Agenda item

(a)  Place Making – update on workshops

(b)  Common Good – consultation on asset register

(c)   Jim Clark Rally – consultation on Rally proposals for the 2022 (report to follow)

SECTION 1: SERVICE & PARTNER UPDATES

1.0      PLACE MAKING UPDATE

3.1     The Strategic Community Engagement Officer reported that appointments had been made to the posts of Community Place, Planning and Regeneration Officer and Project Manager - Place Making.  The Chairman welcomed Sharon Renwick (Community Place, Planning and Regeneration Officer) and Naomi Sweeney (Project Manager – Place Making to the meeting and asked them to say a few words about their future plans.

DECISION

          NOTED.

3.2     COMMON GOOD – CONSULTATION ON ASSET REGISTER

Mrs Hannah MacLeod, Principal Solicitor was present and explained that under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 the Council was required to establish and maintain a register of property which was held by the authority as part of the Common Good (“a Common Good Register”).   Common Good was a type of property that local authorities may have, which had been passed down by former burgh councils. It often had strong historical and emotional value to local communities, as well as its practical use and financial value.  Before establishing a Common Good Register, the Act required the Council to publish a list of property that it proposed to include in the Register and consult the public in setting up these registers.  The Council approved the process for compliance with the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 on 31 January 2019, and work had been ongoing in consolidating all information held in respect of heritable and moveable Common Good assets.  From the work carried out, a draft list of assets considered to be a complete list of heritable and moveable assets held by the Kelso Common Good  and Jedburgh Common Good had been prepared, and were included on the draft registers which were out for consultation.   The consultation would seek representations on (i) whether a proposed asset should be included as part of the Common Good; or (ii) whether there should be other assets included in the Common Good asset list.  In addition to the electronic survey, the proposed lists of Common Good assets would be published on the Council’s website and paper copies would be made available, free of charge, on request. All Community Councils and other community bodies were being made aware of the publication of the proposed Common Good Asset lists and invited to make representations in respect of these lists.  The twelve week consultation would run until 31 March 2022.

DECISION

NOTED.

JIM CLARK RALLY

3.3     There had been circulated copies of a report by the Director of Infrastructure and Environment which provided the Area Partnership and the local community an opportunity to consider and comment on the proposals submitted by event organisers of the Jim Clark Rally to hold a rally on closed roads in the Scottish Borders on the weekend of 27 to 29 May 2022.  The report highlighted the revised legislation introduced in 2019 to allow motor sports events to take place on closed public roads. The new regulations build upon previous experience through the Jim Clark Rally and other events and were intended to introduce increased rigor to the procedure for organising and running such events.  The 2019 Regulations introduced a two stage procedure where organisers must first successfully apply to an “authorised body” for a permit before applying to the local roads authority for a Motor Sports Order.  In determining whether to make a Motor Sports Order, Scottish Borders Council, as local roads authority, had to consider a number of factors laid out in the Regulations.  The report outlined those factors and provided an opportunity to examine the proposals submitted by the rally organisers in respect of the routes and timings for the rally on 27 to 29 May 2022.  The organisers of the Jim Clark Rally, having successfully applied for a permit from “the authorised body”, had lodged an application with Scottish Borders Council (within the specified 6 month period required to allow consideration) seeking a Motor Sports Order to undertake the event.  It was noted that the event organisers had, prior to submitting the application, been in consultation with representatives of Scottish Borders Council and Police Scotland through the established Safety Advisory Group (SAG).  The intention of the Jim Clark Rally organisers was for the event to be based in Duns and to hold a pre-rally ‘shakedown stage’ on the Friday morning followed by two rally stages starting early evening; then hold 7 rally stages (over 3 different routes) on the Saturday and a further 6 rally stages (over 3 further different routes) on the Sunday.  The Shakedown Stage on Friday was scheduled for the road south of Mellerstain Mill with the evening stage being two runs of Longformacus to Abbey St Bathans following a ceremonial start in Duns Square. On the Saturday the three routes were Westruther, Scott’s View, and Eccles. This would see a single run, in an anti- clockwise direction of travel, over the three routes followed by vehicle servicing and refuelling in Duns and then a repeat of that earlier sequence. Following a further refuelling there would then be a third run over the Eccles Stage ahead of a Ceremonial finish in Duns shortly after 1700 hours. Sunday would see routes at Edrom, Ayton and Fogo. The intention being to run a clockwise loop of these routes followed by servicing and refuelling in Duns before a repeat loop over the three routes and a final Ceremonial finish in Duns. Daily overall route plans were provided in Appendix A to the report and provisional stage timings provided at Appendix C to the report.

3.4      The report was welcomed as the Jim Clark Rally was a major sporting event and brought significant economic benefit to the Scottish Borders. It attracted a high number of spectators, supporters, staff and competitors to the area, many of whom stayed a number of nights and by extending the route it would spread the benefits throughout the Borders.   Organisers of the Jim Clark Rally were present at the meeting to answer questions.  They encouraged everyone to make use of the consultation, confirmed that they would be consulting with each of the Community Councils within the rally route and thanked the Area Partnership for their time.

DECISION

(a)       NOTED the application by organisers of the Jim Clark Rally to run an event on the weekend of 27 and 29 May 2022.

(b)       AGREED to make known any comments it had about the proposal to run an event and/or proposed routes and timings for that event.