Borders Railway booming along its entire length

by LESTER CROSS

The five stations closest to the northern end of the Borders Railway experienced an even larger increase in passenger demand last year than their booming counterparts further south, figures based on ticket sales have shown.

As we reported yesterday, the stations at Gorebridge, Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank experienced an uplift in user numbers ranging from 19 to 32 per cent in 2023/24, according to recently published data from the national railway authorities.

But the statistics are even more striking when the latest usage totals for stations at Brunstane, Newcraighall, Shawfair, Eskbank and Newtongrange are set alongside the equivalent numbers in 2022/23.

Here is what the tables of data show:

Brunstane - 2023/24 162,702 (2022/23 109,944) increase 47.9%.

Newcraighall - 250,388 (177,804) increase 40.8%.

Shawfair - 64,520 (44,362) increase 45.4%.

Eskbank - 274,640 (202,734) increase 35.4%.

Newtongrange - 153,434 (114,918) increase 33.5%.

Supporters of the campaign to have the 30-mile rail route extended at least as far as Hawick in the short-term claim this set of figures should pile pressure on the UK Treasury to stump up £5 million as their half of a £10 million project to assess the feasibility of the proposed extension right through to Carlisle.

Local MSP Christine Grahame (SNP) whose constituency includes the four southernmost stations on the existing line has already indicated she will be writing to the UK Government urging them to match the Scottish Government's commitment to fund the study.

Meanwhile Marion Short, who chairs the Campaign For Borders Rail told us: "The stats certainly make for very interesting reading and are indicative that there is now an even stronger demand for train travel within the Borders.

"I would be hopeful that this encourages people to travel into the Scottish Borders for tourism purposes.  I will definitely be cascading this information to my many contacts politically, those in transport agencies, Borderlands Growth Deal Group as this overall increase from 22/23 has to have a significant impact on the decisions of both Governments relative to the release of the feasibility study funding".

She said the campaign members had been delighted to hear the announcement of a proposed new Center Parcs [700 lodges and assorted holiday facilities] development near Hawick and were hopeful that would strengthen the case to build the second phase of the railway from Tweedbank via Hawick and onwards to Carlisle.  

"The criteria publicised by the UK Government for any new project is that it would lead to economic growth and certainly this new development would enhance that criteria and correlate with the railway towards the regeneration of the whole Scottish Borders area", said Ms Short. "It is seen locally as a terrific boost."

Notwithstanding visitors attending the Center Parcs village, the provision of the railway would be most helpful for anyone working there, facilitating transport connectivity.  The process for determining the Center Parcs planning application would run ahead of the railway feasibility study, and the Transport Assessment which would form part of the planning application would have to outline the impact on existing road infrastructure. 

Massive rise in Borders rail passenger numbers

EXCLUSIVE by LESTER CROSS

Campaigners for an extension of the Borders Railway beyond the Tweedbank terminus will have welcomed newly published figures which show numbers of travellers increased by more than 30 per cent at some stations during 2023/24.

Following confirmation of the strong sets of data for stations in her constituency, Borders MSP Christine Grahame told us she would use the figures to put pressure on the UK Treasury to release cash for a long-awaited investigation into the case for reinstating the rest of the former Waverley route.

While nationally, Scotland enjoyed a 16% uplift in passenger journeys, local figures for stations on the southern section of the Borders line exceeded that impressive rise by a considerable margin.

Estimated passenger entries and exits by station, based on ticket sales, revealed the following statistics for four of the stations along the route:

Tweedbank - 399,460, a 32.4% increase on the 2022/23 figure of 301,528; Galashiels - 320,406, up by 19.2% on the previous year's total of 268,720; Stow - 75,818, 26.7% above the 2022/23 number of 59,806; and Gorebridge - 122,968, 32.9% more than the previous year's estimate of 92,486.

According to the publication which covers every railway station in the UK, some ticket sales and ticketless travel are not included, which may mean that usage at some stations is underestimated.

A £10 million feasibility study to see whether an extension of the railway through the Borders to Carlisle would be financially viable remains on hold after the UK Government 'paused' its commitment of £5 million following this year's General Election.

Christine Grahame, the SNP MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, told us: "These figures prove what myself and all those campaigners always knew, that the railway would be a success. 

“This demonstrates the potential for the Borders people and the Borders economy with an extension through to Carlisle.

“ The Scottish government remains committed to its £5 million contribution to that feasibility study for the extension, but the UK government has not committed to its £5 million contribution and as of September 2024 has put this “on hold”

Ms Grahame, who was at the forefront of efforts to have the Edinburgh-Tweedbank line rebuilt and brought back into service in 2015 added: “£5 million is a drop in a bucket in the UK finances and I am writing to the UK Treasury to request this small sum in the light of these figures, be reinstated so the first steps to the extension and growing the Borders economy, can begin."

The study forms part of the multi-million pounds Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. But Labour politicians have rubbished claims that the previous Tory administration had allocated funds for the study, and allege such claims were 'a work of fiction'.

Earlier this year, Scottish Borders Council agreed to proceed with the appointment of a senior project manager to oversee the various stages of the study. 

Councillors who approved the appointment were told the role will cover a three-year period at a cost of £220,000, funded 50/50 by the Scottish and UK Governments. The procurement of the Senior Project Manager would progress using the £110,000 available to draw down from Scottish Government until the full allocation was confirmed by the UK Government.

A report to council stated: "It is expected that the next step following the appointment of the Senior Project Manager will be the establishment of a dedicated Project Support Team, cash flowed upfront by the Council and the costs fully recovered from the £10m funding provided by UK and Scottish Governments via the Borderlands Deal."

The Campaign for Borders Rail, which backs efforts for a better service on the existing Borders Railway as well as pushing for the extension to Carlisle was approached for comment on the new passenger figures.

Meanwhile, there was an equally healthy increase in usage of the recently reopened Reston station on the east coast main line in Berwickshire. Numbers there rose from 13,190 in 2022/23 to 21,130 last year, an increase of more than 60%. 

Revised Teviot wind farm remains "unacceptable"

by EWAN LAMB

The scaled-down proposals for a giant wind farm in Teviotdale with the number of turbines cut from 62 to 53 would still have a detrimental impact on the area's conical-shaped hills and steep-sided valleys, according to a landscape expert who also condemned the original plan.

Scottish Borders Council is expected to finally reach a decision on Muirhall Energy's Teviot Wind Farm scheme south of Hawick in early 2025 after being granted several extensions by the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit.

A key element in the decision-making process will be the opinion provided by Siobhan McDermott, the council's landscape architect. 

In a report last year, Ms McDermott wrote: "Although there are no designated landscapes within the site, I suggest that the landscape of this area has a high local value arising from its perception of remoteness and relatively wild character, and an increased sensitivity due to the important routes in close proximity.

"The number and spread of turbines is threatening to turn this area into a wind farm landscape, with a consequence change of the landscape character from Uplands with Wind Turbines/No wind turbines to a Wind Turbine landscape. This increase in windfarms to the extent that it would become a windfarm landscape is, in my professional opinion a significant cumulative landscape effect.   The visualisations from many of the viewpoints (VPs) demonstrates how prominent and character changing a wind farm of this scale would be."

Her revised report, now published on the council's website shows Ms McDermott has not altered her views. She recommends that the council should object to the scheme.

The new report concludes: "I do not support a windfarm of this scale and with such large turbines on a group of hills that, in my opinion cannot accommodate them without unacceptable negative landscape and visual effects."

Ms McDermott explains that although her comment concentrates on the turbines and their landscape and visual effects, it is acknowledged that the dropping of the draft solar array proposal will have a positive landscape and visual impact on the immediate area where it was proposed. 

But she says the revised scheme does not markedly reduce the visibility of the array when seen from the selected viewpoints – there is no additional topographical containment achieved with the amended scheme. 

"The ZTV [Zones of Theoretical Visibility] mapping and visualisations provide a useful demonstration of just how little screening there is from surrounding areas, and this lack of containment coupled with the horizontal spread of turbines makes it highly visible and highly prominent in the landscape."

According to Ms McDermott, the complex topography of the site, seen by the juxtaposition of hills and ridges with an extensive network of watercourses in deep and steep-sided valleys suggests  that a wind farm of this scale cannot be accommodated without unacceptable effects on the landscape, both fabric and character. 

"These effects will especially diminish the character of the cone shaped hills such as Skelfhill Pen, Penchrise Pen and to a lesser extent, Maiden Paps, by virtue of surrounding or engulfing them with turbines.   While the remoteness, wild character and grandeur of scale currently remain the underlying character of the receiving landscape, these have already been modified by scattered forests. The addition of 53 very large turbines will further reduce or eliminate these characteristics".

The reduction in the number of turbines from 62 to 53 has not, in her professional opinion, mitigated the effects on the landscape. 

The turbines will affect a significant change to the perception of the landscape over a wide area,  with the spread of large turbines along the ridges, often engulfing the more characterful discrete hills, diminishing the character of the natural assemblage and from several viewpoints appearing to step down into the smaller scale upland fringes and valleys that separate the ridges and tops. 

"Even with a reduction of the number of turbines, the proposal remains very prominent and character changing in the landscape. 

"The revised visualisations demonstrate that despite the removal of nine turbines, with a very slight reduction in the horizontal extent of the view occupied by turbines, the proposed wind farm remains very prominent along the skyline from the majority of the representative viewpoints. Nor do I think there has been a significant reduction in the magnitude of change."

Despite the reduction of the number of turbines from 62 to 53, there has not been a notable reduction in significant effects on sensitive receptors both near and further afield, adds Ms McDermott.

