Minute of Meeting on Tuesday 20 July 2010

Kalewater Community Council

Minute of Meeting on Tuesday 20 July 2010

In the Village Institute, Morebattle

Present:  Community Councillors; Eric McNulty (chair), Michael Scott (Secretary), Helen Cessford, Margaret Lister, Sarah Dixon, Margaret Blackmore, Paul Grime, George Aitchison.

SBC Cllr Alec Nicol.

1 member of the public.

ACTION

Welcome

Chair thanked Cllrs Dixon and Aitchison and Hownam community for inviting the community council to the village and for the welcome refreshments.

1

Apologies

Community Councillors; Matilda Hall, Andrew McEwan, Peter Tweedie

2

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting of 18 May having been circulated were passed as a true record of events.

Proposed: Cllr Aitchison; Seconded: Cllr Dixon.

3

Matters Arising from 15 June Actions

3a

Barriers have now gone up around the base of the BT telephone kiosk.

3b

Red Cross 1^st Aid course in village hall, Morebattle on 22 July has eight booked. In Cllr Hall’s absence, Cllr McEwan is the point of contact.

3c

Letter sent to SKS re. parking problems.

3d

Ongoing issue of some community councillors not receiving the Circulation Folder.

3e

Kalewater Community Council to make £20 donation to Morebattle Festival Committee, FAO John Mabon.

Treasurer

3f

SBC Cllr Nicol noted that ‘developer’s contributions’ might be available for the play park in Morebattle. Forward SBC Officer Dougie Mallin’s email address to Cllr McEwan.

Secretary

3g

SBC Cllr Nicol noted that in the community profile produced by SBC for the community council, that the number of hospital admissions for cancer was high. Cllr Lister noted that the number was not the number of individuals, as it included multiple admissions.

3h

The tenant at 19 Mainsfield Avenue, Morebattle had written to the community council to explain how their garden ground had become so untidy. They were upset at the attention given to it by the community council but explained that they were soon to move.

4

Presentation from Daljit Singh, Development Director, Scottish Community Foundation (SCF)

The chair welcomed Daljit to the meeting, the first time that the community council had met in Hownam.

SCF was set up by the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) in 1996 to improve the effectiveness of charitable giving for the benefit of smaller charities and community groups, otherwise ignored by the ‘big givers’. SCF currently distributes £3.5M/yr in Scotland from companies, individuals and families. In Scotland there are 26 000 registered charities and many unregistered community groups.

SCF distributes all Sports Relief funds in Scotland and some Comic Relief funds.

SCF can source charities and other groups seeking funding and submit their details to companies that are looking for funding beneficiaries.

From 2000 applications for funds each year, around 800 are successful.

SCF receives no Government funding but charges clients for its services.

SCF is currently working with 7 windfarm companies. It doesn’t get involved in negotiations. It agrees a fee with the company before working with community groups. SCF discloses the charges to community groups and is independent of the funds. Best advice is to speak with other community groups and community councils involved with windfarm companies.

TABLED: Funding beneficiaries in Scottish Borders for 2007-2009.

In comparing community groups that have and haven’t managed windfarm payments through SCF, Fintry is the pinnacle of the DIY approach. Windfarm developers FALK haven’t repeated that arrangement with other funded communities as it has been relatively expensive for them. Similarly but on smaller scale, the Neilston area has a community-owned turbine.

Most communities haven’t made best use of the funding opportunities and neither have developers aided the best use of funds. Often funds are left to accumulate because of poor communication amongst potential beneficiaries.

Locally, Stow & Fountainhall should receive £63k min./yr for the next 25 years, which may rise to £80k/yr with 2 developers paying:

Developer #1: £2k/MW/yr + variable element of 30%

Developer #2: £1.5k/MW/yr (negotiated several years ago – EDF Longpark).

Community Beneficiary Group Structure – the most common approach is to form a Charitable Trust where trustees and some legal advice are required. Annual reporting to Scottish Charities body. ‘The Bridge’ in Jedburgh can advise on the best approach.

