Jim Hume, Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland, and Liberal Democrat Councillors in the Borders, have today welcomed the news that business rates in the Borders will be cut after the 1st April 2008.

Jim Hume said:-

“There have been a number of shop closures recently in Hawick which is bitterly disappointing for the town. It’s fair to say that business rates are probably one of the main costs to a small shop and the Small Business Rates Relief Scheme has of course helped over the years.

Councillor Vicky Davidson, who’s also the Executive Member for Economic Development, has this week discovered that the level of relief is set to increase so that by 2010/11 shops with a rateable value of up to £8000 will have 100% relief; a rateable value of between £8001 and £10000 will attract a 50% relief; and a rateable value of between £10001 and £15000 will attract a 25% rates relief.

The MSP continued:-

“I sincerely hope that this will not only help existing businesses, but also the wider Borders’ economy.”

Hawick & Hermitage Councillor Ron Smith said:-

“This is great news. It will particularly favour the smaller local shops which are the mainstay of any High Street. I hope this will also bring greater confidence to those who are considering opening a business. The High Street is a measure of the health of any town. Hawick has seen a succession of shops closing in recent months, but this Small Business Bonus Scheme taken along with the Heart of Hawick developments and the One Way Street trial could help regenerate the whole town.”

Date: 14th December 2007

Jim Hume, Liberal Democrat MSP for the South of Scotland, today (Friday, 14th December) met with Pringle of Scotland in Hawick as a matter of urgency to discuss concerns over redundancies.

Jim Hume said:-

“Worry over knitwear jobs in the Borders has been an ongoing issue for a number of years and the news recently that redundancies would be in the offing was a blow to many folk in Hawick.

“After meeting with the company today, it was explained that regrettably some voluntary redundancies will take place as part of Pringle of Scotland’s continual restructuring exercise.

“I have received an assurance that the management team are committed to remaining in Hawick and I’ll be working with them in the future to this end. In fact we will be showcasing an event in the Scottish Parliament which will champion Pringle of Scotland and the textile manufacturing industry generally.

The MSP continued:-

“They did explain to me however that there is a shortage of young folk in the Borders coming into the industry and I’m happy to work with the company in addressing this issue.

“I will continue to work with Pringle of Scotland and shall campaign tirelessly with those in the industry to promote textiles in the Borders and the rest of Scotland, given its significance to the economy.”

Since the elections in May 2007, Ron has been much involved in a series of issues affecting the community at Craik and in the upper Borthwick valley. In the last few years, residents have faced the development of a large log cabin development at Craik, a planning application for a wind-farm at Langhope Rig between Blawearie and Ashkirk (which would have meant the use of the road from Martin’s Bridge to Alemoor by construction traffic), the shared headship of Roberton and Drumlanrig Primary Schools, a national pilot scheme to investigate sustainable flood prevention in the area between Eilrig and Craik, and continuing problems related to timber transport.

It has become very clear that some of these issues would have been negotiated more smoothly with better communication between the community and the Council in the early stages. Ron has set out to try to improve these links. Rebuilding trust will take a long time, but he has already promoted greater transparency and more frequent discussions.

He, with fellow Hawick & Hermitage councillor George Turnbull, sits on the Timber Transport Group, and he has also been building relationships with Tweed Forum and with SBC’s Technical Services officers who are involved with the flood prevention pilot.

This pilot has been the focus of much discontent. The original terms of reference were not clear to the community and so there has been ongoing suspicion. The aim is to investigate whether measures might be taken on the low-lying haughland which would slow down floodwater and so help protect communities downstream. This is an issue where very little scientific evidence, and few case studies, at present exist. Examples of measures include the reinstatement of old meanders across the haughland, planting of willow and similar species along the bankings on the edge of the floodplain, planting willows across the haughland etc.. The impact of such measures on the Borthwick’s flow will be assessed on a very local scale, trying to isolate the effect of each one as much as is possible.

Local residents have long held worries re the connection between clear felling of timber and flooding, but very recently assurances have been given that the effect of the former is very small. While clear felling such as currently taking place at Laird’s Hill near Howpasley looks massive, its impact is greatest in the headwater streams in that immediate area – with only a 5-15% increase in flow in the higher order river, i.e. in the Borthwick itself – as Laird’s Hill is only a small part of the whole Borthwick Water basin.

Following an enquiry from a local resident in the Weensland area, I approached Scottish Borders Council’s Environmental Services department and Viridor, the contractors who provide and empty the bottle banks. They agreed that it would be possible to set up a bottle bank site within the Weensland Mill area – perhaps to the right of the roadway as you go down into the site, or perhaps further in to the site.

I distributed a note around the homes and businesses nearest to this location to give the opportunity for your comments to be taken on board before any bottle bank is set up. Do let me know if you have any strong feelings on this matter. You can phone (and possibly leave a message for me) on 378623, or e-mail me at rsmith@scotborders.gov.uk

The reason for having a bottle bank in the area at all is that some people who do not have a car want to be able to recycle their glass. Perhaps they therefore have to carry bottles and jars long distances, perhaps they take them on the bus when they go to the supermarkets, or perhaps they just feel there is no alternative but to put them in the normal rubbish collection. I personally don’t want older people carrying glass for any distance as it can be heavy but also could harm them in any fall.

The possible problems associated with a bottle bank are noise, broken glass and parking difficulties. There might be concern over whether there will be the sound of breaking glass, especially later at night. The sites suggested above have few, if any, houses close by. There might be worries about whether there will be broken glass close to the bins. I am conscious that there is a play park in the area. Parking would certainly be possible beside several possible sites.

I started by saying I had received an enquiry from a local resident in the Weensland area regarding this. That enquiry coincided with similar ones within the West End, which is also part of my council ward. There Viridor assessed several possible sites, but so far none has been found to be acceptable, often because their vehicle could not safely access them in the narrower streets of the West End.

Ron was contacted by a resident of the far end of Weensland Road who had suffered his parked car being damaged on several occasions by passing traffic. He and his neighbours had experience of wing mirrors, wheels and bodywork suffering as vehicles veered across to avoid oncoming traffic. One reason for the problem was identified as being the current lining of the road.

Roads officers met with Ron at the location and it was agreed that the road be relined to provide a parking strip, marked off and protected by build-outs. This would also allow greater safety for cars leaving Weensland Park.

Additionally, a breach in the wall fronting the Weensland Road houses is being looked for, to allow more direct access between cars and houses.

Hawick’s 1514 Memorial, ‘Ken the Horse’, is a town landmark. It was shifted a few years ago to allow a realignment of the junction at the north end of High Street, and then again remodelled as the ledge around it was being spoiled by those sitting there with fast food and drinks. At that time, stones which had previously surrounded the wider plinth were repositioned on a narrower base. It is now proposed that these stones be remodelled at a cost of £21000.

Ron, alone of the six local councillors, has refused to support this proposal. £76000 was spent previously on the relocation of the monument, more on the removal of the seating ledge, and this new additional money is having to be found from other budgets. He would rather take some years of use from the present plinth and, if it were to be considered necessary, refurbish it in some years time, getting some value from the amounts already spent.

The complex junction at the top of Beaconsfield Terrace where it is joined firstly by Loan and then by Gladstone Street / Myreslawgreen is seen by Ron and by local residents as a dangerous area. Three schools are in the immediate area, and a high proportion of the residents are elderly. Crossing the Terrace requires extreme care and precise timing.

Problems include the speed of traffic entering from Loan, and the pile-up of traffic as cars coming up Beaconsfield Terrace are politely given priority, often then blocking traffic leaving Gladstone Street.

Ron has met on site with SBC Roads officers, and a plan was mooted to extend the pedestrian barrier further down the eastern side of Beaconsfield Terrace as far as a new pedestrian crossing. Road lining will be renewed and new vertical signage erected, reminding of speed limits and the need for care.

Residents in the area were notified by letter of the possibilities and some comments were received. It was suggested that extending the barrier down the street could create additional problems on refuse collection days, when wheeliebins etc. would accumulate at the bottom end and hinder pedestrians. This comment has been taken on board and the possibilities will be looked at again.