"The array remains prominent in many views and dominates the hills onto which it is being located and in the worst examples diminishes what are widely seen as feature hills within the hill group. From Rubers Law, almost 15 km from the array, the discrete hills seen in the middle ground are dominated and diminished by the turbines that occupy a very wide horizontal extent of the view, with one turbine appearing to be sticking out of Skelfhill Pen."

'Insolvent' Jedburgh pool had smallest deficit in Borders

EXCLUSIVE by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

The financial losses suffered by six swimming facilities managed by the Live Borders trust are considerably larger than the deficits which helped councillors to pull the plug on Jedburgh's Laidlaw Memorial Pool (LMP) and force its closure.

Figures from a reliable source passed on to Not Just Sheep & Rugby reveal that the Live Borders centres with pools in Eyemouth, Kelso, Galashiels, Selkirk, Hawick and Peebles had a combined shortfall of £1.319 million in 2023/24, a 25% increase in their operating deficit of £1.059 million during the previous financial year.

Hawick's Teviotdale Leisure Centre lost £547,434 last year while the smallest deficit of the six Live Borders facilities was the £69,004 racked up by Galashiels Swimming Pool.

Meanwhile, draft accounts for Jedburgh Leisure Facilities Trust [JLFT] which now faces liquidation show the LMP registered a 2023/24 loss of £30,517.

Members of Scottish Borders Council last month voted by 26 votes to four to reject a request from JLFT for an additional £80,000 to keep the Jedburgh pool open until the end of the current financial year. Both trusts have already had to be bailed out after running into financial difficulties

It is not clear whether the councillors had the figures for the Live Borders pools in front of them when they took their decision. Now, Jedburgh is left without swimming facilities with its pool mothballed pending a review of all Borders pools which could result in all of the centres being taken back under local authority control.

The council was told the Jedburgh trust currently had around £20,000 available in the bank and an immediate wages bill of £20,000 due on December 1st. In addition, the trust had current debts of £55,000. Without immediate financial support, JLFT would cease to trade. 

"The trust is no longer in a position where it is financially viable without the sourcing of further additional funding.", according to a report by council director of finance Suzy Douglas. "The Council has already provided substantial financial support in the form of Capital and Revenue grants."

A governance review had highlighted areas of weakness within JLFT’s governance which contributed to JLFT’s financial position. 

Our source has compiled their own version of events which led to the devastating decision to close the pool, at least temporarily.

They explained that LMP initially received a management fee of £137,000 from the council to be increased annually by inflation. But, in fact, the figure has gone down, not up, over the years to £115,000. The trust had saved SBC about £200,000 a year when it took over the running of the pool in Jedburgh.

We were told: "It’s been going well in the intervening 21years, increasing the number of users by 300 per cent and investing about £750,000 over the years to improve the facility through external grant applications from various sources such as EU Leader.

“It managed to survive COVID though many pools throughout the country didn’t.  It did receive a one-off grant of £127,000 from SBC for energy saving measures, used mainly to replace the 40-year-old inefficient and unreliable gas boilers."

But it is claimed the trust's ability to continue was jeopardised two years ago when energy costs increased by £60,000 a year, although it managed to cope until earlier this year.

 JLFT told SBC in August it was close to insolvency and a paper was prepared for councillors to consider.

According to our source: "The pool received the quarterly management fee in advance and £40,000 from SBC’s reserve. The conditions were that South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) would advise Trustees on improving their finances and governance, and that JLFT should do Debt Consolidation.

"JLFT found out a few days before the November Council meeting that SOSE had proposed reducing opening hours to just one shift of  seven hours a day opening and a grant of £80,000. That had previously been discussed as a possibility of reduced hours, among other possibilities, but it was obvious Council would never agree to that proposal”.

The opinions of the LMP users, many of them from outwith Jedburgh, was that ”it’s the best pool in the Borders and any suggestion that it was badly managed doesn’t fit the facts and is meant to divert attention from Live Borders record." 

These are the financial figures we were given:

2022/23

Eyemouth Leisure Centre: income 242,089; costs £436,589; deficit £194,500.  

Kelso Swimming Pool: income £260,432; costs £390,265; deficit £129,833.

Galashiels Swimming Pool: income £341,502; costs £453,513; deficit £112,012.

Selkirk Leisure Centre: income £127,986; costs £266,294; deficit £138,310.

Teviotdale Leisure Centre: income £617,517; costs £940,856; deficit £323,339.

Peebles Swimming Pool: income £84,198; costs £245,589; deficit £161,392.

Jedburgh LMP: income £432,696; costs £489,243; deficit £54,547.

2023/24

Eyemouth Leisure Centre: income £177,483; costs £442,689; deficit £265,206.

Kelso Swimming Pool: income £296,807; costs £449,373; deficit £152,566.

Galashiels Swimming Pool: income £402,765; costs £471,769; deficit £69,004.

Selkirk Leisure Centre: income £166,804; costs £258,640; deficit £91,836.

Teviotdale Leisure Centre: income £575,415; costs £1,122,849; deficit £547,434.

Peebles Swimming Pool: income £195,716; costs £389,661; deficit £193,945.

Jedburgh LMP: income £459,392; costs £489,909; deficit £30,517.

Warnings over Borders incinerator fiasco ignored by Aviva?

by LESTER CROSS

Our coverage of Scottish Borders Council's disastrous dalliance with the waste incineration industry, resulting in the loss of at least £2.4 million of public money, apparently failed to impress bosses at the Aviva whose investor clients (UK pension funds in this case)  have had their fingers burned to the tune of around £350 million in similar circumstances, according to reports.

It has emerged that an Aviva shareholder, the late Barry Robinson, from Hull, warned the Aviva’s then Group chief executive Mark Wilson seven years ago of the dangers of putting cash into untried and untested technology being used in multi-million-pound gasification projects aimed at turning waste into electricity.

But despite Mr Robinson's intervention, and criticisms from other Aviva stakeholders, management of the investment giant continued to pour huge wads of their investors’ cash into so-called biomass plants in Hull, Boston in Lincolnshire, and Barry, South Wales.

Loans totalling £480 million were ploughed into the three sites by Aviva between 2015 and 2023.

However, just like the ill-fated £23 million waste incinerator planned for Easter Langlee on the outskirts of Galashiels, "the technology posed significant challenges that would require more investment to solve".

Our investigations into the Borders scheme which councillors were forced to abandon in 2015, revealed that the system being flogged to the local authority by insolvent outfit New Earth Solutions Group [NESG] was basically useless. And NESG's supposed offshore financial backers - Premier Group (Isle of Man) - could not come up with the money for the Galashiels incinerator.

Most of our information was gleaned via Freedom of Information requests to the council, several of which were rejected on 'commercial confidentiality' grounds. However, on several occasions the Borders authority was ordered to release the paperwork it wished to hide by the Scottish Information Commissioner.

A series of Not Just Sheep & Rugby articles published in August 2017 was used by Mr Robinson to back up his claims in his letter of September 2017 to Mr Wilson.

He wrote: "I understand that Aviva is investing heavily in UK infrastructure. Whilst this would seem sensible policy, I am perturbed by the enthusiasm for, (alleged), production of renewable energy by gasification of waste. I have been unable to find any evidence showing that gasification of waste to produce renewable energy works on an economically viable scale. Any 'evidence' supporting the validity of the technology seems to be dependent on small-scale experiments, the results of which are hyped-up so often that they appear to be evidence".

Mr Robinson claimed that many developers in this field seemed to have "an amoral disregard" for facts. They seemed prone to assuring investors that everything was going to plan, right up to the car-crash.

That was certainly true in Easter Langlee's case, with meaningless assurances from NESG repeatedly swallowed by those promoting the project.

According to Mr Robinson: "Jed Forrester, in his online blog, 'Not Just Sheep and Rugby' (entries for 20-27 Aug 2017), claims to have exposed a classic case of this in which Scottish residents will have to foot a £2.4 million bill for incompetence at all levels regarding a gasification plant at Easter Langlee. (I enclose copy)".

And he concluded: "Please reply. I will be grateful if you will supply me with a clear written assurance that Aviva has investigated my complaint and agrees or disagrees with the comments I have made."

The cash for Aviva's 'calamitous' involvement in incinerators - dubbed by critics as the dirtiest form of power generation - has been channelled through an Aviva Unit Trust based offshore in Jersey which then loaned the funds to another Aviva subsidiary, based in the UK, called Aviva Investors Infrastructure Income No.3 Ltd.

As of December 2023, that company had total shareholders' deficits of £424 million, up from £313 million in 2022. Last year's operating loss of £111.4 million compared to a £92.6 million loss the previous year.

Yet the annual report stated: "The objective of the company is to achieve investment returns from investments in biomass projects".

The Guardian newspaper reported that Aviva now planned to put the three incineration plants into administration in an apparent bid to cut its substantial losses. 

The newspaper claimed the plants in Hull and Boston had generated far less electricity than planned, while the plant in Barry had been mothballed due to a planning row with the Welsh government.

Shlomo Dowen, national co-ordinator at the UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN) was a friend and colleague of Mr Robinson as well as a fierce critic of the Easter Langlee failed scheme.

He said incineration was “harming recycling and exacerbating climate change”.

“Additionally, at a time when all efforts should be made to improve air quality, incinerators are harming the air that we breathe. And that is just one example of why incinerators are experienced as bad neighbours.”

Anyone thinking of following SBC and Aviva down the waste incineration route would do well to read the newly published 'Considerations for Potential Investors in UK EfW Projects' produced by UKWIN.

