Agenda and minutes

1.0      WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

1.1     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.

1.0      Feedback from meeting on 30 JUNE 2021 

1.1      The minute of the meeting of the Cheviot Area Partnership held on 30 June 2021 had been circulated and was noted.

(a)           Place Making – update

(b)           Scottish Borders Warm & Well Project – Ruth Dickinson, Changeworks

(c)            Scottish Fire & Rescue Service update – Don MacNeil, Station Commander  (Copies attached.)

(d)           Positive Communication – Clare Wildsmith, Digital Inclusion Tutor, SBC

(Copies attached.)

(e)           Area Partnership consultation – update

SECTION 1: SERVICE & PARTNER UPDATES

1.0      PLACE UPDATE

3.1     With reference to paragraph 3 of the Minute of 30 June 2021, SBC Service Director Customer & Communities, Mrs Jenni Craig, and SBC Portfolio Manager, Mr James Lamb, were in attendance to present an update on Place Making.  Mr Lamb summarised the progress of the previous Place Making workshop held with Diarmaid Lawlor of Scottish Futures Trust where key issues and success factors had been identified.  The output from all workshops held with Area Partnerships were included in a report considered by Scottish Borders Council in August 2021.  The main purpose of Place Making was to develop joint working by Scottish Borders Council, partner organisations, and communities, to build on existing work and to learn from experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Place Making would be a multi-year project that would see communities developing local plans suited to each community.  As part of the presentation, feedback was requested on the project’s principles, framework, resources and plan.  The meeting was asked for agreement on the project principles, criteria for identifying communities to be prioritised, affirming Place making governance, and to agree next steps.  It was noted that Scottish Borders Council had agreed on the draft principles to develop place-making and that seven had been suggested by stakeholders, with a further six added that Scottish Borders Council felt was important to include.  It was hoped that the Area Partnership would form a Locality Programme Board to have oversight of the Locality Plan and prioritise communities’ activities in Place making.  Mrs Craig emphasised that an inclusive and collective approach should be pursued to ensure equality between rural and urban communities; locality plans were owned by the Area Partnerships which were to be built on community plans, and that the project should be taken forward with mutual trust.  The aspiration was that every community would be supported to develop its own plan but this would take time and could not all be done at once.  The project had a short-term plan to take forward to early 2022 so

that actions could be agreed and communities could observe changes and feed back to the Area Partnership.

3.2     Mr Burton enquired about investment in electric vehicles and the need for millions to be invested and Mrs Craig confirmed that funding streams were being considered, although funding was a challenge for everyone.  In response to a question about the involvement of Community Councils, Mrs Craig confirmed that Community Councils were key players and communities needed to get involved, everyone had a valid opinion.  Charles Strang enquired about the Community Plan and Mrs Craig confirmed that the Community Planning partnership was for the whole of the Scottish Borders and would influence the Community Plan.   Councillor Weatherston enquired what other Local Authorities were doing in response to this as it was vital to make it work, although it was not clear how it would work.

            DECISION

            NOTED that feedback on the Place making proposals should be sent to Mr Lamb, SBC  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

(a)    Community Assistance Hub Update.  (Copy attached.)

SECTION 2: LOCAL PRIORTIES 

            Cheviot Assistance Hub Update

Clare Malster, Locality Development Co-ordinator reported that there had been an increase in the number of new referrals to Cheviot Community Assistance Hub since the last meeting. These were largely for people that had been contacted by Test & Protect and were having to self-isolate and included requests for support accessing food and financial support.  All Hubs remained operational and could be contacted through 0301 100 1800 or Covid-19Community@scotborders.gov.uk  by anyone requiring support for themselves or someone they know.   Cheviot Community Partners (Community organisations, Third Sector, SBC and NHS Borders) continued to meet on a weekly basis to share service updates and recently received a presentation from Michael Curran (Service Manager, SBC) about Service Commissioning with the Third Sector.  Input had also been given by Derek Bell, SBC’s Redundancy Support Co-ordinator about support available through PACE (Partnership Action for Continuous Employment).  Partners were meeting clients face to face again but, depending on the organisation, this was still restricted by numbers and need.   The What Matters Hub was due to reopen in Kelso later in the Month and would initially be available to clients on the waiting list and thereafter to the wider public.   Jedburgh was expected to reopen in January 2022.  The Hub Meeting continued to be attended by a range of organisations with the shared experience and knowledge being a very valuable resource to identify solutions to problems and issues that were brought to the meeting.

(a)    Kalewater Community Company – Cheviot Community Fund 2020/21 evaluation

(b)   Community Fund Assessment Panel – update

(c)    Funding table overview (Copy attached.)

