Minute of AGM of 15 May 2018

Kalewater Community Council

Minute of Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 15 May 2018

In the Village Institute, Morebattle

Present:  Community Councillors; Caroline Lang, Roddy Murray, Michael Scott, Matilda Hall, Barbara Bell, Catherine Mabon, and Tamzin Thomas.
SBC Cllr Simon Mountford.

Not present: Community Councillor Tom Edgar.

Public: 2

ACTION

1

Apologies

Cllr Andrew McEwan.

2

Minutes of Previous Annual General Meeting

The minutes of the previous annual general meeting of 16 May 2017 having been circulated, were passed as a true record of events.

3

Matters Arising

None.

4

Chair’s Report on Kalewater Community Council activity for 2017/18

In the year since I have followed Eric McNulty as CC Chair, there have been a number of notable events and developments in the Village, some of them old familiar days in the yearly round, whilst others are new with particular challenges to the Council, its members and the wider community.

There was a very successful 2017 Rideout, gilded with good weather and a splendid cake that celebrated the Anniversary.  Similarly, the Morebattle in Bloom team produced a display of vibrant colour, came second in the Wee Village category and won a special ‘Clean and Tidy’ award, in the shape of a handsome litter bin.  The annual Carols Round the Tree went off very successfully and was the occasion of our presentation to Eric of the Bob Pringle Award - and once again a remarkable range of groups and good causes were supported through the fastest Coffee Mornings in the region. The Playgroup took on the charity tea tent at Kelso Races for the first time, raising a handsome sum for playgroup materials.   The Festival Week events defied some foul weather, the Games went off very successfully, whilst Graeme Lang, supported widely within the community, ran the London Marathon in aid of his chosen children’s charity.

One of the strengths and privileges of a Community Council is the ability to gain an overview of developments within the area and for Kalewater it becomes clear that a meshing together of national and local government, national bodies and community groups will be required to enable the type of managed growth that will support the community into the future whilst sustaining and valuing the unique character of the locality.

A proposed arrangement whereby SBC would have subsumed the Walter Leitch bequests to the children of Morebattle School into a general fund has been abandoned.  The CC formed a sub-committee, consisting of elected and co-opted members, to draft a proposal whereby the CC would administer the scholarships, with SBC handling the money, and whilst we await word from the lawyers in Australia who manage the bequest, this year we will be operating on behalf of SBC a form of grants and scholarships which we believe will offer an appropriate breadth of opportunity to the children of Morebattle School.

There has recently been some more clarity for the CC around the care/maintenance of the defibrillators placed throughout the Council’s area and whilst access to Linton Community Hall proves stubbornly difficult to progress, our potholed roads are become exemplars for the press, the bus services are being reduced and the future care of the public toilets in Morebattle Main Street is an ongoing issue, other items have moved forward and several developments are coming together to presage a positive future for a growing community.

The ambition that Morebattle should be enabled to grow is evident in the expansion of the ‘Industrial Area’ zoning on the SBC 2016 Local Development Plan, whilst the declared intention of Scottish Water to upgrade the water/sewage works in Morebattle this year, would then release land, already zoned and approved, for additional house-building in the village.  There have been the occasional dwellings being built elsewhere in the Kalewater area but the Community Council are keen to encourage housing that will enable more families with children to come to the locality.

Particularly welcome has been the decision to site an additional telecoms mast above Hownam which should eliminate the communications blind-spots which have so hampered the work of the emergency services.

A number of groups, old and new, have contributed greatly to the life of the communities. In particular, work on the St. Aidan’s project continues slowly, whilst the Coffee Stop is proving popular with walkers.  The KCC Vice-Chair, Roddy Murray, has brought to fruition an innovative scheme to collect unwanted crops of apples from gardens across Morebattle and Yetholm which then return to the villages in apple juice (generally available) and cider, sold through licensed premises.  The money raised has been bid for and allocated to local projects and plans for the planting of community orchard trees in Morebattle should provide a welcome bounty for small local schemes into the future.

During the harsh winter weather, the Resilience Group proved itself adept at digging out paths across Morebattle, at checking on the elderly, and for this ‘remote’ community the value of the Morebattle shop was once again made only too clear, both to folk who have valued its presence for years and those who did not usually frequent it.

The clear-headed ambitions of the various community groups are exemplified in the ongoing plans for the shop and for a community recreation ground in the field behind the pub. Two groups drawn from the community are going through the lengthy and painstaking process of applying for monies from the Scottish Land Fund to purchase and develop these assets for the benefit of the community. Whilst the vibrancy of current community life within the Kalewater area belies the apparently aging demographic, each scheme evidences a regard for the overall health, resilience and cohesion of a growing community...the apples from the orchard trees planted around the recreation ground would return, bottled, to the shop for sale amidst an expanded range of local produce.

At the beginning of the Twenty-First Century, the shifting relationship between communities and local government, whereby individual communities are being encouraged to take on the responsibility for aspects of day-to-day service delivery, offers both challenges and opportunities to the people of Morebattle, Hownam, Cessford, Caverton and Linton.  They appear wholly equal to the task.

BAE Bell, 15.5.2018

5

Treasurer’s Report inc. approval of annual abstract of accounts

The Treasurer tabled the accounts which had been signed off by Rennie Welch.

6

Elections, including Office Bearers

SBC Cllr Simon Mountford took over the chair and thanked the community councillors and the Chair for their work over the year.

Office Bearers

SBC Cllr Mountford thanked the previous office-bearers for their work during the past 12 months, noting the constructive and positive approach of Kalewater community councillors.

Office-Bearer Nominations

Chair: Barbara Bell; Proposed: Cllr Murray, Seconded: Cllr Hall

Secretary: Michael Scott, Proposed: Cllr Hall, Seconded: Cllr Bell

Treasurer: Matilda Hall; Proposed: Cllr Mabon, Seconded: Cllr Murray

Vice-Chair: Roderick Murray; Proposed: Cllr Lang, Seconded: Cllr Mabon

Community Councillor Vacancies

With two councillors, Catherine Mabon and Andrew McEwan standing down after 12 years and 19 years’ service and three vacancies to fill there are 5 spaces on the community council. Everyone thanked the retiring councillors for their hard work over the years.

Two completed nomination forms were received from Catherine Henderson and Lesley Sunderland. No elections were required. The new councillors were welcomed to the council. Three vacancies remain on the community council.

SBC Cllr Mountford passed the chairing of the meeting back to Cllr Bell.

Kalewater Community Council Members

Cllrs: Matilda Hall, Caroline Lang, Catherine Henderson, Lesley Sunderland, Michael Scott, Tamzin Thomas, Barbara Bell, Roderick Murray and Tom Edgar.

7

Appointment of Auditors

Treasurer would approach Rennie Welch to act as auditors for the next 12 months.

Treasurer

8

Agreement to abide by Scottish Borders Council Code of Conduct for Community Councils

Kalewater Community Councillors agreed to abide by the SBC Code of Conduct.

9

AOB

No items. Meeting closed at 7.20pm

Signed:

Date: