Minute of Meeting of 19 March 2019

Kalewater Community Council

Minute of Meeting on Tuesday 19 March 2019

In the Village Institute, Morebattle

Present: Community Councillors; Barbara Bell (Chair), Matilda Hall (Treasurer), Roddy Murray, Lesley Sunderland, Tom Edgar, Michael Scott (Secretary), Tamzin Thomas.

Public: 3

ACTION

1

Apologies Community Councillors; Catherine Henderson, Caroline Lang.

SBC Councillor Simon Mountford.

2

Minutes of Monthly Meeting of 19 February 2019

Proposed Cllr Murray, Seconded: Cllr. Bell.

3

a

Matters Arising from Actions 19 February 2019

Road Signs

Images sent.

b

Walter Leitch Fund

Chair reported that the Australian lawyers have agreed that under the arrangements of 18 October 2018, if there is insufficient uptake of funds then the monies go into a fund for a wider group of students.

Cllr Murray thanked the Chair and everyone on the community council sub-group for their efforts in making the scheme a success.

c

Morebattle Music Festival proposal

Chair thanked everyone who attended the recent public meeting. The festival proposers are now considering the options. Lack of an organiser for such a large-scale classical music event was seen as a significant obstacle. A mixed music event on a smaller scale might prove more achievable.

d

Outdoor Classroom

Cllr Murray reported that work was completed on 18 March.

e

Scottish Borders Council - Floral Gateway 2019 seminar

Cllr Sunderland attended with another Morebattle resident.

Public toilets were not discussed. No funds are available for renovating the toilets.

If SBC assessed the Morebattle toilets, then the community council could potentially apply for grant funding to improve them. Cllr Sunderland to contact SBC Officer Alastair Finnie to discuss.

Chair noted that servicing and cleaning the toilets remain a significant issue.

Small flowerbed at The Pikings will no longer be maintained by SBC.

Cllr Sunderland

4

Presentation from Openreach, Contract Manager, Ben Campbell

Chair welcomed the evening’s presentation from Ben Campbell.

Introduction

Openreach is an independent company, part of but separate from BT Group, the equivalent of Network Rail in the rail industry.

Openreach has the contract to connect 95% of Scottish homes in the Highlands and SE Scotland areas, now in its second extra year. There is now a ‘Reaching100’ (R100) programme in the pipeline from the Scottish Government which aims to bring broadband to remaining households by 2021 – a costly enterprise.

There is a 10MB download rate to be set as a Universal Service Obligation (USO) by 2020.

Technologies

FTTC: Fibre to the Cabinet (copper wire to the premises; if property is within 1.5km of the cabinet then superfast 24MB is possible; 1.5-2km then 10MB is possible).

FTTP: Fibre to the Premises (higher speeds are possible).

Cabinet installations are now complete in the Kalewater area, some FTTP installations to be completed.

Most of the area is served by the exchanges in Morebattle, Oxnam, Camptown and Lempitlaw.

A cabinet at Cowbog went live on 18 March. Morebattle cabinet 1 is already live. When cabinets at Cessford and Shielstockbraes go live in autumn 2019, work will be complete. Dates can be subject to delays caused by unforeseen circumstances.

Hownam and Whitton and other remote locations are without any plans for broadband improvements.

Visit Openreach website to check if an individual property can receive broadband. www.openreach.co.uk

Other Options

·         Wait for the R100 programme or the USO.

·         Use the ‘Better Broadband Scheme’ for properties with speeds of <2MB. www.scotlandsuperfast.com

·         Community Fibre Partnership where infrastructure is self-built or Openreach is commissioned to build it. Can be an expensive option. Communities in Stenton and Elvanfoot have used this route. Tweedsmuir are investigating.

·         Alternative Technologies using mobile 4G signal or line-of-sight masts with wireless (Borderlink in Berwick).

Contact for community projects is Ben Campbell.

In Stenton the cost per property was approx. £3000. Business properties may be able to access grants.

Scottish Borders Council has contributed extra funds to broadband schemes.

Everyone thanked Ben for his presentation.

5

Community Council Insurance Cover 2019/2020

Secretary to complete.

Secretary

6

Defibrillators

Chair has contacted Scottish H.A.R.T. re finding suitable defibrillators for the existing ‘hot’ boxes.

7

Bob Pringle Award

Arrangements ongoing

8

Correspondence

N/A.

9

Items for Circulation Folder

·   SBC update: headstone safety testing programme

·   Scottish Government Community Land Team event on Community Rights to Buy, Galashiels, 2 April 2019

·   Kelso and District Police Report, February 2019

10

a

AOB

Steps for Kelso/Jethart ride-out.

Chair asked if funds were available in the KCC account to pay for new steps. £200 available.

Chair

11

Items for Next Meeting Agenda

Kelso/Jethart Ride-out arrangements.

AGM and nominations.

Walter Leitch Fund.

Public Toilets.

12

Next Meeting

7pm, Tuesday 16 April 2019, Village Institute, Morebattle.

Signed:

Date: