council was to make all of the Community Councils and other community bodies aware of the publication of the proposed Common Good Asset lists and invite those community bodies and the public to make representations in respect of these lists.  The statutory minimum period for consultation was twelve weeks.  However, it was suggested to extend this period until the start of April 2022.  After the consultation period, the Council was to publish all representations received.  The Common Good Fund Sub-Committee would then reconvene to consider any representations made, and to agree the finalised Asset Register.  The finalised Asset Register would then be published within six months from the end of the consultation period.  It was possible that following this process, further assets may be identified as being Common Good, and where that was the case, the Council would update the Common Good Asset Registers.  The Registers would similarly be updated if existing property was disposed of or reclassified.  The Council would also ensure that the Common Good Asset Registers were reviewed on a regular basis, and at least every five years.

2.2       The Principal Solicitor advised that surveying of heritable assets had been robust however the survey for moveable assets which may include artwork, artefacts and museum items would not have been as robust.  For Eyemouth, no information on art or artefacts had been made available.  The Principal Solicitor suggested that individuals that were thought to have information on artefacts to register as part of the common good could inform using the contact details in the consultation.  The Principal Advisor further advised that there wasn’t a determined deadline to have completed the exercise although the Act did establish the timeframe in which the consultation should be structured.

DECISION

AGREED to:-

(a)          approve the contents of the draft list of heritable and moveable property assets held by the Council within the former Burgh of Eyemouth;

(b)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.