An alternative is the SCF Charitable Trust which has a ring-fenced bank account for beneficiary community groups including community councils. The advantages are that a solicitor is not required and no annual audit (SCF carries out the auditing).

SCF Grant-Making Support

Website and application form for bodies seeking funding from a community body.

TABLED: Grant application forms from Drumdearg community – one for grants of <£2k and one for >£2k.

SCF assist in vetting applicants and creating a report for the community group panel.

Reporting is carried out both for the community group and the developer.

Enhanced Services

Community Panel: SCF gathers a panel of everyone involved in distributing funds including community councillors and other community members). Drumdearg is the current best example of this model. A number of Scottish Borders groups also use this approach. The panel receives SCF reports and holds regular decision-making meetings.

Community Profiling: This extends beyond the local authority community profiling reports to include potential funding beneficiary groups in the local area by using public consultations. Heriot has already carried out this approach.

TABLED: Drumdearg funding list. Mainly grants of <£2k with one £35k grant to community company (shop).

Endowment Management: Capital sums are set-aside for a charitable purpose by building up a large sum as a legacy from the 25-year windfarm developments. Currently SCF manage £8M in endowments mainly from individuals although windfarm contributions are starting to move into endowments.

TABLED: Community Profiles (2); Sample agreement.

Management Fees:

8-10% of total amount distributed from developer/yr paid separately by the developer..

Vattenfall has 1 operational windfarm on Skye. Contacting the community councils affected could be useful to assess their funding arrangements with the developer. Contact Daljit for details.

If SCF were involved in the proposed Whitton project they would contact both community councils and present the funding benefits. Any payments from Vattenfall would likely start at the commencement of construction or at site commissioning stage.

Everyone thanked Daljit for a comprehensive and useful presentation.

 Chair

5

Morebattle, Hownam, Town Yetholm Landward Area Profile (SBC June 2010)

This item was referred to under item 3.

6

Community Trusts

Item held back to next meeting.

7

Kelso Laddie Visit

John Mabon, Secretary of Morebattle Games Committee & Festival Week had contacted community council members regarding the appropriate wearing of rosettes during Kelso Civic week events, following a misunderstanding during the recent visit of the Kelso Laddie. The community council thanked Mr Mabon for his concern.

Chair noted that the steps for the stage had been left behind following the Kelso Laddie visit and have been put into storage in the village. Cllr Cessford noted that there were problems with the sound system and that there were difficulties estimating the amount of food to prepare for the event.

Treasurer had received donation of £10 from Jed Callant Festival committee toward cost of refreshments.

Chair reported that the landowner whose field was used for car parking felt that cars could be charged for parking.

8

Correspondence

·   News Release: Grants still available from Scottish Natural Heritage

·   The Equality Act 2010: Consultation on Secondary Legislation that will enable the Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland (ASNTS) to hear Disability Claims Cases in School Education.

·   Walk It! Kelso group flyer and poster

·   Permitted Development Rights for Microgeneration Equipment on Non-Domestic Properties – Scottish Government Consultation www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/National-Planning-Policy/themes/renewables. Deadline 8 October 2010

·   Scottish Borders Elder Voice community council representative

·   SESplan Main Issues Report Workshop invitation 18 August, Cardrona Hotel, Peebles

9

Items for Circulation Folder

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

·   Home Renewables grant closing date announced - 23 July 2010

·   Big Lottery ‘Investing in Communities’ scheme starting soon.

·   Kelso Area Pathways and Community Woodlands Group Joint AGM minutes

·   Scottish Borders Wardens Cheviot Area

10

AOB

Cllr Blackmore had been concerned that the area around Heughhead had required strimming and had paid to have it strimmed. Cllr McNulty noted that as the community council now had its own strimmer, he would visit the site and undertake any further work.

Cllr Cessford thanked everyone that had helped tidy Morebattle in advance of the Scotland in Bloom judges visiting on 21 July.

13

Items for Next Meeting (Morebattle) 17 August 2010

Presentation for Colin Roxburgh (STAR consultancy)

Update on Vattenfall Whitton Wind Farm planning application from Jeanette Thomson

Meeting concluded at 9.10pm.

Signed:

Date: