​Innerleithen & District Community Council review mast application.

​What a shock to find that all of the extra checks at UK ports as a result of Brexit may indeed be responsible for the chaos at Dover with coach loads of school children stranded overnight. The greatest act of economic self harm in history just continues to get even worse. Well they did promise to stop the boats !

​The SBC Planning Committee have approved plans for evening working at a local Tweeddale quarry at Cowislinn following an alteration to the original plans submitted. The operators had originally planned to work throughout the night but agreed with planning officers to reduce the working hours to no later than 1 am. The total number of permitted days was also reduced from the original application. Conditions concerning screening and the prevention of light pollution were also agreed.

​Sorry to see that 14 public toilets are to be kept closed throughout the Borders. The SNP group along with our Green colleague had asked for more details and publication of the rationale behind each individual closure. We fully accept that difficult decisions need to be made, but were looking for a wider discussion. On a positive note an undertaking was made to look at the provision in Burnmouth where there is a particular issue due to the total absence of any facility. In Peebles however the potential damage has been limited by the common good fund potentially stepping in to manage at least one of the affected properties.

Thanks to those that attended Tuesday night’s Tweeddale Area Partnership. it was a really good meeting with great discussion throughout.
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Peebles Youth Voice
Iain Gibson from Peebles Youth Voice gave an update of the progress of the group in their efforts to provide further provision for young people in Peebles. They held a successful youth engagement event at TYA providing a space for youths to voice their opinions on what they would like and what they feel is missing for them in their town. This has led to Teen Nights at Costa Coffee as well as the potential for teen only film nights at the Eastgate Theatre. Also mentioned was a space that young people could call their own so the group are in discussions with SBC as well as counsellors to deliver this through a teen shelter located next to the Skate Park.

Climate Action Network
Gordie Campbell from the Climate Action Network gave an update on their work with communities across the borders in promoting climate change awareness. If you would like any further information you can contact him at [email protected].
The latest round of the Sustainable Development Fund is now open to applications from the Scottish Borders. The £250k fund is available to help communities to realise their ambitions for a low carbon future and is open to non-profit making organisations, community groups and charities across the Scottish Borders region. The closing date for applications in 12 noon on Thursday 15 June with the attached guidance and application form also available here.

Place Making Working Group
Crick Carleton gave an update on the progress of place making within the communities of Tweeddale. Some communities are at the very beginning of their journey through place making with others being slightly further along. It was encouraging to hear that smaller communities are coming together to support each other and share good practice. Should you wish to get involved in discussions around Place Making in your area please feel free to get in touch.

Funding
The following groups received funding;
St Ronan’s Silver Band - £1,800 – To support with staffing costs
St Ronan’s Wells Garden Volunteers - £3,771 – to assist with garden maintenance
Upper Tweed Community Enterprise Ltd - £6,577.06 – for help with their shop refurbishment
Walkerburn and District Community Council - £4,160 – for village hall rental
Nomad Beat - £3,841.20 – for salary costs and rent
Carlops Community Garden Group - £1,048 – for garden equipment
Linton Hotspur Community Football Club - £7,500 - for modular units.

Open Forum
Crick Carleton raised the idea of putting together a meeting through the area partnership for communities looking to create a development trust to assist in their efforts with local place making. It was agreed that a meeting with the Development Trust Association for communities across Tweeddale would be beneficial. Council officers will look into getting something set up for this.
We plan to have an Open Forum as an ongoing agenda item.

​My article in the latest edition of the Caddonfoot Parish Church & Community Newsletter. The magazine is a great vehicle for promoting the strong community spirit in Caddonfoot and the wider Clovenfords area.

Many activists who has campaigned for the SNP will have their favourite memories of meeting the First Minister as she worked tirelessly for our country. A hard act to follow but one that has inspired many. Wishing her well for the future.t.

​Impartiality is indeed a golden standard in broadcasting, and one that the BBC purports to aspire to although it’s handling of the Gary Lineker case has fallen well short. It is quite laudable to want party Political impartiality from presenters in the course of their duties, but to attempt to silence them from making personal statements on moral issues and matters of concern in society is a step too far. It is indeed a sad day when it appears acceptable for the state broadcaster to police comments by its employees on social media when no laws have been broken. Such corporate action is in itself highly biased when it excludes similarly balanced action against those who openly express opposing views that apparently align with the ruling party, as in the case of Fiona Bruce’s reported defence of Stanley Johnson’s alleged wife beating incident as “ a one off”. If the powers that be at the BBC want to silence opposition to the UK government’s inhumane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers they have certainly gone about it in a spectacularly disastrous way and have created a massive backlash highlighting their total lack of objective impartiality which has created a blemish on the very reputation that the BBC seeks to promote.
This is not a party political issue but one of social morality. Lineker was indeed correct to draw parallels with the 1930s because when good people remain silent we know what can happen.

​A couple of articles in this week’s edition of the Peeblesshire News concerning the flood prevention works on the River Tweed, and the decision by Innerleithen Community Council to apply for funding to celebrate the forthcoming Coronation.