COMMUNITY COUNCILS’ NETWORK Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday 5 February 2020 at 7pm at Scottish Borders Council

The Chairperson welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1. Present:

Kelso CC (core group - Cheviot) SBCCN Chair Kelso CC (core group - Cheviot) Eyemouth CC (core group - ) SBCCN Vice Chair Eyemouth CC (core group - Berwickshire) Upper Liddesdale & Hermitage CC (core group – Teviot & Liddesdale) Crailing, Eckford & Nisbet CC Denholm & District CC Eyemouth CC Floors, , & CC Greenlaw & Hume CC St Boswells Parish CC St Boswells Parish CC St Boswells Parish CC Swinton & Ladykirk CC

In attendance: Heather Batsch: The Bridge (secretariat). Clare Malster: SBC

2. Apologies for Absence (noted clash with some CCs own meetings, also Locality Working Group meeting in Tweeddale

Selkirk CC (core group – Eildon) Selkirk CC (core group – Eildon) Peebles CC (core group - Tweeddale) Manor Stobo & Lyne CC (core group–Tweeddale) SBCCN Treasurer Southdean CC (core group – Teviot & Liddesdale) Denholm & District CC Galashiels & District CC Heriot CC Newcastleton & District CC Tweedsmuir CC

3. Minutes of SBCCN meeting 4 December 2019 (proposed LA, seconded JA) and agreed as a correct record.

4. Matters arising not on the Agenda • Chair has prepared a note re all the various meetings he attends on behalf of SBCCN, to be circulated. ACTION: HB [Note: JA has organised the reprint of the CC booklet - 700 copies, one to be circulated to each Community Councillor]

5. Treasurer’s Report In her absence, the treasurer’s report was read out. “As at today’s date, the SBCCN has £1669.34 in the bank. Major expenditures have been two government reports (£27.60), rental of the Men’s Shed (£47) for the last meeting and

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£235.79 to The Bridge for secretarial services. As this covers only the period up to July 2019, we probably owe the same again to date. I would impress upon The Bridge that they must submit their invoices quicker – and certainly the invoices up to the March 31st year-end must be lodged with the Treasurer by April 14th to ensure timely preparation of the year-end accounts.”

6. Public participation in decision making – part 10, Community Empowerment () Act 2015 • It was noted that this part of the Community Empowerment Act has not yet been enacted. However Participation Requests section has been approved. • Playpark Provision Update: Elected members now given the role to consult communities in their ward re playparks • Audit Scotland Report Action Plan: Further to the SBCCN meeting minute 4/12/19, Action Plan approved at December 2019 SBC Council Meeting re improving communication and decision making. • Participation Requests: Eyemouth CC request has been approved to participate in a number of areas – local Regeneration funding programme, new School, grass- cutting etc. Participation is open to any organisation. See Glasgow University research. Clare Malster said that SBC is now aiming to promote Participation Requests, information on SBC website: 8 received, 5 approved, 3 refused. See this link: https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/participationrequests • SBC is committed to implementing the various sections of the Act as they come in. Query from Crailing, Eckford & Nisbet CC rep re whether a Participation Request from eg a Cheviot CC for participation in the Cheviot Area LBF would have had a better chance – answer: probably not at the time, due to time pressures. Clare said she doesn’t know if there will be LBF3. Query from Chair re why group that was awarded grant in LBF1 has not yet received their funding. Query re relative responsibilities of elected members and CCs. Accepted they are equal in Aberdeen and Dundee but not here. • Noted that it would be better to focus on getting appropriate representation under the Participation Requests section.

7. Area Partnerships/Community Fund consultation Underspend of over £100,000 in each Locality; some Councillors say it will, officers say it’s not decided. However, the fund was devolved to each Area Partnership in the budget. Consultation was managed by SCDC and report is apparently ready but has not been publicised/ is not yet on the Agenda of a full Council meeting. Likely that the Area Partnerships will be changed.

Noted that CCs can reclaim the hire of CC meeting space, however SBCCN has been refused a refund of two meetings held in the Kelso Men’s Shed when the SBC premises were not available.

8. Issues relating to consultations in general, including timing. Noted that LBF2 consultation took place over 1 month, over Christmas! ‘Have Your Say’ citizenspace consultations are not publicised directly to CCs – and should be over 6 week period festive periods. SBCCN to ask via Clare Malster for Email to be sent to CCs to alert them to consultations. ACTION: HB

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9. SBC Community Councils’ Scheme Review update: very little progress with this Review; next meeting is on 25th March – no information is forthcoming. [Note: meeting postponed due to C-19 crisis] 10. Community Council Insurance – SBC Block Policy – renewal 1/4/20 SBCCN to query whether Resilient Communities activity/volunteers insurance is automatically added to this policy. ACTION: HB [Note: This has now been clarified; all Resilience Groups volunteers covered by insurance when on Group business]

11. Locality Working Groups/Integrated Joint Board (Health & Social Care Integration) Chair outlined the way that the various levels of management and decision-making operate. The first meetings of the five Locality Working Groups are taking place over two week period now (6.30 – 8pm); Community Council representatives are able to take part in the LWGs. Aim is for plans to be initiated by the community, and approved by them. Each area now has a senior staff person to be the link with the HSCI hierarchy; they want each group to have a Chair from the group members. SBCCN will promote the opportunity to be involved. Information to be circulated. ACTION: HB

12. Continuing issues for discussion by the CCN including: • Wind Farms: no update • Dark Skies status: no update • National Park: copies of the latest Newsletter 2 were handed out • Policing: Police reports at CC meetings will now be given on a multi-member ward basis rather than for each CC area. This will reduce the number of reports from 69 to 11 and the Police say it will give them more time for front line policing. The information will also be restricted per data protection requirements.

13. A.O.B (preferably flagged up before the meeting) Free Training Opportunities • Community Leader Climate Programme – training opportunity with Keep Scotland Beautiful. Circulate information. ACTION: HB • Participatory Budgeting training at Holyrood – Colin McGrath and James Anderson are attending. [Note: this training was postponed due to the C-19 crisis] • Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 training is due to be provided by Planning Aid Scotland (PAS) on behalf of SBC. Their contact details are: Petra Biberbach, Chief Executive, office: 0131 220 9730 or mobile: 07812 103967. This training is for elected members and Community Councillors. (Will help with the Main Issues Report consultation.) [Note: Dates postponed due to C-19 crisis] ACTION: HB

14. Date of next meeting: tbc [Note: meetings postponed due to C-19 crisis]

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