The document points out that the UK Energy from Waste (EfW) incineration sector is encountering a range of new and growing challenges that could significantly influence profitability, and this warrants careful consideration by potential investors in existing and new projects.

It adds: "At a time when the range of risks is increasing, the sector’s traditional model of mitigating risks, such as feedstock availability and regulatory changes, through long-term public sector waste contracts is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain."

The authors explore key risks that support the conclusion that investors should consider investing higher in the waste hierarchy rather than in new UK EfW capacity.

The full report can be accessed here:

https://ukwin.org.uk/Considerations-for-EfW-Investors.pdf

Project's potential haul of undiscovered Borders history

by LESTER CROSS

Dozens of previously unscheduled ancient monuments ranging from Bronze and Iron Age features to abandoned medieval settlements are thought to have been identified along the Tweed Valley in the first phase of a three-year archaeological project which is already exciting historians as well as Borderers involved in the research.

The results from an extensive study of LiDAR images - a sophisticated form of laser scanning - of an area stretching from Moffat across the Borders to Berwick come with the caveat that lots of on-the-ground work will be needed before conclusions can be reached.

But those participating in the £300,000 Uncovering The Tweed project, part of the ambitious Destination Tweed initiative, have been surprised that up to 200 new monuments may have lain hidden for centuries.

The first indications from the LiDAR detections were cautiously presented by Graeme Cavers, a director of AOC Archaeology, the specialists leading Uncovering the Tweed in an online review session.

Mr Cavers told his audience, including a number of those who made discoveries: "It is remarkable there is still so much out there".

The team's territory extends to two kilometres on each side of the river along its 90-mile route from source to mouth, and aims to provide a detailed archaeological record for future generations.

Some of the sites plotted on the project map are completely new and therefore unscheduled while others are believed to be additional features of registered monuments. The majority of the finds are in the upper reaches where the ground has been less disturbed by intensive ploughing.

Mr Cavers highlighted a number of the sites where additional research is likely to be needed to prove their authenticity.

He mentioned a Bronze Age terraced platform settlement, and said the project had possibly come up with up to ten new Iron Age forts and other monuments, adding to the 100 or so already identified in the region. Some of these new sites appeared to show evidence of timber roundhouses.

In one case, a substantial Iron Age settlement seemed to have gone undetected, even when a modern cable trench had been dug through it some years ago. Cairns, sheep stells [shelters] rig and furrow cultivation and enclosures also featured in Mr Cavers' presentation.

Moving forward in time, the LiDAR scans had also picked out a square feature close to Horncliffe village, near Berwick, possibly the site of a medieval village or a Roman camp overlooking the Tweed. 

In the same area, there are plans for an archaeological excavation next year at the location of a medieval hospital at Horndean.

And a few miles away at Ladykirk/Upsettlington the scanners are also thought to have landed on the remains of a village dating from the Middle Ages.

Finally, a site described by Mr Cavers as "the star of the show". At a location at Yair, not far from Galashiels, lies a feature measuring 30 metres by 23 metres close to the river bank which could turn out to be an abandoned 13th or 14th Century settlement 'of high standing'.

But this site, like all the others, will require co-operation from local landowners if it is to benefit from further expert research. 

Uncovering the Tweed Project Officer, Charlotte Douglas, told us: “We’re in the very early stages of the project but are extremely excited at the prospect of new discoveries and, subject to landowner permission, hope to follow up some of the LiDAR research conducted to date with a number of on-the-ground surveys in early 2025. 

"Uncovering the Tweed is a community-based archaeology programme, so we’ve been particularly pleased at the enthusiastic response from the general public who are obviously keen to play an active part in finding out more about the history of the Tweed and its communities.  We’re greatly looking forward to seeing what the next stage of the project will reveal.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the programme or wanting to get involved can access information at:

 https://destinationtweed.org/project/uncovering-the-tweed/

Borders Council's record £60 million borrowing spree

by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

Scottish Borders Council smashed all of its previous monthly borrowing records in November when it asked the Treasury Debt Management Office for advances totalling £60 million, bringing the authority's debts for the calendar year to an eye-watering £136 million.

Figures published today by the Public Works Loan Board [PWLB] reveal that the Borders local authority took the cash in three separate "instalments" of £20 million on November 18th, November 26th and November 27th. The loans will add hundreds of thousands of pounds to the considerable sum in interest payments already being met from council funds via taxpayers.

The November 18th agreement came with a 5.17% interest rate with a maturity date for that loan given as May 21st 2026.

The £20 million borrowed eight days later on November 26th carries an interest rate of 5.08%, and a maturity date of November 26th 2029.

Then, the following day (November 27th) the third £20 million advance of the month was transacted, again at 5.08% and with maturity due on November 27th 2029.

As previously reported, cash from the growing portfolio of loans held by the council will be used to partly bankroll the authority's £454 million of capital investment which is planned over the next ten years. The various PWLB advances handed to SBC in the first ten months of 2024 totalled £76 million.

A report from John Boyd, the auditor appointed by the public spending watchdog to inspect SBC's books, noted: "The extensive capital plan is primarily focused on economic regeneration and the learning estate. £187 million is on the school estate including the new high schools for Galashiels, Peebles and Hawick estimated at £145 million, with the majority of this invested over the next three financial years."

That report concluded that SBC's total external debt, which includes the council’s long-term liabilities, is within the authorised limit and operational boundary set in the Treasury Management Strategy 2023/24. The current borrowing position complies with the Prudential Code, and the Council continues to consider the affordability of future borrowing.

It has been estimated that SBC will borrow £170 million over the coming three years.

Only last week, a new report produced by the Controller of Audit to Scotland's Accounts Commission claimed SBC has consistently laid out a clear vision and strategic priorities that respond to its geographic and demographic challenges. 

"The Commission is impressed by the council’s strong approach to financial management and recognises its financial strategy risk register as an area of good practice that should be shared. There is a strong track record of delivering planned savings, a significant proportion of which are recurring. Going forward, recognising the financial challenges faced, the focus should be on making savings on a recurring basis."

The report noted there had been a significant increase in the level of General Fund reserves held by the council. They increased from £49.6 million in 2022/23 to £60.1 million in 2023/24, a net increase of £10.5 million, predominately from service concession arrangements.

The council recognised the revenue implications of borrowing and ensured borrowing was in line with prudential indicators detailed in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities 2021. 

According to the Controller of Audit: "In 2023/24, the council noted the higher interest rates in the UK and sought advice from its treasury management specialists. As a result, the council undertook short-term borrowing and used existing cash balances for capital investment. The council has reported that they were able to maintain service performance levels with some improvements in education indicators and recycling. 

"Challenges exist in indicators relating to looked after children and complaints handling and completing freedom of information (FOI) requests within the statutory deadline which have both declined in year. The council is making changes to its FOI process to address the statutory deadlines not being met, and there is a focus for improvement for looked after children being progressed via the Children and Young People Planning Partnership."

Complaints upheld against Borders medical practice

by OUR HEALTH CORRESPONDENT

A medical practice in the Scottish Borders has received a severe ticking off from the public services watchdog following complaints and allegations concerning its appointment arrangements, its phone lines and its frontline staff.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman [SPSO] has not named the health centre concerned in a report setting out its decision following an investigation.

But staff at the practice have been ordered to apologise to the anonymous complainer - known only as C -  for failing to respond to him or her reasonably after the Ombudsman criticised the tone and language used in the response.

According to the SPSO report: "C had made a complaint to the practice about communication and the service provided by them, particularly in relation to their appointment services, phone lines, and frontline staff. C was concerned by the content and tone of the practice’s complaint response."

The watchdog's team found that the practice’s handling of C’s complaint was unreasonable, including the tone and language of their response and a failure to signpost the complainer to the SPSO. 

"We considered some of the language used in their response came across as overly defensive and failed to maintain an appropriately conciliatory tone. The practice also failed to have an appropriate two-stage complaint procedure in place that follows the NHS Scotland Model Complaints Handling Procedure, as they were unaware this applied to them."

In upholding the criticisms outlined in the case, the SPSO has recommended the following actions by the practice:

"Apologise to C for failing to respond to the complaint reasonably. The apology should meet the standards set out in the SPSO guidelines on apology.

"In relation to complaints handling, we recommended: Complaint responses should acknowledge the complainant’s experience and, in presenting the facts, should use appropriate conciliatory language and tone with the intention of maintaining positive relationships wherever possible.

"The practice should have a complaint procedure that is in line with the NHS Scotland Model Complaints Handling Procedure."

The SPSO has also asked the organisation to provide evidence that they have implemented the recommendations made in this case by the deadline set.

A health service observer commented: "It's a pity the Ombudsman cannot or chooses not to name the medical practice concerned. The report suggests its patients are not receiving a very good service, and there is much room for improvement.

"Hopefully the investigation's findings will act as a wake up call for the minority of frontline staff at health centres who do not treat patients with respect and courtesy. These staff members play a vital role in ensuring service users have a positive experience. The vast majority of them are already doing a great job".

£190 million IT contractors still to deliver promised 200 jobs

by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

Councillors in the Scottish Borders have been told in a report that CGI, the IT company awarded a £190 million contract by the local authority without competition has only delivered a fraction of the 200 highly skilled jobs promised when the deal was signed eight years ago.

The original outsourcing IT contract, worth £92 million and set to last for 13 years, was signed off by Scottish Borders Council and CGI in 2016. An upbeat statement declared the 200 jobs would be created by 2019 in a locally based delivery centre. The partnership was set to generate a potential gross value added of £107 million, it was claimed.

