The Transforming Children’s Services programme has continued to take up a lot of time. Over 247 responses were received by the closing date of 27^th October. These were circulated online to all councillors, with names and addresses omitted because of the lack of security involved in such e-mailed communication. It was of course possible to work out the source of some of the messages from the context. Ron has now read all of these submissions and formed clearer ideas of the main areas of concern.

It has become obvious from discussion after this October 27^th deadline that the document will be significantly altered, and the new date for submission of the revised draft to the full Council is to be 18^th December. Ron will certainly be looking for specific changes and is contributing fully to the discussions with a view to bringing these changes about.

In January, Ron was informed that the minibus service which had been running from Kielder to Hawick on Wednesdays and Saturdays for several years had been withdrawn. This left residents in the Saughtree, Riccarton, Steele Road areas in particular without a link. He had several meetings with those responsible within the council for promoting bus services to press for a replacement service, and arrangements have now been made with Peter Hogg of Jedburgh to provide demand responsive transport between Saughtree and Hawick on Fridays only commencing 6 June. Passengers will have to contact Peter Hogg by telephoning 01835 863755 the day before to request the transport operates. DRT is possibly more commonly referred to as a ‘taxi bus’ service.

The service will leave Saughtree at approximately 11.15 to Hawick arrive 11.55. Return transport will leave from Hawick Mart Street at 13.50.

A leaflet will be produced showing the above information.

A response sent by those council officers to John Lamont MP who recently queried the situation states: ”We have been actively supported …. by Councillor Ron Smith who has provided valuable information at a time when information is at a premium”.

This has been a good outcome, but the service will only succeed if it is used. Please help by spreading news of it.

Hawick & Hermitage councillor Ron Smith met earlier this week with representatives of the Parks and SB Local staffs to work out a Management Plan for the Millers’ Knowes parkland. The hilltop attraction has suffered in recent years from financial cuts and environmental constraints which have seen paths become impassable in wetter conditions and gorse bushes leaving wide areas off-limits. The BMX track, the result of much work by enthusiasts and their parents and once well patronised, has also come to be overgrown by broom plants.

Ron has asked council staff to develop a programme for cutting back the overgrowth and reopening paths. In addition the proposals would see some paths resurfaced with environmentally friendly materials, more litter bins provided, and picnic tables placed at a range of suitable spots. It’s also hoped to extend the steps which already lead part of the way uphill from the Weensland Road gate.

No consideration was given to more formal facilities as the Millers’ Knowes is a natural parkland and it would be inappropriate to introduce artificial features, although the way would still be open for cycling enthusiasts to come forward with a plan for rejuvenating the former BMX track in some form in the future.

The central areas would remain as open grassland, while around the outskirts there would be linked paths for dog walkers and for those seeking exercise.

Ron did however sound a note of warning that users should accept some personal responsibility for keeping the parkland attractive. He stated: ‘ Youths were clearly camping on the hill one Friday evening recently and, while no one would argue with that, the remains of two tents, food containers and broken glass bottles ruined the football field area until council workmen cleared the debris on the Monday’. He went on: ‘Litter can be a major problem, especially when young drivers leave the evidence of their fast-food and their drinks where their cars have been parked on the crest of the hill’.

SB Local staff later took advice from the Council’s Wildlife Officer who advised that extensive cutting of the gorse on the hillside should wait until the end of the breeding season in August. Management of the overgrown pathways can be done now however if completed carefully and with no disturbance of nests.

Ron was mentioned recently at Holyrood, when John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Sustainable Growth was answering a question related to the reduction in business rates. He stated: ‘In the Hawick News . . . I read that the announcement of the small business bonus scheme was welcomed as ‘great news’ by Hawick & Hermitage councillor Ron Smith, who is – I happen to have heard – a Liberal Democrat.’ Conservative John Lamont tried to score points later by commenting that ‘the fact that the Lib Dems in the Borders warmly welcomed a move so strongly opposed by their parliamentary colleagues shows how confused and out of touch they are’.

Well, John (both of them). I don’t feel out of touch. I know that shopkeepers in my area welcome any move which helps them stay viable businesses. I know that the cut in business rates will help. I also know that the extra parking allowed by the One Way High Street and the extra traffic to the town generated by the Heart of Hawick project, the Reivers Festival, the farmers market etc. will also help. We have to make the High Street environment welcoming to the business community, to visitors to the town, and to our own townspeople so that they feel less need to travel elsewhere to shop.

I do have one gripe however and that is that many of our shops and businesses will not qualify for rates relief. It’s unfortunate that all premises operated by a firm, regardless of where in Scotland they are and what nature they are (as this includes storage premises), have to be added together when calculating rateable value, as it means that businesses which I would assess as small in Scottish terms are raised to a level where they gain only minimal benefit. The bands are set too low!

Recently, the ongoing problem has been wheeliebins! Not much can go wrong there you would think? However I’ve received comments recently from residents about problems with the wheeliebins.

These are being left out on the street all week round and so the pavement is congested, making it difficult for passers by, prams, etc., and just adding to an unattractive approach to the entries of tenements in particular.

In addition, difficulties are being noticed by the refuse collectors in that bags of all sorts are being mixed up in these bins, making it hard for them to identify what is to be cleared on the appropriate collection day.

Normal household waste in much of Hawick is collected on Tuesdays. The clear recycling bags for cans and plastic bottles etc., and the lilac bags for paper and cardboard are collected on Thursdays. Lilac bags, just for example, won’t ever be collected on Tuesdays! However if left out early they’ll be at risk of blowing about, or of being torn open.

It would be helpful if neighbours would only put out a bin or bags the night before they’re due to be collected, at the earliest. (It’s also a help if the bags are left separately – not within wheeliebins). If bins are then taken in again to the back court afterwards, the whole place will look better.

Unless this is tackled, the situation is going to become even more complicated from 31^st March when the garden refuse collections start again for the year!

I hope you will consider how you can help. I’ve delivered a letter seeking co-operation around one of the streets in the town and it’ll be interesting to see if anything changes! We’re all looking forward to seeing the town, and the street, look better as spring and summer arrive.

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.”

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.