Agenda item

A facilitated discussion on the subject in order to put forward a set of initial outcomes for Berwickshire – further information on local data and statistics

3.1       The Chair presented the theme for the meeting – Place – and introduced Charles Johnston, SBC Senior Planning Officer, who talked about the Main Issues Report (MIR) which had been approved by Council the previous week for a 12 week public consultation, likely to begin at the beginning of October.  The MIR was to all intents and purposes the forerunner to the Local Development Plan which came in 2 volumes:  the first volume of the Development Plan contained policies which were applicable across the Borders and the second volume contained details applicable to each of the 80 different settlements in the Borders e.g. conservation areas, housing allocations, etc.  The consultation would involve officers holding sessions in various places with local people encouraged to come to afternoon sessions and evening workshops to give feedback.  The MIR asked a series of questions and Mr Johnston gave some examples.  With regard to town centres, how could they be regenerated and made more dynamic and vibrant.  What sites should be designated for housing, what type of housing was needed.  Finding sites could be difficult and the MIR was trying to identify a lot more sites than would be required, so not all sites would be taken forward.  People were invited to comment on proposed sites and suggest other sites.  With regard to industrial land, where should that be located, how would sites be serviced, how will they be funded.  Existing housing in the countryside policy required any new property to be part of an existing building group - should consideration be given to allowing single dwellings in more isolated areas.  Officers would be available to listen to what local people’s suggestions and everyone was encouraged to put forward their views either at one of the consultation sessions, or via the website or by phone.  In response to a question about whether Scottish Government could overrule a Local Plan, Mr Johnston advised that planning was never black and white, and there were grey areas, but decisions had to be in line with national planning guidance. 

3.2       Ms Liz Hall, SBC Ecology Officer, then gave details of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan which was currently out for consultation.  This Plan had last been updated in 2001 so it was time for a review.  Officers had looked at the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and based the themes of the Local Biodiversity Plan on this.  While there were global targets to be achieved by 2020, any actions needed to work on the ground.  One theme was eco system restoration which involved replanting trees and hedgerows; another was greenspace for health, both mental and physical health and wellbeing; another was marine and coastal eco-systems.   People were asked to participate in the consultation and provide comments, letting officers know if priorities were correct or if something else should be included.  The consultation was open until 30 November 2018 and could be accessed through the Citizen Space online system.  

3.3       Mr Gerry Begg, SBC Housing Strategy Manager, advised the meeting that every 5 years the Council had to produce a Local Housing Strategy which was done in partnership with the main Registered Social Landlords – including Berwickshire Housing Association - with the current version for the period 2017- 2022.  Much of the document was framed by guidance and policy drivers from the Scottish Government and a review was currently underway.  The Strategy set out the issues and challenges faced in the Scottish Borders with 4 big challenges:  the needs of local communities being met, more quality homes being provided, homelessness being reduced, and people remaining in own homes for longer.  It was necessary to develop actions, working with partners, find funding and project over the 5 years of how to make this happen.  An example in Berwickshire was work underway with Trust House Association to provide extra care housing in Eyemouth and in Duns.  The Strategy identified 1175 new houses across the Borders which represented a potential investment of £174m, which as well as providing homes for people also created jobs, including apprenticeships, in construction and the building supply industry.   An issue in the Borders was the age of housing, with many homes built pre-1919 and pre-1945 which were not energy efficient, with issues of dampness and condensation, so were in turn expensive to heat.  External funding was being sought to carry out external wall insulation and loft insulation which helped.  Berwickshire Housing Association was trying to use innovative methods to heat houses where no mains gas supplies were available.  Another area of activity was homelessness, where plans were being made to develop a new rapid rehousing plan in response to a Scottish Government direction for fast track arrangements.  In response to a question about whether this and previous Strategies had been successful in terms of houses constructed and jobs sustained, Mr Begg advised he would need to find out details which would be put onto the webpage.

3.4       Ms Julie Riley, Berwickshire Housing Association (BHA) Housing Services Manager, then made reference to the Strategic Housing Investement Plan (SHIP) which was a 5 year plan for delivery not just of affordable housing but also mid-market rent housing.  The SHIP was reviewed every year by the 4 main Registered Social Landlords and the Council, with projects assessed on the criteria of deliverability, housing need, regeneration of areas and the impact on communities.  Existing homes were also being worked on to bring properties up to current energy efficiency standards.  Ms Riley then gave details of the Housing Association’s developments –

·         30 units at Acredale, Eyemouth – this was a mixture of flats and houses which were almost complete and would have a phased handover

·         25 units in Chirnside - target completion for March 2019 but this depended on winter weather

·         27 units at Todlaw, Duns – planning permission was being sought.  This development was trialling a 3-bedroom flat suitable for those with a disability

·         Other sites in the pipeline included 51 units at Ayton  to be developed in phases, with 31 in the first phase); 10 units at Prioryhill, Coldstream for 10 units

Ms Riley also referred to Section 75 agreements which was part of planning permissions in Reston and Swinton and placed an obligation on a private developer that they must sell 25% for social housing or give the equivalent funds to the Council.  While funding was available from Scottish Government at the moment for housing development and was being used as much as possible, there was no guarantee that this funding would be available in future.  The Housing Association had developed a wind farm, with the plan of using income from this for future housing development. 

3.5       Responses were given to a number of general questions.  In terms of whether new housing developments would replace older properties which would in turn be demolished, this was not currently the case.  Any application to demolish property had to fulfil a number of criteria and was not necessarily a cheap option.  At the moment BHA properties were all in a fit state to be occupied.  Mr Johnston further advised that planning policy would also always promote development on brownfield rather than greenfield sites but sometimes brownfield sites were not appropriate to develop due to high costs of demolition and decontamination of land.  Ms Helen Forsyth, Chief Executive of BHA confirmed that BHA were building in areas with public transportation links, adding that rural transport was a much bigger issue affecting more than BHA.  There was general discussion on public transport difficulties in a predominantly rural area which affected both young and old and impacted on the ability to get to work.  Mr Begg confirmed that research showed that 4 jobs were created for every house built and the very nature of the construction industry created jobs as houses had to be maintained.  Ms Forsyth advised that the reality of affordable housing was that BHS met the needs of those on the lowest income, with most in work but often in seasonable jobs.  Ms Riley also confirmed that developers, while obliged to provide affordable housing, did not make a big profit on such housing. A further 40 minutes of discussion time was spent in small groups, identifying issues and priorities for “Our Place”.  The Chairman thanked everyone for participating in the conversations.