We Asked, You Said, We Did

Residents/ Businesses on the 2023 route on impact of the Event and views on the overall impact on the Region.

597 responses. Overall Impact = Positive was 78%

Event Organisers decision not to hold event in 2024. Support 2025 closed road Tour O The Borders to take place.

We invited your comments on a draft Newstead Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan

A summary of the consultation responses is available in Appendix B of the Committee Report for Planning & Building Standards Committee (8th January 2024): https://scottishborders.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s79896/Item%20No.%2006%20b%20-%20Newstead%20CAAMP%20Adoption%20-%20Appendix%20B%20Consultation%20Response.pdf

Your comments have informed changes to the Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (CAA&MP).

The revised CAA&MP was adopted by Planning & Building Standards Committee on 8^th January 2024. The revised CAA&MP is available on the Council’s website: https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/directory_record/26006/newstead

The changes made in response to the consultation are set out in the Committee Report and Appendix B and C (Item 6): https://scottishborders.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&MId=6958&Ver=4

What are your priorities for the new Scottish Borders Community Plan?

Consultation results

We are finalisng the new Community Plan which will be published here shortly.

West Linton Village Centre Trust have applied, through Part 5 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, for a ten year lease of the Village Centre.

We asked what you thought of their proposal.

Nine people responded to us either using the online consultation form or by email.

A copy of the comments received is available on the SBC website.

West Linton Village Centre - public consultation comments

Your comments will be considered by the Asset Transfer Officer Group when deciding whether to agree or decline the request. The deadline for making this decision is 21 March 2023.

We asked for your comments on what we might be missing from the Council's Common Good register.

You gave us some useful information about the history of some of our local land and collections, some of which had not been considered by the Council before.

We took your comments and investigated those areas of land and pieces of art or collections to ascertain whether they should properly be categorised as Common Good. We then discussed those findings with each Common Good Fund Sub-Committee and prepared final registers for each town. Following Council approval, these registers will be published on the Council’s website where they can be viewed.

People living in the Berwickshire area to join a community led panel to undertake assessments on applications to SBC's Berwickshire Community Fund and make recommedations to Berwickshire Area Partnership for approval.

Interest was shown in the opportunity

Six people were appointed to the Panel. Berwickshire Area Partnership will be updated at the meeting at 6:30pm on 1 July 2021. This is a public meeting and will be held online.

We asked for your views on introducing a range of temporary measures across Peebles as part of a trial to promote more active travel, including walking and cycling, in the area.

This included introducing temporary advisory cycle lanes across certain areas of Peebles, installing a puffin crossing at Eastgate and altering the existing taxi ranks within the town centre.

602 people responded to our survey

• 261 (43%) would welcome a six-month trial of advisory cycle lanes on Kingsmeadows Road
• 307 (51%) would not welcome a six-month trial of advisory cycle lanes on Kingsmeadows Road
• 253 (42%) would welcome a six-month trial of advisory cycle lanes on Innerleithen Road
• 324 (54%) would not welcome a six-month trial of advisory cycle lanes on Innerleithen Road
• 191 (32%) would welcome a six-month trial of advisory cycle lanes on High Street and East Gate 
• 388 (64%) would not welcome a six-month trial of advisory cycle lanes on High Street and East Gate

• 307 (51%) think installing a puffin crossing over the A72 at the Eastgate is a good idea
• 223 (37%) think installing a puffin crossing over the A72 at the Eastgate is a bad idea

• 391 (65%) think removing the taxi ranks from The Park and The County and extending the one outside Trespass is a good idea
• 103 (17%) think removing the taxi ranks from The Park and The County and extending the one outside Trespass is a bad idea

• 156 (26%) said the installation of cycle lanes and puffin crossing change would change how they walk or cycle in Peebles
• 327 (54%) said the installation of cycle lanes and puffin crossing change would make no difference to their travel choices

After carefully considering the data, a 12 month trial of cycle lanes will take place starting from summer 2021, to fully determine demand for more active travel spaces in Peebles which have the potential to make the town a more walking and cycling friendly area.

After taking into consideration public responses to the survey, which indicated that there was clearly no demand for cycle lanes at Peebles Eastgate and High Street, these areas will not form part of the trial.

As part of the wider trial, taxi ranks outside The Park Hotel and The Crown will be removed and the existing rank at the Eastgate Theatre will be extended.

We asked for your views on the ongoing trial of a temporary reduced speed limit of 40mph for vehicles on the backroads between Peebles and Peel.

We wanted to know if the reduced speed limit helped encourage more walking and cycling on these backroads and if there was support for a more permanent change to the speed limit.

442 people responded to our survey

The survey showed that:

• 146 people (33%) were less likely to walk or cycle since the introduction of the trial 40mph on these roads
• 114 people (26%) were more likely to walk or cycle since the introduction of the trial 40mph on these roads
• 173 people (39%) would like to see the 40mph signs removed and the road revert back to national speed limit between Peebles and Innerleithen
• 231 (52%) would not like to see the 40mph signs removed and the road revert back to national speed limit between Peebles and Innerleithen
• 215 (49%) would like the lowered 40mph speed limit removed between Innerleithen and Walkerburn
• 199 (45%) would not like the lowered 40mph speed limit removed between Innerleithen and Walkerburn
• 232 (52%) would like the lowered 40mph speed limit removed between Walkerburn and Peel
• 187 (42%) would not like the lowered 40mph speed limit removed between Walkerburn and Peel

After carefully considering the data, which indicated that motorists would be in favour of a specific section of the road reverting back to 60mph, the stretch of road between Walkerburn (east) and the Craigmyle turn off will return to the national speed limit.