     (d)  Build Back a Better Borders Recovery Fund applications

Photos of BBBB funded projects: BBBB Fund Awards 2021/22 | Flickr

Consider four applications for funding:

(i)     Roxburgh & Berwickshire CAB  

(ii)    Cheviot Youth

(iii)   Morebattle Community Shop

(iv)   Queens House

(Copies attached.)

SECTION 3: COMMUNITY FUND

8.0     Kalewater Community Company

With reference to paragraph 5.3 of the Minute of 25 November 2020, Mr Eric McNulty updated the Area Partnership on the progress of the Morebattle Recreation Ground project.  Through a series of pictures, Mr McNulty highlighted the 3.4 acre field situated behind the Morebattle Institute and next to the Templehall Hotel which had been purchased in 2019 with funding secured from the Community Grant Fund.     An archaeological trial trench evaluation was undertaken by Clyde Archaeology on behalf of theKalewater Community Company in relation to the development of a recreation ground that would include a community garden, children’s play area with trim track, picnic area, a community orchard,and a larger area for recreation/informal ball games. The evaluation formed part of a widerprogramme of archaeological work put in place to discharge condition 2 of planning permission (ref:18/00558/FUL). It took place between 24^th and 28^th May 2021 and was designed to provideopportunities forlocal volunteerparticipation andbroader activitiesfor thelocal primaryschool.  A total of   five trenches, totalling of 172 sq. m, were excavated across the site which targeted linear anomalies recorded during an earlier phase of geophysics. A series of very shallow linear ditches and a roughstone lined drain, both of unknown date, were uncovered in the northern part of the developmentarea, noneof whichappeared tocorrespond tothe geophysicsanomalies.  The dig was completed on 28^th May 2021 with no significant finds and an outcome report would be produced and submitted to the SBC Archaeology Officer to await a decision about continuing to develop the recreation ground.

DECISION

NOTED.

9.0     COMMUNITY FUND ASSESSMENT PANEL – UPDATE

With reference to paragraph 9 of the Minute of 30 June 2021, the Locality Development Co-ordinator, Ms Malster advised that following a recruitment process the following appointments had been made to the Cheviot Community Assessment Panel :-.     

Town Community Councils:   Graeme Hayward / Depute – John Taylor (Jedburgh CC)

                                                Dean Weatherston/ Depute – Gavin Horsburgh (Kelso CC)

Rural Community Councils:    Mr Peter Jeary (Crailing, Eckford and Nisbet CC)

                                                Brian Burton (Sprouston CC)

                                                Depute – Andrew Carter (Floors, Makerstoun, Nenthorn and Smailholm

Community Reps:                   Eleanor Lockey

                                                Nicola McIlwraith

Elected Members:                  Councillor S Scott

                                                Councillor T Weatherston

Ms Malster further advised that as the recruitment was yet to be completed, the Committee should consider temporarily reducing the Quorum from 5 to 4.  Sarah Mackie expressed an interest in joining the Assessment Panel and would discuss with Ms Malster.

DECISION

(a)      NOTED the appointments to date;

(b)      AGREED that the quorum be temporarily reduced from 5 to 4 until the recruitment process was complete.

10.0   CHEVIOT COMMUNITY fUNDING 2020/21

There had been circulated copies of the Cheviot Funding for 2021/2022 which detailed the funding available together with information on the allocation of the Community Grant Fund in 2020/21.  The opening balance at 1 April 2021 was £46,551.00 plus 50% of available Local Festival Grant  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

(a)   For noting: Current consultations and additional information including Cheviot   

Community Assistance Hub update  (Copy attached.)

(b)  Next Area Partnership 24 November 2021, Agenda issued 10 November   2021 – are there any items you would like to propose for the agenda? 

Previously identified for next meeting:

i). Electric vehicle charging  - update

ii). Community empowerment

Please contact your local Councillor or the Communities & Partnership Team with items for future agendas

(c)    Any other formal business

(d)    Meeting evaluation. An online evaluation form will be available from 6:30pm on Wednesday 22 September until 11:45pm on Sunday 26 September: https://forms.office.com/r/mmqXH4tj97

(e)    Future Cheviot Area Partnership meeting dates:

       24 November 2021

26 January 2022

23 March 2022

29 June 2022

          DATE OF FUTURE MEETINGS

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

Wednesday, 26 January 2022

Wednesday, 23 March 2022

Wednesday, 29 June 2022

            The next meeting would be held on Wednesday, 24 November 2021 at 6.30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams.

13.     MEETING EVALUATION     

Ms Malster reminded those present about the meeting evaluation form which could be accessed via the link https://forms.office.com/r/HHH1dEcmz3 and was available until 11.45 a.m. on 26 September 2021.  She added that feedback about the Area Partnership meetings was really helpful and always appreciated.

CHAIRMAN

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