Agenda item

Consider briefing paper by Director – Resilient Communities (To follow.)

1.1       There had been circulated copies of a report by the Director - Resilient Communities which provided elected members with information on key areas of economic development delivery within the Scottish Borders. The note identified some of the policies and strategies that were driving regional economic development and detailed key pieces of work.  The Local Employability Partnership (LEP) was established in September 2021 to help drive the employability agenda and to foster a strong collaborative approach to delivery.  One of the key elements of work was the delivery of the No One Left Behind (NOLB) funding programme which had a greater focus on Child Poverty.  In the first quarter of 2023/24 a team of 10 key workers had supported 113 clients with a range of barriers to employment.  Scottish Borders Council and South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) agreed to form a strategic partnership for delivery of the Business Gateway service in November 2020, with the transfer of services completed in April 2021. The paper briefing note provided an update on delivery and indicated a consistent demand for Business Gateway services, with strong enquiry numbers.  All the key agencies in the South of Scotland, including Scottish Borders Council were currently collaborating in terms of the development of a single Responsible Tourism Destination Development Strategy for the South of Scotland.  The UCI Cycling World Championships at Glentress were deemed to be a great success and showed the Borders at its best to an estimated television audience of over one billion people. Glentress was the host venue for the cross-country cycling and marathon events and in addition there was a full range of programmes and activities for all visitors and attendees.  Following a series of recent meetings and discussions, the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland and The UK Government Department for Transport have confirmed that they are content for the Borders Railway Extension project to move into the first stage of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal Business Case process.  There was also agreement that Scottish Borders Council could submit a funding request to appoint a Senior Project Manager to help lead the business case process.  The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal was signed in March 2021 by the Borderlands Partnership, the UK and Scottish Governments, and the five local authorities within the Borderlands area.  An update on the various projects that had The Deal would provide a total funding package of £452m over 10 years for the Borderlands area, with £150m available for the South of Scotland, comprising £65m from the UK Government and £85m from the Scottish Government.  The Chief Officer – Economic Development, Ms Samantha Smith, presented the note and highlighted the various successes over the preceding months.  Ms Smith highlighted at the recently held South of Scotland Convention that discussions had taken place regarding short-term lets and the importance of ensuring that applications for licenses were straightforward to complete.

1.2       Members welcomed the report and highlighted that the Economic Development team were undertaking a high volume of important work across the region.  In response to a question regarding how the number of cases dealt with by Business Gateway compared to its targets, Ms Smith explained that the early numbers were positive and had improved compared to the previous year and the transition year.  It was highlighted that the Scottish Borders was well placed to bid to host the proposed regional intelligence centre as part of the regional prosperity framework.  Ms Smith explained that the Scottish Borders had some unique opportunities because it was part of two growth deals.  Officers would continue to explore future opportunities, and it was hoped that Tweedbank would be well placed to function as a regional intelligence hub for the South of Scotland.  The Chairman highlighted that the Scottish Borders had delivered a world class event when it hosted the recent UCI cycling event.  It was anticipated that a report on the event would be brought back to Members before the end of the year.  The Director – Infrastructure and Environment highlighted that there was an opportunity for the Borders to present to the UCI congress in Bruges in October, with a three-minute presentation to the whole congress and a 15-minute slot for promotional activities. 

DECISION

AGREED to:-

(a)     note the information that was provided regarding the current economic development landscape affecting the Scottish Borders; and

(b)     note where future delivery updates will be reported back to Executive.