However, three years into the arrangement, only 71 staff were on the CGI payroll, more than forty of them previous employees of the council transferred under TUPE terms (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment).

Then, in October 2020, SBC announced the contract with their IT providers was being extended until 2040, adding £99 million to the deal's value,

According to a report prepared for the council's External Services/Providers Monitoring Group by Director of Finance Suzy Douglas: "CGI currently employ 65 members in the Borders region and have between 80 and 96 members working on Borders activity."

The figure means fewer staff are employed locally by CGI than the 71 on the payroll five years ago.

Ms Douglas's report, to be considered at a meeting of the monitoring group next week, adds that the numbers in the document "can be compared against the 169 projected target for 30/09/24 and the 209 aspirational target for the same period. 

"Two new graduates have commenced from the region, a further list of candidates have been aligned to open roles and further roles have been actively recruited. The next recruitment event in Tweedbank is now being planned. CGI intend holding these events twice per year in conjunction with the continuous drive to increased headcount from within the Borders region."

A critic of the £191 million deal commented: "It is outrageous that even counting CGI employees 'working on Borders activity' who are by implication - not located here - they don’t get to the 200 jobs talked up in 2016.  The important issue was skilled jobs in the Borders…that was one of the reasons behind CGI getting prestige new office premises right at the Tweedbank railway station. It feels as though the Borders has been 'had'”.

Outsourcing work has certainly been lucrative for CGI IT UK, according to the Canadian-controlled British subsidiary's accounts. Revenue from outsourcing services is quoted at £512.798 million in 2023 (up from £388.479 million in 2022).

Profit before tax of £280.406 million last year was well above the 2022 figure of £162.037 million. This allowed the firm to pay dividends of £229.695 million.

CGI IT UK employs a total workforce of 5,730 in this country.

We asked the company: "Can CGI offer a comment on the figures, and explain why the promised 200 Borders-based jobs have never materialised?"

In reply, a spokesman told us: "We do not comment on our commercial arrangements with clients".  

A-listed bridges not in great shape

by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

A second nationally important road bridge at an iconic Borders location is in urgent need of restoration with an initial phase of masonry repairs likely to cost the local council around £100,000.

Concerns over the current condition of Old Drygrange Bridge, which spans the Tweed near Melrose follow the closure several years ago of another A-listed structure, the Kalemouth suspension bridge over the River Teviot between Jedburgh and Kelso.

An extensive project to replace the deficient timbers on the Kalemouth bridge is estimated at £1.1 million. The work will not commence until Scottish Borders Council learns whether its applications for grant aid have been successful.

The Drygrange structure is currently the subject of a planning application by the council for listed building consent to restore some of the stonework.

According to a report prepared by council bridges staff: "Drygrange Old Bridge carried the A68 trunk road traffic until 1974 when it was bypassed by a prefabricated box-girder bridge by Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners. A short distance upstream stands the towering, 126ft high Leaderfoot Railway Viaduct of 1865. Together, these three intervisible bridges reflect changing approaches to bridge engineering over a two century period. Old Drygrange Bridge is sometimes referred to as the ‘Fly Boat’ bridge in reference to an earlier ferry crossing at Leaderfoot."

Alexander Stevens, the designer of the Drygrange bridge, saw his plans completed in 1778.

According to the listing: " Elegantly proportioned, the crown of its broad central arch is less than 3ft thick. Longitudinal cavities within each spandrel are designed to reduce the weight of the structure.  The use of prow-like cutwaters was also very new to Britain in 1780 and this is one of the first examples. 

"The recessed roundels within the spandrels with carved urn ornaments provide additional character. The dentilled string course marks the level of the original roadway which was raised toward the ends at a later date to make the carriageway more level. The bridge remains an outstanding example of late 18th century bridge engineering."

However, recent inspection reports on the condition of the masonry show it in a less than outstanding light.

One of the papers in support of the planning application states: "The bridge stonework is in a deteriorating condition.  There are separation cracks to the arch barrels behind the voussoirs, water ingress in areas, damaged / cracked voussoirs, cracked / loose / delaminated stonework to the spandrels, loss of rendering, vegetation growing from the spandrels and areas of weathered stone, particularly in areas where cement pointing is evident. 

"The curved section of the south-west corner of the bridge where the bridge widens is in particularly poor condition with the stonework being heavily cracked, fractured, loose and voided and is now in need of intervention from a safety perspective and to prevent the current defects manifesting into a more considerable issue."

A council spokesman told us: " The current scheme will see a small area of stonework on the south-west corner of the bridge repaired.  This isolated area of stone repair will be funded by SBC and the associated costs are, as yet, unknown but likely to be circa £100k."

As previously reported here, the local community in the vicinity of Kalemouth Bridge, the creation of naval captain Sir Samuel Brown in 1830, has been concerned over the state of the 180-ft. long structure for some time. It was closed to road traffic in August 2020, and remains shut to this day.

When asked about the latest situation regarding Kalemouth, the council said: "SBC continues to progress plans for the timber deck replacement of Kalemouth Suspension Bridge.  Applications are being made for external funding from Historic Environment Scotland and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help with the total estimated £1.1M costs for this project, however, the success of these applications will not be known for some time."   

Borders archaeological projects to feature at conference

by LESTER CROSS

The discovery of a pre-historic settlement on the site of a Roxburghshire distillery development, and the use of heritage at Jedburgh Abbey to benefit people with dementia are just two of the projects for discussion at this weekend's Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders annual archaeology conference.. 

Experts and enthusiasts will gather in Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh on Saturday to hear accounts of archaeological fieldwork and research being carried out across the region.

A total of four projects in the Scottish Borders region are included on the conference programme.

An update on multi-period archaeology uncovered at the Mossburn Distillery site, south of Jedburgh, will be provided by David Sneddon, of Clyde Archaeology.

According to an abstract of Mr Sneddon's talk which is available on the conference website pages, during 2024 archaeological excavations were undertaken in advance of a new distillery being constructed on the site of the former Jedforest Hotel. 

"Initial trial trenching identified six areas where archaeological remains were present that represent both prehistoric and more recent activity. Although construction is still in progress and no post-excavation analysis has yet been undertaken, the presentation will provide a short summary of the findings so far focussing on two of the most significant areas of archaeology uncovered. 

"These include prehistoric burial located on the raised edge of the Jed Water where evidence of enclosed space, cairns covering possible burial pits, a cist and a later stone lined structure were all found in close proximity to each other. Both the cairns and cist appear to have been modified after their initial use and questions remain over whether this represents organised reuse of the features or robbing. On the lower lying flat ground closer to the river several features were also excavated that indicate late prehistoric or early medieval metal working was taking place on the edge of a formerly wet and boggy area, likely away from the main settlement."

Fiona Davidson, from Historic Environment Scotland, will outline the connections that have been forged between Jedburgh Abbey's globally known remains, Alzheimer Scotland and a group of individuals with dementia. 

The abstract for this topic explains: "Opportunities to explore history and culture have been found to offer a range of benefits to people with dementia, including social engagement, cognitive stimulation and improving general feelings of well-being. 

"The At Home @ Jedburgh Abbey project, delivered by the Learning & Inclusion Team at Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, used local heritage to support people impacted by a dementia diagnosis. Using archival and archaeological material, participants compared the abbey as a home with their own home, sharing stories and making links, while also finding out about the history of the site, and feeling more comfortable accessing and being on a historic site.

"This talk will look at how heritage can support health and wellbeing and how a dementia diagnosis doesn’t prevent people from exploring new interests and learning opportunities."

A third talk is entitled Phrenological Fortunes - The Halter Burn Story, a collaborative project on both sides of the England-Scotland border featuring Dugald MacInnes, of Archaeology for All and the Border Archaeology Society (BAS).

"The present survey of the Halter Valley undertaken by ACFA and BAS has its origins in the Cross-Border Archaeology Project, a BAS initiative that was supported by Scottish Borders Council and Northumberland National Park Authority with additional support being provided by Yetholm History Society, and Hawick Archaeological Society." 

The work undertaken by the project included field walking and excavation, the latter on Shotton Hill and a putative location for St Ethelreda’s chapel.

"The ACFA/BAS survey, undertaken from 2017 to 2024, employed tape-offset recording of the archaeological features in the valley, the results of which are presented here. The recorded features range in date from the Bronze and Iron Ages, unenclosed platforms and scooped settlements respectively, through the medieval in the form of agricultural-based settlement to post-medieval agricultural activities."

Also on Saturday's agenda will be 'Ancrum Old Bridge: Cutting Edge Science reveals precise date' featuring Coralie Mills, of Dendrochronicle and Geoff Parkhouse, from Ancrum & District Heritage Society.

As the abstract for this theme explains, in 2018, members of the Ancrum village society discovered the remains of a medieval bridge in the bed of the River Teviot.

"Remarkably, oak timbers survived well within the remains. The discovery happily coincided with the South East Scotland Oak Dendrochronology (SESOD) research project and the first set of dendro-samples were taken in 2019, supplemented by additional samples taken by Wessex Archaeology Coastal & Marine when surveying the bridge remains for HES in 2020."

But the timbers proved difficult to date through conventional analysis, so they were radiocarbon-dated . Those dating results were previously shared at the 2022 archaeological conference. 

"Radiocarbon-dating produces a probabilistic date range and, in our quest for more precise dating, Professor Neil Loader of Swansea University kindly offered to apply the relatively new dendro-isotope dating method, the first such application to a heritage site in Scotland. This has provided a (somewhat unexpected) precise felling date for the bridge timbers, in turn allowing a more focussed exploration of the bridge’s historical context. 

