BOWDEN VILLAGE COMMITTEE
Trustees of Bowden Common
Minutes of Meeting Held at Bowden Village Hall
27th November 2017
Present: Sarah Gant, Andrea Beavon, Euan Lockie, Margaret Macintosh, Maggie Magee, Cllr Edgar, Jonathan Key
1. Apologies: Jill Calvert, Cllr Thornton-Nicol
2 Minutes of the last meeting and Matters Arising
Minutes agreed as an accurate record with the following amendment requested by Malcolm Morrison:
“the Brunton Trust are open to receive, for consideration, a proposal to install speed signs at the East and West end entrances to the Village”
This amendment was agreed. Action: SG to write a proposal to Brunton Trust, Cllr Edgar to provide some technical information and costs for the various types of “smiley face” speed signs.
Carry forward
Action: AB to follow up with SBC and request a decision re support for dog bins in Bowden.
AB will meet Susan Gray, SBC Access Officer for a walk of the Common to identify any further work that needs to be done re core paths etc.
Trust Funds: Cllr Edgar confirmed that the requests from Bowden Village Committee had been granted in relation to the William Dick Mortification Trust, The Heron-Maxwell Trust and the Pringle Trust funds. Action: Cllr Edgar to ensure written confirmation is provided to the Committee, AB to follow up with Kirsty Robb, SBC.
SBC had confirmed they would assess the swings in the Playpark. Action: AB to follow up
JC and AB are working on the leaflet and the Facebook page, the Interpretation Panel quotes are being sought.
3. Report from Councillor
Cllr Edgar updated the meeting with regard to forthcoming budget announcements and the scale of the efficiencies that may be required.
The Committee raised with Cllr Edgar their concerns about parking at Tweedbank Station and the overcrowding on trains to and from Edinburgh. Committee were encouraged to write to the Minister for Transport.
The Committee were encouraged to consider the Localities Fund for any work required in the next few months, closing date 1st December, with the next round being in the Spring. Action: AB to obtain a copy of the Localities Bid form.
4. Report from Police Scotland
There was no Police Scotland Report at this meeting
5. Planning Applications
None
6. Financial Accounts as at 27/11/17
Copies of the accounts were available, original in Minute Book.
Scottish Power rent received
Petrol receipts required from grass cutting. Action: AB to obtain receipts
Committee agreed a donation of £200 to Borders College for the cutting of the Common this year, all agreed that they had made an excellent job, extending the cutting down to the Curling Pond.
Committee agreed to ask the Borders College to add in the Common as part of their annual plan for works, to ensure that it was planned and carried out at the right times etc.
7. Correspondence
Locality Fund FAQ’s circulated
Borders Forest Trust- confirmation of the grant award to plant trees on west edge of Straiton.
E mail- Brunton Trust requesting amendment to the Minute
8 Neighbourhoods
Nothing to note
9. Resilient Communities
Nothing to report, SG will talk to the resilience volunteers re an “exercise” in emergency planning/resilient response to an incident.
10. AOCB
Trusts and Bequests: see above under Matters Arising
Cllr Edgar confirmed that the salt bins around the village can be refilled by calling the number on the side of the bins.
The Committee agreed that there would be no replacement flagpole erected in the village
Register of Interest: JK and MM to be send the proforma for completion. Action: AB to send.
Trustees of Bowden Common
1 Financial Accounts as at 27/11/17
As above
2. Rights of Way
The draft “paths” map of the area around Bowden/Common has been drawn up, AB will accompany the Access Officer to confirm it reflects the paths/gates/stiles etc. This will provide a good basis for the Interpretation Panel.
MMc had surveyed the march fences around the Common, estimating 3800m of fencing in total, approx. £27,000 if it had to be replaced. This will help with planning for fence replacements and sourcing grant funding to do so. Action: SG to contact Faughill Farm to ascertain if there are any plans to re-fence around the Common to enable Committee to source funding.
3 Common/Curling Pond – general
Work party this month focussed raking up the mown grass cut by the College, however this proved too frozen so more strimming was undertaken on the rise of the Common, gorse removed and all strimmed grass removed.
Next workparty is 30th December – litter pick
Cutting dog roses/rosebay willowherb to be added to the Workparty schedule for anytime after February and before development of new growth. Action: AB to update
A volunteer has agreed to undertake the chainsaw training at the cost of approx. £500 which the Committee will cover. Safety equipment will also require being bought, and additional gloves/visors etc for the strimmers. Action: SG to e mail Craig Blackie re a Quality of Life Grant for this, Cllr Edgar endorses the application.
EL had proposed a variety of different ways to manage the grassland areas of the Common, including the use of the existing grass cutter. The Committee were in agreement that a bigger machine, new shed and larger pieces of equipment were not necessary if grazing and use of the students from Borders College to cut the Common was built into an annual management regime. Further clearing of sycamores/gorse will be enhanced by the use of a volunteer with a chainsaw licence. The Committee thanked EL for his extensive research on the range of options.
MM and AB asked that in future dead/decaying hawthorns are left and not chopped down, as they are an important aspect of the eco-system, there were a couple on the curling pond that had been limbed/chopped down, but did not require to be.
4 Projects –specific
Carried forward:
See above
5 Correspondence
Nothing to report
6 AOCB
Concerns raised by residents re the state of the Flattiegate path had been relayed to EL. The Committee agreed to monitor the situation, as a range of options were discussed, but there was no hard evidence of any option being the most effective. The situation will be monitored over the next few months.
Sarah Gant informed the Committee she would not be standing for re-election in 2018 and would be resigning as Chair of the Committee. The Committee thanked her for her time as Chair.
Next meeting: 29th January 2018, 730pm, Bowden Village Hall.