All other sections of the road will remain at 40mph and the trial will continue.

During 2020 we began consulting on the introduction of Alcohol Byelaws in the Borders through a paper, online and face to face consultation.

Many of you responded to us through the online and paper forms but we were unable to speak to you on a face to face basis due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This consultation has been paused and will be re-opened when it is safe to hold public meetings.

Thank you to everyone that has made comments. These will be kept and collated with all other feedback once the consultation has been completed. 

What time would best suit you for the Eilson Area Partnership meeting on 27 February to take place?

16 people responded - thank you.

The time that suits most people is tea and coffee from 5:30pm with the meeting starting at 6pm at Earlston Primary School.

Further information is available here on the Council's website.

We asked for your views on the Localities Bid Fund 2 grant process.

You resonded to our evaluation survey which ran from 27 November 2019 to the 12 January 2020.

We have analysed what you told us and presented the results to Councillors on 27 August 2020. Both reports are available below:

Review of Localities Bid Fund, Community Fund and Participatory Budgeting

Localities Bid Fund Round Two - Project Evaluation

We asked you for your views about the Area Partnerships following 18 months of operation. As part of this work we also wanted to know what you think about the new Community Fund.

You responded to our online survey and attended focus group across the Borders. You told us how you feel about the Area Partnerships and the Community Fund.

The Scottish Community Development Centre's report was presented to Councillors at the meeting of Scottish Borders Council on 25 June 2020 and discussed further on 27 August 2020. 

A Review of Local Area Partnerships and the Community Fund in the Scottish Borders

It was decided:

• to request that each Area Partnership establish, at its next meeting, a mechanism to review the findings of the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) Report on the Community Fund and make recommendations for further public consultation within each locality;
• to continue to ring fence grants made to Community Councils, Village Halls and Festival Grants within the Community Fund for 2020/21, with payments for Festival Grants only made to cover actual expenditure on public liability and insurance expenditure;
• to make the changes to the Community Fund highlighted in Section 6 of the report (below), and detailed in Appendix 3 (below) as amended above to remove reference to not being a like for like replacement for Council services which had been withdrawn due to efficiencies or Best Value concerns,to come into effect on 1 September 2020, with a review after one year of operation.

Review of Locality Bid Fund, Communuity Fund and Participatory Budgeting

Appendix 3: Community Fund 2020/2021

Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 the local authority is required to consult with the local community when it is planning to dispose of common good property. The proposed sale of common good land at South Common Farm, Selkirk is to accommodate a new Clear Water Tank. We asked you for your comments on this disposal.

I would like to understand how the sale of this land is in the interest of the people of Selkirk. What benefits are to be gained by the sale? Rather than a sale is a long-term rental possible, thereby giving a steady income to the community each year?

The sale of land will allow the stability of drinking water supplies within the Selkirk Catchment. Whilst a lease was considered by all parties over the expected life of the Water Tank (approx. 100 years) the preferred option was a sale as this allows Selkirk Common Good to realise a capital sum now.  Receiving a capital sum provides flexibility for Selkirk Common Good to look at different options for the sum received. One option could be to invest the capital sum and receive income over the long term which could be equivalent to a rental income. By disposing of the asset, it is possible to include terms which provide the option for the land to be purchased back from the purchaser at the end of its life.

The Household Survey asked about Council services, life in the Borders and your priorities for our area.

905 people completed the survey and, as well as telling us about how satisfied they are with services available to them, told us that they have a good quality of life (93%), their neighbourhood is a good place to live (95%) and that they feel safe walking alone in their local area during the day (97%).

The results of the report were discussed by the Council's Executive Committee on Tuesday 12 February 2019 and will be used to inform the future service direction.

For feedback on the proposed actions in the local British Sign Language (BSL) Plans (Scottish Borders Council, NHS Borders and Borders College).

The local BSL plans contibute to the National BSL Plan  which aims to make Scotland the best place in the world for (British Sign Language) BSL useres to live,learn, work and visit.

The actions proposed by the three local organisations (Scottish Borders Council, NHS Borders, Borders College) were right for the Scottish Borders.

Used the feedback to finalise the local BSL Plans.

The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 requires Licensing Boards to review their Licensing Policy Statement every five years. 

Scottish Borders Licensing Board asked for comments and suggestions it could consider for inclusion in its new Policy Statement for the period 2018 - 2023.

A total of 35 responses were received from people with an interest in alcohol licensing including the general public, licenceholders and local/national organisations.   

The Board considered all responses

The Board considered all responses received and at a meeting held on 26 October 2018 agreed the final version of its 2018 to 2023 Policy Statement. 

A link to the relevant report and Minute of the decision can be accessed here SBLB 26 October 2018

The Board is grateful to all those who took part in the consultation and the final version of the Policy Statement can be accessed here Policy Statement 2018 - 2023

This survey was available to groups that had applied to the Localities Bid Fund, as well as the wider Scottish Borders community, from 21st March to the 11th April 2018.

A total of 181 responses were received, of these 76 were from those who had submitted an application to the LBF while 105 were from those that hadn’t.

This evaluation report and recommendations for Round 2 of the Localities Bid Fund were presented to Scottish Borders Council for discussion on 28th June 2018.

Localities Bid Fund Round One - Project Evaluation