Minute of Meeting on Tuesday 15 June 2010

Kalewater Community Council

Minute of Meeting on Tuesday 15 June 2010

In the Village Institute, Morebattle

Present:  Community Councillors; Eric McNulty (chair), Michael Scott (Secretary), Helen Cessford, Matilda Hall, Sarah Dixon, Margaret Blackmore, Andrew McEwan, George Aitchison.

SBC Cllr Alec Nicol.

1 member of the public.

ACTION

1

Apologies

Community Councillors; Margaret Lister, Paul Grime.

2

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting of 18 May having been circulated and an amendment to AOB agreed re. the Bob Pringle Award, were then passed as a true record of events.

Proposed: Cllr Aitchison; Seconded: Cllr Cessford.

3

Matters Arising from 18 May Actions

3a

SBC Cllr Nicol has passed on the Chair’s response to the replacement of the damaged BT kiosk. Cllr Cessford expressed concern that the base of the kiosk was a hazard. SBC Officer Ronnie Pattenden to be asked to remove hazard.

Secretary

3b

Community councillors had met with SBC recycling officer to look at possible locations for glass recycling. Temple Hall Inn would be a good site but the pub are not supportive. Second location at bottom of the Pikings would require negotiation with neighbours. Currently awaiting input from SBC Officer Dominic Hodgkiss.

3c

Secretary awaiting response from Police.

3d

Cllr Hall reported that the pub would welcome Cheviot Heritage map display but problems in sourcing lamination for items larger than A3 size.

3e

Cllr Hall hoping to arrange Red Cross First Aid sessions in the second half of July

Cllr Hall

3f

SBC Cllr Nicol reported that there was no support for SBC to ‘globalise’ community benefits from wind farm developments. Funds would remain with the communities hosting wind farms.

3g

Preparations were in hand for the visit of the Kelso Laddie.

Cllr McEwan noted that it was hoped that Mary Pringle would present the Bob Pringle Award before the dancing.

There would be a whiteboard showing the order of events.

3h

Chair had sent off a completed application to SBC for a Local Path grant to cover the cost of a new strimmer and protective equipment. Alan Thomson had been instrumental in obtaining a good deal with Lloyds.

Cllr Hall asked if the path at Teapot Street could be strimmed.

4

Presentation from Linda McCall, Headteacher, Yetholm PS and Morebattle PS

The chair welcomed Linda to the meeting.

Linda expressed thanks for community support for the school and events, including joint activities with Yetholm PS.

In post since August 2009, following 11 years at Glendouglas PS, Yetholm PS and other Scottish Borders schools.

Linda works alternate days in each school.

For the 2010/11 session a school events calendar will be distributed locally.

Currently the Morebattle school roll includes 7 P1 and 19 P7. One of the four current teachers will be moved to another school for 2010/11 as the school roll falls to 65. As a result an empty school room will become a General Purpose room for music and art.

The Chair thanked Linda for bringing the community council up to date with school news.

5

Presentation from Ross McGinn, Chair, Innerleithen Community Council

The Chair welcomed Ross to the meeting.

Ross explained that mainly as a result of the closure of Innerleithen Community Centre (due to an expanding school roll), it was decided to undertake a Community Profile and a Community Appraisal. Other contributory issues included the need for better facilities for Innerleithen’s bands and poor asset management of SBC’s buildings.

SBC Cllr Garvie was persuaded by Ross to chair a joint meeting between Scottish Borders Council and Scottish Enterprise which moved the proposals forward with an agreed vision which included more than the original concept.

A steering group known as ‘Future Innerleithen’ was formed under the umbrella of Innerleithen Community Trust as the community council was unable to apply for funds.

£10k was successfully sought from the Lottery for the Community Appraisal. With 1500 homes in the appraisal area, three contractors were asked to tender. The contract was won by STAR consultancy (Colin Roxburgh).

Colin Roxburgh trained the steering group to undertake Community Appraisals including; stakeholder interviews, preparing a household survey, collating community profile data as well as a community event.

The 6-page household questionnaire was very useful.

The community event included stalls from local organisations. Over 500 people visited the event over the day which allowed contact details to be collected for future activities as well as involving new residents with useful skills. The audience helped prioritise actions and a school competition generated a logo for Future Innerleithen.

The consultant collated the data collected by steering group volunteers and prepared the Final Report and Action Plan. The Action Plan was sent to every household.

The result of the exercise was ‘Theme Teams’ of which ‘community facilities’ has progressed most, with a full audit of community use of all facilities.

Fundamentally, the Action Plan is very useful for grant applications, where it ‘short-circuits’ a great deal of effort.

Q & A

·    Requesting a community profile from Scottish Borders Council will only provide data that is already known.