"In this update, we will announce the exciting new dating results as well as sharing some other news about Ancrum Old Bridge".

Those attending the conference are being encouraged to visit the Ancrum and District Heritage Society stall, which will focus on the work of the Society and includes a professionally modelled diorama of the medieval bridge.

Tickets, costing £30, can be purchased at the door for the all-day event on November 16th. The full conference programme can be downloaded via this link:

https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/downloads/download/12728/el_and_b_archaeology_conference

Councils can't afford strategic housing programme

EXCLUSIVE by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

The UK Government is being asked to assist in developing seven strategic housing sites across the south-east of Scotland, including the extension to Tweedbank 'town' in the Borders, by joining a special task force which would also include Scottish civil servants and local government representatives.

The tripartite approach has been suggested even though housing is a devolved matter under the control of the SNP administration at Holyrood. 

But it appears none of the sites - between them capable of delivering 41,000 new homes and levering in over £4 billion of private investment - will be developed without government help to pay for expensive infrastructure. Council budgets in the Lothians, Borders and Fife are stretched and incapable of coming up with the necessary financial resources.

The so-called Strategic Sites Programme is one of the most crucial issues facing the joint committee which oversees the Edinburgh and South-east Scotland City Region Deal. The housing areas earmarked for development are  Blindwells, Calderwood, Dunfermline, Edinburgh’s Waterfront, Shawfair, Tweedbank and Winchburgh. They have long been identified as key areas of change and growth in the region.

A recent committee meeting heard the investment fund underpinning the city deal was inadequate, and there were obstacles to developing all of the sites. Members urged governments to prioritise the sites which are located in "the fastest growing region of Scotland".

It is claimed all of the housebuilding programmes must be developed rapidly to accelerate supply in light of the housing emergency.

A report which has been sent to Scottish Government Housing Minister Paul MacLennan, warns: "The impact of accommodating growth in capital and revenue terms is constraining the ability to deliver it, and same is true in terms of the ability to run services needed to sustain it. This situation places delivery, equality and our overall prosperity at risk."

To do nothing is not an option, according to the report from the joint committee.

"Underinvestment in housing and infrastructure will undermine our regional economy, cause overheating in the housing and labour markets, stifle positive transformation, impact access to affordable housing, and hold back equality for, and the potential and productivity of, our people, places and the region, as key drivers of Scotland’s and the United Kingdom’s overall prosperity".

The scope, scale and duration of government support needed for each site will be set during the respective business case development process, when it can be identified in detail.

Details for each of the locations includes a timescale for development. In Tweedbank's case the year quoted is 2040. A full business case is expected to be finalised in the summer of 2025.

The report says the Tweedbank Town Expansion will provide 300 mixed use homes, including 130 affordable houses. It adds: "Requirement - road and rail bridge; heating network; Homes excludes privately funded element; business space; care village".

It is recommended a Strategic Sites Task Force should be established by governments to oversee the delivery of the Strategic Sites Programme. 

The Task Force should comprise Scottish and UK Government civil servants as well as Ministerial and civil servant "champions", and include representatives from the Regional Partners as well as a representative for housebuilding interests. 

"The Task Force should be predicated on partnership working to deliver the strategic sites programme and ensure strategic alignment and collective action to unlock the delivery of our strategic sites.

"Financial innovation, both in capital and revenue terms, will be key to unlocking the strategic sites due to the scale of the delivery challenge and the significant challenges facing public sector finances. 

The last published assessment of infrastructure costs required to expand Tweedbank across the greenfield Lowood Estate related to a 2018 report, presented to Borders councillors in private as they decided to proceed with the purchase of the estate.

Details released following a Freedom of Information request in 2020 showed the Lowood element of the so-called Tweedbank Masterplan would require £106 million, including a £10 million sum to cover acquisition of the estate. Various infrastructure costs linked to the future developments at Tweedbank and set out in the report totalled more than £21 million.

The capital requirement for the project will have increased considerably over the last six years. The original intention was to have the first phase of housing (30 homes) built by Eildon Housing Association, and occupied by now. But the programme has been delayed several times with a firm starting date still to be announced.

In the report requesting the establishment of the task force, Nile Istephan, Eildon Housing's chief executive is quoted as saying: "This Programme has the potential to unlock the transformation of the region by removing barriers for growth and enabling prosperity to be delivered for citizens and the wider United Kingdom and Scottish economy.” 

Center Parcs, a gamechanger for the Borders

by LESTER CROSS

Today's announcement of a £400 million tourism investment by Center Parcs to create their first Scottish holiday resort represents the largest single financial injection of its kind for the Scottish Borders economy, bringing with it hundreds of jobs and millions of pounds in extra spending power.

The massive development is earmarked for a 1,000 acre site close to the A7 trunk road some three miles north of Hawick. The land is currently part of Buccleuch Estates, the region's largest landowner.

According to some campaigners, the delivery of the Center Parcs centre will strengthen the case for an extension of the Borders railway, at least as far as Hawick. But that could still be a long way off.

Statements issued today revealed that the proposals are at an early stage and Center Parcs intends to submit a planning application to Scottish Borders Council in 2025. 

During the construction phase of the project, the company estimates 750-800 regional jobs will be created, and management has pledged to use local contractors.

The site will include a range of indoor and outdoor activities, shops, bars, restaurants, an Aqua Sana Forest Spa and Center Parcs’ iconic indoor water park, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise.

Center Parcs also plans to undertake an extensive programme of tree planting as currently, to transform the site by expanding existing woods.

Representatives of the holiday firm outlined their plans in Hawick to a gathering of community leaders and business and political representatives. The project could transform the economy of the town which has struggled to attract jobs and investment in recent years.

Colin McKinlay, chief executive officer of Center Parcs, said: “This is a tremendously exciting project and offers the opportunity to transform leisure and tourism in the Scottish Borders. Center Parcs is an exceptionally popular destination for families in the UK and Ireland and there is robust demand to support a seventh village.

“Throughout our history, we have demonstrated that a Center Parcs village provides significant economic benefits locally, regionally and nationally."

He pointed out that many Scottish families already visited Center Parcs villages in England, and this village would offer the chance for people to enjoy holidays closer to home, which in turn would benefit the local economy."

He added: “We are at an early stage with these proposals and have a lengthy and thorough planning process ahead. We have already conducted a significant number of surveys to assess the site and we intend to continue with additional site surveys and design development, alongside a programme of pre-planning application consultation and community engagement.”

The estimated investment to build the new village will be between £350 million to £400m.

Benny Higgins, executive chairman of the Buccleuch Group, said: “This project promises to have an outstandingly positive impact on tourism and leisure in the Scottish Borders and we are delighted to have signed an option agreement that will enable Center Parcs to take the next steps towards fulfilling its ambitions.”

Council expected to borrow £170 million in next three years

by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

Scottish Borders Council took its borrowing total for 2024 to £76 million last month after arranging another £20 million short-term loan from the Treasury Debt Management Office with further sizeable cash advances likely to be needed over the coming financial years, according to Audit Scotland.

The money will be used to partly bankroll the local authority's £454 million of capital investment which is planned over the next ten years.

A report from John Boyd, the auditor appointed by the public spending watchdog to inspect SBC's books, notes: "The extensive capital plan is primarily focused on economic regeneration and the learning estate. £187 million is on the school estate including the new high schools for Galashiels, Peebles and Hawick estimated at £145 million, with the majority of this invested over the next three financial years. 

"Borders Innovation Park and Borderlands are the two main areas for economic regeneration. The main sources of funding over the ten years for this investment is £115 million of specific project funding, £107 million of general capital grants, and borrowing of £220 million. £173 million of borrowing is expected to be undertaken over the next three years to support, in particular, the school estate projects."

Details of the October loan of £20 million from the Public Works Loans Board [PWLB] show the council will pay 4.93% interest [approximately £986,000] over twelve months before the loan matures in October 2025.

It follows a series of similar transactions over the course of this year. As Mr Boyd points out in his annual audit report - his inspection cost the council £347,980 - at March 2024 short term borrowing increased from £3.5 million to £50.0 million. £40 million of new short term borrowing (1 year) was undertaken in year with PWLB.

"The capital financing need was not fully funded by external loan debt and instead by internal cash. The Council has applied this strategy on the basis that this is prudent and cost effective in an environment where investment returns are low and counterparty risk is high. The Treasury Management Strategy had estimated that £70 million might require to be borrowed in year to support capital investment, but with cash management, it was determined that only £40 million was required to be borrowed."

The report acknowledges  that SBC's total external debt, which includes the council’s long-term liabilities, is within the authorised limit and operational boundary set in the Treasury Management Strategy 2023/24. The current borrowing position complies with the Prudential Code, and the Council continues to consider the affordability of future borrowing.

In a commentary on the council's revenue spending [expenditure on services], the auditor states: "The Council has a good track record of operating within its annual budget. While facing financial challenges through inflationary pressures on pay and non-pay costs as well as demand on services, the Council continues to demonstrate sound financial management maintaining general fund reserves in line with the long term Revenue Financial Strategy."

Over the next five years of the revenue budget, revenue spend is planned at £1.89 billion, with savings required of £18.1 million (1%) over the same period. The Council has identified pressures totalling £63.1 million over the five years, which are dominated by pay pressures of £35.3 million, and non-pay and inflationary pressures of £14.9 million.

