Who will bridge Borders funding gap?

EXCLUSIVE by OUR INVESTIGATIONS UNIT

The volume of European Union funding flooding into Scottish Borders agriculture increased by more than a third last year with three local farm businesses each receiving over half a million pounds in Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) subsidies.

An analysis of figures for each postcode area of the Borders plus Berwick-on-Tweed shows 1,159 recipients collected a total of £61,145,558 in EU cash. The corresponding statistics for 2016 were 1,143 and £45,720,832. The increases occurred in all 16 postcodes studied by Not Just Sheep & Rugby as you will see from the breakdown below. The overall rise works out at 33.7%.

The region has also fared well in the past from other EU funds including the Structure Fund and the Regional Development Fund. The crucial question is whether the current levels of subsidisation will be maintained post-Brexit. If not, the local economy seems certain to suffer.

CAP beneficiaries include Scottish Borders Council and the Ancrum-based Borders Forest Trust. In 2017 SBC were given £72, 310 following the previous year's award of £97,252. The bulk of the cash (£67,675 and all £97,252 respectively) was support for Leader, the agency which assists local businesses. This money is regarded as vital for the well-being of the Borders.

In the same two years Borders Forest Trust secured £55,053 (2017) and £79,997 (2016). In excess of £87,000 of that money was devoted to forestry development.

All of this follows the council's success in 2016 when the local authority secured £591,000 from Europe to enable 160 people to access 'employability' services each year. A further tranche of cash was made available from EU sources in 2017 to increase access to faster fibre broadband for Borders households and businesses.

Our figures on CAP payments, acquired from detailed analysis of the DEFRA (Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs) tables illustrate the positive value the payments have on sparsely populated districts like ours.

Here is our breakdown postcode by postcode - 2017 sum followed by 2016 totals in brackets:

TD1 (Galashiels) - £3.877 million to 53 recipients (£2.304 million to 49). Two largest payments in 2017 - L G Litchfield £525,287; Torwoodlee & Buckholm Estates £197,512.

TD2 (Lauder) - £2.445 million to 47 (£1.664 million to 46) 21. Firm of Sutherland £219,875; W H Sharp £171,661.

TD3 (Gordon) - £2.171 million to 21 (£1.671 million to 21). J & T F Macfarlane £523,748; G McDougal £402,819.

TD4 (Earlston) - £1.373 million to 23 (£1.067 million to 21). J W Fullerton £262,182; Fans Farming £198,136.

TD5 (Kelso) - £9.328 million to 162 (£7.249 million to 163). Floors Farming £597,346; Balgonie Estates £230,850.

TD6 (Melrose) - £2.626 million to 62 (£2.016 million to 64). Mertoun Estates £229,232; Riddell Farms £166,933.

TD7 (Selkirk) - £4.103 million to 82 (£2.858 million to 83). W N Douglas £173,468; T Renwick & Sons £152,176.

TD8 (Jedburgh) - £4.391 million to 85 (£3.153 million to 86). Firm of Nisbet Mill £231,034; R G Barbour £207,481.

TD 9 (Hawick) - £7.574 million to 168 (£5.204 million to 171). H & M Farms £314,313; R J, T J & M T Feakins £230,130.

TD 10 (Duns) - £1.798 million to 37 (£904,736 to 24). James Orr £145,428; John Mitchell £132,544.

TD11 (also Duns) - £8.585 million to 133 (£5.987 million to 126). McFarlane Farms £354,567; Harehead Farms £293,498.

TD12 (Coldstream) - £5.503 million to 92 (£4.373 million to 90). Pallinsburn Estates £230,267; Ladykirk Estates £180,679.

TD13 (Cockburnspath) - £1.480 million to 31 (£981,000 to 55). Duncan Shell £192,842; J P H Wight £114,827.

TD14 (Eyemouth) - £1.903 million to 53 (£1.725 million to 55). Eyemouth Freezers £149,238; R H & D H Allan £137,192.

TD 15 (Berwick) - £7.857 million to 163 (£6.902 million to 162). Penmar Farming £429,693; Joicey Partnership £320,274.

EH45 - (Peeblesshire) - £2.766 million to 49 (£1.515 million to 48). J P Campbell & Sons £436,200; Glenrath Farms £241,076.