·    Innerleithen has seen £200k spent on feasibility studies in the past few years, including the Mountain Bike Uplift (£10M project). Obtaining the investment is the most difficult part of the process.

·    Trusts can take over some SBC facilities, such as halls (cf Bowmont Hall, Kelso) for nominal cost.

·    Innerleithen Community Council spawned the Community Trust (a charitable company limited by guarantee). This is an essential element for working with windfarm companies. ICT’s aims are broad but succinct.

·    Community Councils can now apply for Lottery funding.

The Chair thanked Ross for his comprehensive presentation.

6

Scottish Community Foundation

SBC Cllr Nicol noted that SCF are useful in the latter stages of any community funding negotiations with windfarm developers when discussing disbursement of funds. There may be more productive routes than SCF for gaining the best deal per MW. SCF is Vattenfall’s favoured route for funding communities.

Ross McGinn noted that it could be difficult negotiating for more than £2k/MW and would favour direct negotiation with wind farm developers. He noted that the Future Innerleithen documents had been invaluable in their negotiations.

7

Kelso Laddie preparations.

Discussed under item 3.

8

Strimmer Purchase

Discussed under item 3.

9

Proposal to Elect Co-opted Member

Peter Tweedie, Farmhouse, Buchtrig, JEDBURGH TD8 6NJ. Elector Number: PD 8J EN 4.

Proposed: George Aitchison, Seconded: Sarah Dixon

Peter Tweedie has been duly elected.

10

Correspondence

·   Letter from SBC Planning Dept. re. consultation on Updated Supplementary Planning Guidance on Affordable Housing and Development Contributions until 19 August 2010 (www.scotborders.gov.uk/life/planningandbuilding/plansandresearch/6003.html)
SBC Cllr Nicol noted that SBC would be building fewer affordable houses in 2011 than in 2010.

·   SESplan Main Issues Report: public consultation 31 May – 27 August 2010
The main doc. is in the Circulation file.

·   Letter from SBC Planning Dept. re. Finalised Scottish Borders Council Local plan Amendment

·   Call for Expressions of Interest to host Scottish Borders Walking Festival 2011

·   Scottish Borders Community Councils’ Network Annual Seminar 2 October 2010

·   Jethart Callant’s Festival Investiture 8 July & Festival Day invitations.

·   Kelso Laddie’s Association float request. Chair to put request on noticeboard.

ALL

 ALL

 Chair

11

Items for Circulation Folder

The Secretary summarised items going into the new circulation folder as listed on the agenda.

·   Scottish Borders Elder Voice newsletter June 2010

·   Tweed Catchment Management Plan Review

·   Tweed Forum newsletter ‘Tweed Matters’ Spring 2010

·   Scottish Health Council newsletter ‘Connect’ Spring 2010

·   Scottish Health Council report ‘Improving Participation’

·   Scottish Borders Council Best Value 2 Audit Report

·   SB Safer Communities Partnership Briefing Pack 14 June – 31 July 2010

·   Scottish Borders Council Cheviot Area committee Minutes 19 May 2010

12

AOB

• Cllr Blackmore asked that SKS be requested to park their vehicles with more consideration in Morebattle as they often blocked disabled access.
• Cllr Blackmore asked that the Circulation Folder not be left in the shop by Morebattle councillors, but be passed directly to the next person on the list. This would avoid the folder languishing in the shop.
• Cllr McEwan had spoken to SBC Officer Linda Cornwall re. Lottery Awards for All grants in support of the play park but the facility falls under ‘statutory provision’ and so is not included in the grant scheme. He will contact Parks officer Jason Hedley next and then look into Community Grants if necessary. SBC Cllr Nicol will send Cllr McEwan Mr Hedley’s mobile number.
• Cllr McEwan will white-line the sports field for next week’s Sports Day.
• Cathy Mabon noted that there was a Festival Week meeting on 23 June in the village hall. Request for a donation made to the community council.
• A member of the public in Morebattle had raised the issue of a very untidy garden at 19 Mainsfield Avenue. Agreed that this was an issue for the tenant living at the address.
• It was agreed that investigating the creation of a Community Trust would be worthwhile, irrespective of the Whitton wind farm outcome. Request copy of Innerleithen Community Trust constitution.
• SBC Cllr Nicol would continue to progress a community profile from SBC.
• Robin McHaffie had noted that Rothbury in Northumberland had a Community Plan.

 Secretary

  ALL Morebattle members

SBC
Cllr Nicol

            Cheque

        Secretary

SBC Cllr Nicol

Secretary

13

Items for Next Meeting (Hownam) 20 July 2010

Community Trusts

Meeting concluded at 9.15pm.

Signed:

Date: