Scottish Borders Council

Agenda item

Open Forum

Minutes:

Heriot Community Council representative, Mrs Sue Sharp, wished to raise two matters as follows:

 

8.1       On behalf of communities in Heriot, Fountainhall and surrounding area, Mrs Sharp emphasised the need to sustain and improve the X95 bus service.  This was the one and only public transport service for the local population and was the key access to Borders Railway, other public transport, medical services etc.  Before the opening of the railway the X95 was a half hourly service.  Frequency then dropped to hourly and was now two-hourly with no bus service on a Sunday.  Mrs Sharp added that the right to public transport was highlighted within the Locality Plan. The Chairman explained that a question had been raised by Councillor Harry Scott at the recent meeting of Scottish Borders Council.  In the response it was explained that since the arrival of the Borders Railway, the X95 (previously operated by First Scotland East) sustained a reduction of £12k in revenue per week. In order to keep the route sustainable, changes were made based on travel patterns which were identified from data derived from the ticket machines. Since the onset of Covid-19, bus services had been under constant review and services had been reduced to cope with a reduction of patronage which was currently in the region of 40% of where it was pre Covid. Borders Buses were currently surveying their passengers in order to try and gauge what level of service that they could put back in when restrictions started to ease with a view to building services up as passengers started to return. The Council’s Transport Team were in constant discussions with all operators including Borders Buses regarding the local transport network and service changes. The Team would continue engagement with communities and local bus operators including Borders Buses to ensure that all communities were served by a sustainable transport network which met the needs of the communities they served whilst remaining within the allocated budget.  In further discussion Councillors recognised the importance of the X95 communication link to local communities and also emphasised the need for a Sunday bus service.  It was suggested that a letter from the Area Partnership, on behalf of communities, be sent direct to Scottish Government to request an extension of subsidy post Covid.  The Chairman confirmed that he would pass the views of the Area Partnership to the Transport Team.

 

8.2       In terms of the second issue raised on behalf of Heriot Community Council, Mrs Sharp referred to the Eildon Locality Plan, noting the priority given to: increase learning opportunities and skills development across a wide range of subjects and vocations and ages; and to invest in local, sustainable employment opportunities.  Mrs Sharp asked Scottish Borders Council and South of Scotland Enterprise to given consideration about how local people could benefit more from employment in the renewables sector, particularly windfarms – be that in planning, engineering, construction, maintenance etc.  There was a need to create jobs in growth sectors, of which renewables was one.  In the discussion that followed there was strong support for this aspiration.  The Chairman confirmed that South of Scotland Enterprise was looking at the issue.

 

CHAIRMAN

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

 

 

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