Nearby, Ron and the officers also considered the traffic patterns at the top of Drumlanrig Square where the priorities for traffic using the two sides of the Square are further confused at the Drumlanrig Court / West Port exit and the new exit from the Drumlanrig Hospital development. Plans will be drawn up for the remodelling of the roadway in this area.

In autumn 2007, Morrisons supermarket in Hawick followed company policy by identifying one taxi firm which would be a preferred provider. They also barred taxis from waiting within their property. This displaced the taxis into neighbouring streets and local residents protested.

Ron arranged for a new taxi rank to be created in the Mart Street car park, from which they had not previously been allowed to trade. He saw this as an excellent alternative being adjacent to the Mart Street bus stances as well as only a very short walk from the Morrisons shop entrance. It seems now to be operating very satisfactorily.

Enquiries from constituents about a historic plaque on an outside wall near the West Port prompted Ron to initiate measures to save it. The stone plaque, which depicts the town’s coat of arms, was originally part of the Buccleuch Memorial building at the corner of Duke Street and Bridge Street and dates from the 1880s. When that building was demolished, the plaque was transferred to the West Port Centre then being erected. However the stone tablet and the wall on which it is housed have deteriorated with exposure to weather.

Ron negotiated with Frank Scott, Scottish Borders Council, and with Janice Cambridge of SBHA, owners of the West Port building, and arranged for the removal of the tablet into safe storage.

It has been suggested that it could after treatment become a protected feature of the new Hawick Community College campus, but a final decision is still to be made. This would form a full circle, in that the Buccleuch Memorial was the first technical college in Hawick!

Hawick’s six local councillors are unanimous in their support for the trial One Way System for the town’s High Street, due to begin in February 2008. The six visited all businesses located on High Street and found general approval of the measure. Flow of traffic will be from North (Horse) to South (Towerknowe) and will be accompanied by a ban on traffic weighing over 7.5 tonnes in Bourtree Place and High Street, and in the lower streets of the Wellogate area around Lochpark. It is expected that there will be an increase in parking spaces on High Street, and an easing of the difficulties encountered by lorries delivering to shops.

It’s important that the scheme works (and can be continued after the trial period) and so a Stakeholders Group under the chairmanship of local businessman Tom Hartop has been set up to allow all parties affected by the scheme to have their say, with the possibility of tweaking arrangements during the period of the trial.

The opportunity is being taken in tandem with the One Way Trial to implement some popular measures, such as the moving of the loathed bus stance outside Boots shop and the creation of a Puffin crossing in Bourtree Place at the Coffin End.

Considering acceptable flood prevention

Scottish Borders Council published its Flood Prevention Report in September 2007 but the details contained in it failed to satisfy residents of Hawick or Newcastleton or any of their six local councillors. The focus seemed to be on high walls along the whole length of the rivers in the two settlements, aimed at countering the height of flood expected only every 200 years. For comparison, the flood of October 2005 was reckoned to be a 1 in 33 year occurrence. There has to be a balance found between providing satisfactory protection and avoiding a ‘Berlin Wall’ scenario in the centre of towns. Newcastleton has a very specific problem in that water draining off the hills to the west of the village fills pipes which cannot then empty into the river, instead backing up and flooding streets. A wall would therefore only contain this floodwater within the village.

Ron and other councillors have therefore been working away behind the scenes to persuade council officials of the need to amend the masterplan.

Within Hawick there is a need to reduce height of the walls to cope acceptably with a 1 in 100 year flood occurrence. This might still mean barriers one metre high. However this should be accompanied by smaller scale measures within the course of the river, removing gravel, islands and the remnants of caulds, while also providing higher level relief channels which could help speed floodwater downstream. In Newcastleton a two pronged approach is favoured, with floodwater being retained in ponds within the hillier area to the west and being slowly released into a drain to take floodwater to a point south of the village, while a low embankment along Liddel Street could also be accompanied by gravel clearance in the riverbed.