Although the revenue plan identified savings targets averaging just under £4 million per year, the report explains: "this does not reflect that temporary savings made in previous years will need to be made on a recurring basis. The savings target for 2024/25 has doubled to over £9 million, as a result of non-recurring savings being brought forward from the previous year. If this pattern continues over the medium-term this will make achieving a financially sustainable position more challenging." 

Mr Boyd adds: "One of the key measures of the financial health of a body is the level of reserves held. The level of usable reserves held by the Council increased from £62.2 million in 2022/23 to £72.4 million in 2023/24, a net increase of £10.2 million."

Total capital expenditure in 2023/24 was £90 million against a revised budget of £96.9 million. 

"Whilst there was an underspend on the planned budget, there is still a significant increase in capital investment from 2022/23 when £63.5 million was spent. The main ongoing projects are the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme and the building of new high schools in Galashiels and Peebles, and Earlston Primary School with £52.5 million invested in these projects."

Other areas of expenditure included roads and bridges, plant and vehicles and ICT transformation.

"The main challenges for delivery of capital projects in year has been the high levels of inflation along with supply chain issues relating to construction materials which have affected the public sector more widely. The impact of this has been price increases, material shortages and longer lead times for projects. The macroeconomic pressures of high inflation and significant increases in construction inflation has resulted in increased total expected spend for all the schools’ projects."  

 

Skills shortage challenge for local forestry industry

by LESTER CROSS 

The South of Scotland will need to recruit significant numbers of additional workers into the region's forestry industry if it is to continue producing a third of the country's timber into the future, according to a report  on the sector's prospects in the Borders and Dumfries & Galloway.

But efforts by Borders College to tackle forestry skills provision in recent years has had to be reined in due to a lack of applications for some courses. 

At the same time, it has been estimated more than £5 million of capital investment is needed to provide facilities and equipment for training in the region's key industries of forestry, construction and engineering. 

The report prepared for the Convention of South of Scotland [COSS] warns: "All options are being explored by skills providers – institutions are submitting proposals to the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal programme, and this may offer some options for providers to respond to the needs of these sectors. However, the reality of the situation is this – Regional Skills Planning processes have worked well to identify an evidenced based need arising in key South of Scotland sectors but responding to that need comes with significant financial challenges and, at the moment, there is a deficit in resources to overcome."

Official figures suggest that 900 people work within forestry and logging across the region. But industry body Confor estimate that between 3,000 and 5,000 jobs are associated with the wood supply chain in South of Scotland. 

As the report says: "Compared to some sectors, this is not a huge volume workforce, however it is a strategically important sector for the South of Scotland in terms of GVA and in the creation of well-paid jobs and spin off benefits to the associated supply chain. 

"And forestry activity in South of Scotland is strategically important for Scotland and beyond. It produces around a third of Scotland’s timber, which equates to nearly 20% of the UK production. Scotland cannot achieve its aims related to timber production and net zero without a sustainable forestry workforce in the South of Scotland."

COSS is told that forestry presents compelling evidence for future growth for various reasons: Afforestation is one element of the Governments approach to reaching net zero. The Scottish government target is to increase new woodland planting by 18,000 hectares per annum by 2025, as part of net zero plans.

The document sounds a cautionary note by stating: " The tensions between Sikta based afforestation and ambitions around biodiversity and planting of native hardwoods were discussed at the Convention of South of Scotland in February 2024. How these tensions are resolved moving forward will have an impact on the demand for skills somewhat, however it is felt that there is sufficient certainty around this issue; that it shouldn’t hold back plans for skills interventions."

 The issues facing recruitment are outlined by the report's authors. "The forestry industry has reported challenges with recruitment and retention for some time. Workforce and skills shortages are at all levels for the forestry sector – from entry level to higher level business, integrated land management and environmental management skills. There is also a significant lack of diversity within the workforce as traditionally it has struggled to attract women. The issues are compounded by an ageing workforce that needs replaced."

The expanding tourism industry in both local authority areas is also set to fuel demands for more staff.

According to the skills report the visitor economy is estimated to employ 13,000 people in South of Scotland and the South of Scotland. The local enterprise teams have set an ambition to take this employment above 20,000 within ten years. 

"Even if growth in the sector is not achieved, there remains the prospect of strong demand for labour to support the sector. Replacement demand (replacing workers leaving the sector) is forecast to be very high. It is forecast that 3100 workers will be required to satisfy demand in the sector to 2033 but over 90% of this estimated demand is replacement demand." 

Inadequate transport links hampering South's wellbeing

by EWAN LAMB

A strategy aimed at reducing "transport poverty" across the South of Scotland where roads are deteriorating, bus services are inadequate to meet rural needs and the electric vehicle (EV) charging network requires major investment has been recommended to civic leaders and national policy makers.

The transport issues and shortcomings which are said to be hampering economic growth and social wellbeing in the Scottish Borders and  Dumfries & Galloway were outlined in a major report considered by members of the Convention of the South of Scotland [COSS] this week.

According to the document: "This report seeks to make the case for establishing a collaborative, effective and productive partnership between Team South of Scotland, Transport Scotland and Scottish Government. This partnership would take joint, intentional, meaningful action that makes positive impact and progress in maximising the economic opportunities that contribute to addressing the distinct mobility challenges that rural economies face through policy, action and resource, making a reality the vision set out in the National Transport Strategy."

The region's demographics increase the challenges in providing adequate transport systems for local communities. Sparse population levels - less than half the national average - and a 20% decrease in spending on roads and transport since 2011 are among the factors compounding the situation.

As the report points out, spending cuts have led to 12% of the road network in Dumfries & Galloway being classed 'red' for condition and 35% amber, amongst the highest rates in Scotland.

The respective bus routes require 80% public subsidy in Borders and 55% in south-west Scotland. So far as so-called transport poverty is concerned, households in the south spend 18% of their income on transport compared to 9% in Edinburgh.

The report for COSS claims: "The proposed approach would address the specific challenges of the South of Scotland’s rural context, which is neither ‘island’ nor ‘urban’ and has historically found it more difficult to secure traction in national policy and practice."

The report invites the Convention to: reflect on the importance of transport to the success of the region, the challenges being faced, and the actions already being taken; and commit to engaging and supporting further work to develop solutions to the challenges, to identify tangible actions that can be taken to unlock the vision for transport in the region for discussion at its Spring 2025 meeting.

"Further investment in mobility infrastructure could enhance regional competitiveness, financial stability, and attract investment while reducing transport poverty. The South of Scotland’s low population density and rural expanse require a strong transport network to connect residents with essential services, employment, education, and social activities. 

"The region’s dispersed population makes public transport less efficient. Limited bus services and a lack of active travel infrastructure contribute to high transport poverty, reliance on private cars, and increased transport costs, particularly in rural areas. Making decisive progress in addressing these challenges provides the chance to address inequality and widen opportunities for people whatever their circumstances. A well-functioning transport system would support greater economic growth by facilitating business expansion and market access, which is crucial for building regional performance and resilience."

COSS is told that weak transport links and declining public transport services limit job access and investment opportunities. The region’s reliance on private cars and the limited viability of bus services exacerbates these challenges. Improving transport infrastructure is central to transformative regional changes, including projects under the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and other funding initiatives. 

In a section covering EV charging, the report explains that both Local Authorities are proactively engaging in collaboration to deliver economies of scale for procurement and operation of a future expanded EV public charging network.

"However, we are conscious that the indicative funding allocation from Transport Scotland (EV Investment Fund) is less than 50% of the funding identified in the Scottish Futures Trust operational model. Through collaboration we are trying to maximise economies of scale for a future Charge Place Operator to deliver new public charging infrastructure as equitably as possible across our regional partnership, there is still a risk that our most remote communities will not be catered for without further public sector investment." 

And, it is suggested, there should be an increased role for the two ports which lie at each end of the sprawling region.

"Ports are a fundamental part of the transport system, and a crucial gateway to green growth for the South. Our key port assets at Eyemouth in the East and Cairnryan in the West enable the region to seize major economic opportunities such as offshore renewables investment, growth in transport of people and goods to the EU, import/export of green fuels as well as supporting fishing and tourism industries. There is considerable untapped potential which would contribute to Scotland’s future." 

Role of Ancrum's medieval bridge needs further study

by LESTER CROSS

When experts 'confirmed' that carbon dating of oak timbers recovered from the bed of the River Teviot showed the wood had been used in the construction of a bridge in around 1350, Historic Environment Scotland rightly hailed the discovery as being of great national importance.

After all, the bridge, close to the Borders village of Ancrum, appeared to date from the war-torn reigns of David II of Scotland and Edward III of England, and carried the so-called King's Way or Via Regia on its route from Edinburgh to Jedburgh.

But now, only four years after the carbon dating test results were produced by the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre in East Kilbride with a 1340-1360 construction date, a group of archaeological scientists using a newly developed and much more precise dating method have shown the Ancrum bridge oaks were, in fact, not felled until the winter of 1428/29.

Historians will now need to reassess the role played by the bridge in Scotland's past as it has now been proven the structure was put up in the less turbulent reigns of James I and Henry VI.

The findings from the follow-up research project, carried out by Darren Davies, Danny McCarroll and Neil Loader, from the Department of Geography at Swansea University has been published in great detail by the Journal of Archaeological Science.

The learned paper, produced along with Coralie Mills, explains that the discovery of bridge remains in the River Teviot in 2018 had been described as “one of the most exciting and significant archaeological discoveries in Scotland in recent years” (Historic Environment Scotland, 2020). The site is believed to have been an important, and at times possibly the only crossing point of the Teviot during the medieval period. As such,  the bridge would have assumed strategic, ecclesiastical and political importance.

