Agenda item

Consider report by SBC Director Infrastructure & Environment.  (Attached)

4.1       Copies of a report by SBC Director Infrastructure & Environment on the Scottish Borders Community Food Growing Strategy had been circulated.  The report proposed that the Community Planning Partnership endorsed the Scottish Borders Community Food Growing Strategy and Action Plan, attached as an appendix to the report, and actively supported this within both the Community Planning Partnership and within each partner’s own organisational plans.   The Strategy “Cultivating Communities” was adopted by SBC in March 2021.  While the Strategy was a legislative requirement, it was also a vehicle for nurturing and developing community food growing across the Scottish Borders, in line with the national food growing agenda.  Community food growing was increasingly recognised as a valuable model for supporting sustainable, resilient, healthy communities.  The impact of Covid-19 had increased awareness around the role of local access to community food growing in supporting health and wellbeing.  John Curry, Director Infrastructure & Environment introduced Amy Alcorn, SBC Green Space Programme Officer who presented highlights of the Strategy, which had been developed in response to requirements within the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.  Ms Alcorn gave a presentation which covered Part 9 of the Act; the aims and objectives of the Strategy; what that looked like in terms of community gardens, community orchards, allotments, social prescribing, “garden share/lend & tend” schemes, guerrilla gardeners /Incredible Edible; and resources available – information, contacts, local growing sites, community planning support through SBC, 3^rd Sector/SBCommunity Food Growers networks, and CPP key staff.  The next steps were to consider the following 5 years and beyond and how to embed the Strategy

4.2       Councillor Rowley referred to the amount of activity taking place across the Borders and asked that the 2 newsletters be shared with the partners.  It was hoped that the members of the Community Planning Partnership would get behind this and help make it a success.   Councillor Tatler commented that while it had been a requirement to produce the Strategy and Action Plan, we had gone way beyond that and were really moving forward.  Thanks were offered to all the officers for putting this together and also to Ms Alcorn who had recently joined the Council but was putting in a huge amount of work.  The Food Growing Network Group had met 3 times and had great discussions, with responses from all groups and the Sharepoint site was really good for sharing information.  It was hoped that this format could be used for other groups.  Mrs K Hamilton praised the whole process, in particular the newsletter which was very well received.  Ms Alcorn advised that feedback was to be collected at the end of each meeting and the newsletter was available to view on the Food Growers network.  It was hoped to broaden the network.  Shona Smith, SBC Communities & Partnership Manager, confirmed that the number of volunteers was one of the measures used to show success and Ms Alcorn could also be included in the “Menti” team which was a useful tool for feedback.  Ms Alcorn further advised that she had visited the Eildon Housing allotments in Kelso and the RSLs were keen to develop land and community gardens.  RSLs could contact Ms Alcorn and then “Lend and Tend” arrangements could be set up with volunteers to tend gardens of tenants who maybe struggled to keep them now due to ill health or infirmity.  Jenni Craig added that this was a hugely topical subject with lots of enthusiasm being shown.  Anything any of the partners could do to support community groups with their ambitions and aspirations would be helpful e.g. if there was a demand for volunteers, it would be really useful to get a sense of that.  Any land suitable for growing would be most welcome so if any of the partners had space which could be used for growing should contact Ms Alcorn, who would be carrying out a land audit soon, looking at all available land, so that a land bank was there when community groups wanted to take up growing.   Ms Alcorn had been out to a few schools and created a pdf resource for schools which had links to lesson plans and funding for schools for growing projects.  Angela Cox, Principal of Borders College, advised that the College had a dedicated land-based site and offered to connect in with Ms Alcorn.  The College was working with a number of schools e.g. providing support ot the growing curriculum, bees and land management to Kelso High School.

DECISION

AGREED:

(a)        to endorse the Community Food Growing Strategy “Cultivating Communities” 2021/2026;

(b)        that Partner members reflected the Strategy and Action Plan within their own organisational plans and considered how this could contribute to community planning objectives in relation to land use, climate change, health and wellbeing, and community resilience;

(c)        to collaboration between CPP partners to identify resources (land, utilities, funding streams, skills development) to develop community capacity and enable access to community food growing;

(d)        to receive an annual report and also an interim report in 6 months, on the progress of the Food Growing Strategy and Action Plan; and

(e)        to consider the longer term evolution of the Community Food Growing Strategy and how shared objectives may be reflected in the next refresh of the CPP Community Plan.

Note:  Mr Robin Hill (RSL representative) and Professor Russel Griggs (SOSE) joined the meeting during the above discussion.