Countryside Matters

• Good public transport links to town.

• Road improvement and maintenance, with emphasis on safety features.

• Encouragement of local groups working to improve and promote their community.

• Promoting the use of local agricultural produce e.g. in schools.

• Encouraging young members of the community to take an active part in decision making

• Continuing work to sustain local post offices, village halls, schools, and health facilities.

• Balancing the need for power - renewable energy and transmission lines - with impact on the countryside.

• Continuing assessment of access to the countryside, and the balance between tourism and agriculture / forestry.

• Monitoring and controlling the movement of timber on rural routes through the ward, in the interests of maximising road safety and minimising damage to the road structure.
  

In the Weensland Area, matters of concern include

• Traffic speed on Weensland Road

• The need for co-ordination of road - and pavement - works on Weensland Road

• Housing developments at Heronhill

• Flood risk in Duke Street and Weensland Mill

• Clean-up issues on the Miller’s Knowes, and in other amenity areas

• Unused industrial / commercial potential at Weensland Mill

• Provision of more bins to counter dog fouling

• The maintenance and development of walking paths in the area in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle

In the Town Centre, I feel there is a need for:

• Re-locating the pedestrian crossing in Mart Street to avoid the blocking of the roundabout.

• Moving the bus stop at Boots.

• Restricting ‘Rat Runs’ for traffic through the Wellogate residential area.

• Improving the appearance of ‘amenity land’ along the old railway.

• Addressing clean-up issues on the Miller’s Knowes

• Provision of more bins to counter dog fouling

• Reducing flood risk along Slitrig and Teviot

• Encouragement to High Street shopkeepers

• Promotion of Tower Mill and Heritage Hub developments

In the West End, the focus would be on:

• Making a success of the Heart of Hawick Project involving Drumlanrig’s Tower, the Tower Mill, and the Heritage Hub / Archive Centre

• Monitoring the traffic situation in the Rosebank area following the recent residential development

• Liaising with police over disturbances and nuisance in Howegate at lunch-breaks and in evenings

• Maintaining the cleanliness and attractive environment of amenity areas, e.g. Moat Park

• The provision of satisfactory bus services connecting the West End to other parts of town

I am committed

? to working co-operatively as part of a team promoting the interests of Hawick & Hermitage

? to developing public transport, and maintaining and improving the road network - in the towns and villages, and in the rural area

? to developing the access corridor along the A7 and to pushing for the expansion of the railway to Hawick and beyond

? to improving the business environment in the area, so that employers will have the faith to come here, or to expand

? to promoting the heritage and history of this area, its facilities and festivals, as we believe them to be central to the further growth of tourism

I will support

? all initiatives which help the rural community, sustaining life in the countryside and maintaining the attraction of the Borders landscape

? measures to help the retail sector, especially those which allow main streets to remain the centre of community life

? moves to bring more, and more varied, employment to the Hawick & Hermitage area. I believe that it is a central part of the remit of Councillors to speak for and to promote their area

? the wide, wide range of voluntary groups which work at making life easier and better for others

? local festivals, agricultural shows and cultural productions which do so much to enrich the life of locals, as well as the visitor experience

Ron came to Hawick and the Borders in 1972, to teach at Hawick High School, as head of Geography and then as assistant headteacher.

His wife Eileen worked in special education but also, for 17 years, operated their house as a bed & breakfast establishment. They have three adult sons, working as an overhead linesman, an employment lawyer, and a website and software developer.

Ron’s hobbies include gardening and golf (being better at the first than the second), collecting Irish stamps (well, Eileen is Irish), historical research including family trees, and watching the Greens (in fact green seems to be the dominant colour in all of this!!).

For many years he filled various roles at Hawick Rugby Club and produced two books on the club’s history - “The Green Machine” (with Dr Ken Bogle) and “Glimpses of Green”. He is an elder and treasurer of Teviot & Roberton Church. Following early retirement from the school, Ron involved himself in community affairs, as well as being an active member of Hawick Rotary Club. He is a Mosstrooper, and a member of Hawick’s 1514 Club and Anvil Crew.