Subsequent investigation and detailed surveys of the site by Ancrum & District Heritage Society and Wessex Archaeology identified that the bridge was constructed using “branders”; a process whereby a wooden frame is positioned in the river with stone or rubble placed upon it. This was the first record of this construction method being applied in Scotland. 

"The presence of timber preserved in situ provided an opportunity for dating the structure. During 2019 and 2020, seven oak timber samples were collected for dendrochronological dating", says the report.

According to the team: "The well-constrained felling date range indicated by the radiocarbon dating placed the construction of the bridge during the reign of David II and the Second War of Scottish Independence (AD 1332–1357), a period of significant political turmoil in the region and around the time of the arrival of the Black Death in AD 1350. 

"In such turbulent times, even with a tightly modelled age range, the radiocarbon dating results were puzzling and open to a wide range of interpretations regarding who built the bridge and why. A more precise date would enable more targeted historical research."

At the same time as the initial investigations at Ancrum Bridge, a new precision dating technique was being developed called stable isotope dendrochronology. The paper contains a full technical description of how the system works.

"Stable isotope dendrochronology has conclusively shown that timbers with intact bark edge used to construct the sub-structure of the medieval bridge at Ancrum were felled during winter of AD 1428/29. Given that wood was generally worked “in the green” (unseasoned) it is highly likely that the bridge would have been constructed within 12–18 months after felling.

"Significantly, this result shows that the bridge is approximately 80 years younger than the date indicated by radiocarbon dating. The initial objective of this study was to apply stable isotope dendrochronology to refine the wiggle match [radiocarbon dating] date range and provide a felling date that could allow historians to undertake targeted research on the social and political context surrounding construction of the bridge. Somewhat unexpectedly, the stable isotope dendrochronology returned a date well outside the most likely modelled radiocarbon date range".

 The Swansea scientists stress that neither the radiocarbon results nor the wiggle matching are errant or necessarily in conflict with the stable isotope dendrochronological dating. 

"The wiggle-match determined range 1340–1360 reports only that there is a 95.4 % chance that the date would lie within this range. In other words, there is an approximately one in 20 chance that the true date lies outside of 1340–1360.

"In this case the date for the sample falls outside of the modelled most probable range. In this specific case, using the ‘standard’ probability range resulted in a misinterpretation of the age of the timber samples and therefore the social and political context in which the bridge was built. 

"Given the strong isotopic dendrochronological evidence we now know that rather than being constructed during a period of instability and conflict during the reign of David II, the timbers used to construct the bridge at Ancrum were felled during a less turbulent period of King James I’s reign. From this new insight it is now possible to redirect archaeological and archival research to focus on this later period and in doing so develop a better understanding of the role that the bridge played in the social and cultural history of the region."

In conclusion, the study team explain that while their findings will necessitate a revision to the current interpretation of Ancrum Bridge, and an update to the details of its Scheduled Monument designation, "this site remains a discovery of national importance and a rare example of medieval bridge construction methods in Scotland."

  

Inflation busting council tax rise on the cards?

by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

The prospect of a 10 per cent increase in council tax bills for Scottish Borders householders next year has been flagged up by the local council's head of finance, a move which would yield an extra £7 million for front-line services.

Suzy Douglas, director of finance at Scottish Borders Council warns in a budget planning report for 2025/26 that the authority faces a £50 million funding gap over the next ten years, according to the latest forecasts.

The director points out that the Borders currently has a Band D charge for Council Tax of £1,356 per annum. This represents the seventh lowest Council Tax charge in Scotland and the fifth lowest on the mainland.

"This relatively low level of Council Tax reduces the Council’s spending power compared to other Scottish Local Authorities with higher Council Tax rates. For comparative purposes, a neighbouring authority’s current Council Tax charge is 12% higher than that in Scottish Borders. 

"If our Council tax had been set at this rate during 2024/25 it would have equated to additional income of £8.4 million to spend on local services. The indicative budget approved in February 2024 assumed that from 2025/26 the Council will increase Council Tax by 10%. This increase will allow the Council to protect important front line services which otherwise may be impacted by service reductions in order to balance the budget. Each one per cent increase in Council Tax provides circa £700,000 to the Council to support delivery of Council services."

A 10 per cent uplift in council tax would be equivalent to 5.8 times the current rate of inflation which stands at 1.7%. 

Ms Douglas's report updates the financial challenge facing the Council and sets out an approach to balancing the budget. 

She says the longer term corporate approach which has been adopted over the past decade has delivered significant cost reductions and increased income of over £84 million. These significant reductions have ensured the Council has balanced its budget and delivered a small underspend in each of the last ten years. 

But the report warns: "The forthcoming budget round will be very challenging for the Council given significant cost pressures including pay, inflation and ongoing service demand pressures. Consequently, continuing the robust corporate approach to the budget focussed on transforming Council services, investment in new technology to reduce costs, greater operational efficiency, new ways of working and the prioritisation of core Council services will be essential.  All opportunities for increased income must also be progressed including Council Tax increases."

Ms Douglas adds that the Council has an ambitious Capital Plan in place, currently delivering key infrastructure projects to improve community facilities including roads and bridges maintenance, completion of the £90 million Hawick Flood Protection Scheme, two new primary schools, three new Secondary schools and two new care villages. 

"These projects are all funded within the current financial plan, following completion of these new builds the Council will refocus the Capital Plan from years 5-10 on prioritising refurbishment works and energy efficiency works to support the Council’s response to the climate emergency."

Councillors are told the forthcoming budget round will be very challenging for the Council given significant cost pressures including pay, inflation and ongoing service demand pressures.

As Ms Douglas explains, the indicative budget for 2025/26, published in February 2024, made assumptions including an assumed level of Scottish Government grant, increases in Council Tax levels, inflationary increases and savings required to balance the budget. As such the budget for 2025/26 at that point was balanced, however as the financial and economic landscape has changed since February 2024 a number of these assumptions will require to be updated. This will increase the challenge facing the Council. 

The director's report continues: "The finance circular detailing individual funding allocations for Councils in 2025/26 is planned for issue on 12 December 2024 following the Scottish Government’s budget announcement on 4 December. 

"The Council is currently assuming a flat cash revenue settlement for 2025/26; this means inflationary increases experienced by the Council are not funded within the grant. A reduction of one per cent in revenue support grant would equate to reduced funding of around £2.3m. 

"The Capital grant provides a lower percentage funding of the capital plan with the remaining capital investment mainly funded from external grant and Council borrowing. The Capital grant for 2025/26 is forecast to remain flat which again means inflationary increases are not funded and means there is limited capital flexibility. Any reduction in grant would impact on capital investment in the Borders."

Avocet "mismanagement and neglect" saw patents disappear

by OUR BUSINESS STAFF

The failure of company bosses to pay renewal fees on a dozen patents resulted in almost 40% of Avocet IP Ltd's intellectual property being lost while three of the seven brands acquired by Avocet's predecessor AFS Ventures suffered a similar fate.

Official UK records also show twelve other applications associated with Avocet IP were terminated before grant, seven were abandoned and one was withdrawn.

The potentially grievous losses of patents linked to fuel additives and livestock feed production were first revealed to investors in 2021 by way of written correspondence purporting to emanate from Tim Carter, of PCH Holdings. Later it was claimed Carter did not exist and was a figment of the imagination of Martin Frost, ex-chairman of the insolvent Avocet Group.

'Carter' claimed in his circulated missive that 90 per cent of the patents linked to the companies had been "lost" since 2019, "reducing the value of intellectual property from a possible figure of £400 million to just £69 million."

As we reported at the time, extracts of emails sent to Mr Frost by fellow Avocet director and Genfro Ltd life president Dr Bob Jennings warned: "Dear Martin, This is not good news. We have filed some 120 cases in various countries and the majority have lapsed.

"Some others are still live pending further checks, but will need completion fees to be paid by June 30th. All of the rest have lapsed, with little chance of reinstating. The June date is absolute and must be paid if we are to recoup some value."

According to 'Carter' PCH had arranged for a formal valuation of the remaining intellectual property list to ascertain the strength of  Jennings' guesstimate of £69 million. 

Shareholders were assured that PCH would pay the overdue fees on the relevant patents and this intellectual property would be transferred into the ownership of Genfro Limited. However, that did not happen as Genfro never owned any patents throughout that firm's existence.

A few weeks later, 'Carter' - in yet another message to Frost which was shared with investors - declared: "Dear Martin, It was good to clear the air with our frank though heated discussion. For the avoidance of doubt, PCH is not happy. 

"PCH is not pleased with your ‘soft’ administration. PCH is appalled by Dr. Bob Jennings' business acumen which cost ANC Plc shareholders $60 million US dollars in June. PCH had spent months and much influence to secure a deal of the century, to see it go down the tubes in a matter of hours is unbelievable. PCH sees neither you nor Bob as irreplaceable. PCH has practical alternatives for both of you.”

An investor who lost a significant sum as a result of Avocet's failures said: "This was a classic case of mismanagement and neglect by management. The financial losses associated with their errors was never set out in detail...just some bland figures from the imaginary Carter.

"All of this should have been a subject for consideration at an annual meeting several years ago when investors would have had the chance to get rid of those in charge".

These are the UK patents/patent applications linked to Avocet IP Ltd., a subsidiary of liquidated Omega Infinite PLC:

AVOCET IP Ltd. [company dissolved via compulsory strike-off 21/5/2024]

1 – Conversion of carbon dioxide to hydrocarbons via hydrogenation. Filed 24/11/2012. Assigned to Avocet IP November 2018. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Lapsed for failure to pay maintenance fee 28/8/2023.

2 – Process for the conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol. Filed 24/11/2012. Assigned to Avocet IP November 2018. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Patent expired for non-payment of maintenance fee 21/10/2019.

3 – Integrated system and method for producing methanol product. Filed by Avocet IP 15/12/2016. STATUS: ABANDONED 28/5/2020.

4 – Agricultural system and method (hydroponics arrangement). Filed Avocet IP  4/12/2017. Status: ABANDONED 20/4/2020.

5 – Apparatus and method for continuous production of polyethylene glycol dinitrate. Filed Avocet IP 15/2/2016. EXPIRED – FEE RELATED - failure to pay renewal fee 7/11/2022.

6 – Enhanced fuel and method of producing enhanced fuel for operating internal combustion engine. Filed 16/8/2015. Assigned to Avocet IP 27/11/2018. Status: ABANDONED 27/3/2019 – failure to respond to an office action.

7 – Combustion system method. Filed Avocet IP 3/7/2015. Status: ABANDONED 3/2/2020 – failure to respond to an office action.

8 – Hydroponics apparatus and method. Filed Avocet IP 12/2/2016. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 24/8/2022.

9 – Combustion system and method. Filed Avocet IP 3/7/2014. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 25/3/2020.

10 – Livestock feed production apparatus and method. Filed Avocet IP 2/12/2016. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 24/8/2022.

11 – Method of growing seeds. Filed Avocet IP 2/12/2016. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 24/8/2022.

12 – Method and system of livestock feed production. Filed Avocet IP 8/12/2016. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 24/8/2022.

13 – Enhanced fuels, methods of producing enhanced fuels and additives for mitigating corrosion. Filed Avocet IP 15/2/2016. Status: ABANDONED 13/5/2019 – failure to respond to an office action.

14 – Fuel system and method. Filed Avocet IP 17/8/2014. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 29/4/2020.

15 – Combustion engine and method. Filed Avocet IP 17/8/2014. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 26/2/2020.

16 – Apparatus and method for producing methanol. Filed Avocet IP 27/11/2017. Status: WITHDRAWN 18/11/2020.

17 – Apparatus and method for producing methanol. Filed Avocet IP 27/11/2017 Status: ABANDONED. Incomplete application. Discontinuation 4/4/2022.

18 – Apparatus and method for continuous production of polyethylene glycol dinitrate. Filed Avocet IP 1/2/2019. Status: ABANDONED – failure to respond to an office action. Discontinuation 2/12/2019.

19 – Method of enhancing omega-3 oil content in livestock. Filed Avocet IP 2/12/2016. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 24/8/2022.

20 – Livestock feed production system and method. Filed Avocet IP 8/12/2016. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 24/8/2022.

21 – System and method for producing nitrate esters. Filed Avocet IP 12/12/2019. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 7/7/2021.

22 – Apparatus and method for producing plant growth material using hydroponics apparatus. Filed Avocet IP 19/12/2019. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 14/7/2021.

23 – Apparatus and method for producing plant growth material using hydroponics apparatus. Filed Avocet IP 13/7/2018. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 8/1/2020.

24 – Fuel for internal combustion engines and additive for fuel thereof. Filed Avocet IP 29/4/2019. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 28/10/2020.

25 – System and method for producing glycol dinitrate. Filed Avocet IP 12/7/2019. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 10/2/2021.

26 – Apparatus and method for producing polyethylene glycol. Filed Avocet IP 12/7/2019. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 10/2/2021.

27 – Method and apparatus for production of livestock feed. Filed Avocet IP 12/3/2019. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 7/10/2020.

28 – Fuel for internal combustion engines and additive for fuel thereof. Filed Avocet IP 16/1/2018. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 22/5/2019.

29 – Method and apparatus for production of livestock feed. Filed Avocet Infinite 4/12/2017. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 3/4/2019.

30 – System and method for producing nitrate esters. Filed Avocet Infinite 3/7/2018. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 1/1/2020.

31 – System and method for producing glycol dinitrate. Filed Avocet Infinite 3.5.2018. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 7/8/2019.

32 – Apparatus and method for producing polyethylene glycol. Filed Avocet Infinite 3/5/2018. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 7/8/2019.

AFS VENTURES LTD

On August 19th, 2024  ‘Rebecca’ - like 'Carter', something of a mystery - wrote in an email to a select group of investors: “In 2014 AFS Ventures was valued by KPMG at £50 million. In 2015 AFS Ventures morphed into Avocet Infinite PLC. In 2019 Avocet Infinite was valued by the market at £230+million."

But reports prepared by AFS Ventures liquidator Eric Walls include an entry of £680,000 for an ‘Intellectual Property Settlement’. Frost, while a director of AFS Ventures valued the company’s IP at £4 million in a signed Statement of Affairs.

AFS VENTURES PATENTS

1 – Combustion engine and method. Filed AFS 17/8/2014. Change of ownership to Avocet Fuel Solutions Inc. (US) 1/4/2015. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 26/2/2020.

2 – Fuel systems and method. Filed AFS 3/7/2014. Change of ownership to Avocet Fuel Solutions Inc 1/4/2015. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 29/4/2020.

3 – Combustion system and method. Filed AFS 3/7/2014. Change of ownership to Avocet Fuel Solutions Inc 1/4/2015. Status: EXPIRED – FEE RELATED. Non-payment of renewal fee 25/3/2020.

4 – Enhanced fuel methods for producing advanced fuels and additives for advanced fuels. Filed AFS 3/7/2014. Change of ownership to Avocet Fuel Solutions Inc 1/4/2015. Status: WITHDRAWN 1/5/2019.

5 – Enhanced fuels, methods of producing enhanced fuels and additives for enhanced fuels. Filed AFS 3/7/2014. Change of ownership to Avocet Fuel Solutions Inc 1/4/2015. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 11/11/2015.

6 – Compound, method of manufacturing compound, enhanced fuels, methods of producing enhanced fuels and additives for advanced fuels. Filed AFS 3/7/2014. Change of ownership to Avocet Fuel Solutions Inc 1/4/2015. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 11/11/2015.

7 – Method and apparatus for producing methanol. Filed AFS 14/4/2014. Change of ownership to Avocet Fuel Solutions Inc 1/4/2015. Status: CEASED. Application terminated before publication 26/8/2015.

Council seeks to cut £17 million bill for 'exiled' children

by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR

The annual cost of keeping more than 70 cared for Scottish Borders children in accommodation outside the region has become financially unsustainable at £16.9 million and is not delivering the best outcome for the vulnerable young people involved.

That is one of the conclusions reached in a report from Scottish Borders Council's Director of Education and Children's Services Lesley Munro which proposes measures to reduce the financial burden on the local authority while, at the same time, bringing more Borders children home.

Councillors will consider the report next week. It recommends a refreshed whole systems approach to reduce the number of children and young people who are cared for in Out of Area [OOA] placements and to take a preventative approach to minimise the number of such placements in the future.

A total of 213 children and young people from Scottish Borders are currently being looked after by Scottish Borders Council (SBC), 72 of whom are residing in OOA care and one in a bespoke placement within the Borders at an annual cost of £16.9million.

Ms Munro explains that a project group has identified work streams in a bid to address the situation. These are: Young people will live, learn and be looked after in Scottish Borders. Support will be provided within locality or cluster areas taking a preventative, early intervention approach to service planning and provision. 

Support to families will be delivered through a multi-agency partnership approach. Resource management and allocation will be determined to maximise outcomes for young people and their families while delivering best value. 

"In order to effect this change, additional resource is required in the short to medium term with the aim that a move from reactive to preventative support will allow more children, young people and their families to ensure they are cared for at home or in kinship care and therefore long-term reductions in the cost of out of authority placements can be achieved to allow a sustainable position."

The report says that in 2023/24 the average cost of a residential placement was £249,000 per annum. In 2017/18 this equated to £75,000 per placement representing a 330% increase in average cost. 

A single placement which has been created within SBC is currently costing £1.3 million per annum. Overall, costs have increased by £8 million over a two-year period. In 2017/18 the cost was £5.88 million.

"Nineteen young people have been identified as potentially able to move from out of authority placements and return to Scottish Borders", according to the report. "The potential reduction in the cost of out of authority placements if this group of young people were to leave external residential care could achieve £3.8 million full year saving."

But Ms Munro adds that well-being of the children and young people must take priority. Return will only be possible if the conditions for their return and associated care packages and supports are in place. 

"In order to stem the flow of young people who are at risk of requiring to be placed in out of authority provisions, there are measures which can be implemented immediately to reduce pressures resulting in young people being escalated to requiring an external placement. Increasing capacity in the system involves actions which can be implemented immediately, for a 18–24-month buffering period until new systems and infrastructure can be implemented."

The council's Social Work Duty team currently comprises a team leader, two senior social workers, six social workers and 4.5 Social Work Assistants. 

"As well as over 2000 referrals per year, this team covers all Initial Referral Discussions and at present there are over 300 child and young person referrals on a waiting list. In order to address this it is proposed to increase the staffing in the duty team by one team leader, two social worker and six Support Workers. 

"A Whole Family Wellbeing team which will be grant funded to the end of March 2026 is being created. This team will provide holistic family support focusing on issues such as parenting, housing issues, health and wellbeing issues, offending behaviour, school related difficulties, employability, income maximisation and substance misuse. It is envisaged that this team will be in a position to engage with around 150 families at any one time, dependant on the complexity of individual cases who may require additional focus."

The proposed staffing measures are likely to cost £2.23 million until the end of financial year 2025/26.

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