Minute of Meeting of 15 March 2016

Kalewater Community Council

Minute of Meeting on Tuesday 15 March 2016

In the Village Institute, Morebattle

Present: Community Councillors; Eric McNulty (Chair), Barbara Bell, Catherine Mabon, Michael Scott (Secretary), Richard Pedersen, Pat Mileham, Andrew McEwan, Dot Halliday (Vice-Chair).

SBC Councillor: Simon Mountford, Alec Nicol.

Public: Nil

ACTION

1

Apologies

Community councillors; Matilda Hall (Treasurer), Neil Thomson, Tom Edgar.

2

Minutes of Previous Meeting of 16 February 2016

The minutes of the previous meeting of 16 February having been circulated were passed as a true record of events.

Proposed: Cllr. Bell; Seconded: Cllr Pedersen.

3

a

Matters Arising from Actions 16 February 2016

Linton Road Bridge

Existing road signs are within permitted distance.

b

Sports Success

Information now on Morebattle facebook page. Completed.

c

Community Council Notice Board

Cllr Pederson has repaired board. Completed.

d

Gift of Public Bench

Contact SBC Officer Alistair Finnie or Ronnie Pattenden.

Secretary

e

Morebattle Core Paths

Cllr Bell had met with SBC Access Ranger Keith Robeson and walked local paths. Agreed that at four points fingerposts could be installed and at Heughhead a sign could be clamped to an existing post.

Landowners need to be identified.

Cllr Bell

f

Replacement Xmas Lights

Chair had spoken to SBC Officer Alistair Finnie and reported that a Quality of Life application could be made in 2016/17 and advice sought from SBC lighting engineer.

Chair

g

Potholes

Cllr Mabon reported that the Whitton road had been repaired but that other problem areas remained.

h

Morebattle Street Names

Cllr Bell had met with SBC officer Graham Irvine but reported that main priority was flood repairs. Moving the ‘No Through Road’ sign would need Highways approval.

i

Annual Insurance Questionnaire

Completed. 

j

Graveyard Path

SBC Cllr Mountford to progress.

SBC Cllr Mountford

4

Community Resilience Exercise, Sunday 17 April 2016

Cllr Pedersen noted that neighbours would be alerted to the exercise. Cllr McEwan to place information on Morebattle facebook page.

Cllr McEwan

5

Community Pub

Chair introduced Heather Batsch from The Bridge (formerly Roxburgh Assoc. of Voluntary Services), Jedburgh.

Templehall Hotel has been for sale for several years and current owners may be interested in enabling the creation of a community pub.

Cllrs McNulty and McEwan had attended a Community Shares event in Dumfries.

HB noted that there were a number of options available each with pros and cons. New Community Right-to-Buy legislation is enacted in summer 2016. Registration gives the community 6 months in which to act. A proper organisation would be required to make a registration, including a Company Limited by Guarantee, a SCIO or BenCom.

‘Pub is the Hub’ are offering grants in Scottish Borders for diversification projects.

HB suggested that ‘Investing in Ideas’ and ‘Village SOS’ could be useful resources. IiI could help pay for a consultant to write a business plan, for example. Often a charity would own a property with the business operating separately.

Community pubs in the region are: Birgham, Leitholm and Tweedsmuir.

HB suggested that talking openly to the property owners and if possible avoiding Community Right-to-Buy and Registration would both be good moves.

Meeting agreed that a sub-group of Cllrs McNulty, McEwan, Mabon and Halliday would organise a public meeting.

Chair thanked Heather Batsch for her contribution.

Pub Sub-Group

6

Correspondence

None.

7

Items for Circulation Folder

·  Scottish Borders Health and Social Care Newsletter

·  Beirhope Approved Forest Design with Notes

No sign of Circulation Folder

ALL

8

a

AOB

SBC Schools Estate Review

SBC Cllr Mountford noted that SBC was carrying out a pre-consultation on the Schools Estate, both buildings and education. Once feedback has been received from public, pupils and teachers SBC will come forward with actual proposals for consultation.

b

Morebattle Primary School Vegetable Garden Proposal

Cllr Hall had tabled a proposal from the school Parent Teacher Group to change the sandpit to a vegetable garden. The meeting supported the proposal.

Cllr Halliday

c

Planning Application

Access has been changed from previous application.

Meeting approved application.

Secretary

d

Defibrillator Training

Six members of the community have requested training. May be possible via the Fire and Rescue Service in Kelso.

Cllr Halliday

e

Bench by Telephone Box

Now painted but felt to be too close to phone box.

f

Bench at The Pikings

Bench too close to muck heaps in adjacent field.

g

Trees at Graveyard

Cllr Mabon to contact SBC Access Officer Neil Mackay re.cutting the trees.

Cllr Mabon

h

Broadband improvements

Work is progressing for Morebattle

i

Morebattle Website

Secretary asked for a KCC Agenda section. Email to Cllr McEwan

Secretary

9

Items for Next Meeting Agenda

Community Pub

May AGM

10

Next Meeting

7pm Tuesday 19 April 2016, Village Institute, Morebattle.

Signed:

Date: