By Marshall Douglas

Community councils

THE work of community councils throughout the country continues to provide an essential and valued first tier of democratic accountability within our communities, both fostering and encouraging the communal identity of individual localities. The commitment required by the volunteers who work in our community councils is to be applauded and recognised for the great value that it brings. That commitment is not however without some cost in terms of the time and energy that needs to be expended. Innerleithen Community Council in particular is feeling that strain with key office bearers deciding to stand down for a variety of personal reasons resulting from the pressure of balancing the role with other commitments. Anyone wishing to join Innerleithen and District Community Council who lives within the communities of Innerleithen, Traquair, Glen and Cardrona should contact any member of the community council, myself or either of my SBC colleagues in Tweeddale East.

Area Partnership

IT was a great pleasure to chair the recent meeting of the Tweeddale Area Partnership and to be able to discuss a wide range of issues important to our communities, including the future provision of youth services across Peebles and throughout Tweeddale, the opening of the new youth shelter in Victoria Park, an update from the Tweeddale Flood Advisory Group, assessment panel recommendations and discussion of the criteria for making applications to the Neighbourhood Support Fund. The promotion of ebiking at Walkerburn and the provision of assistance with the teaching of English as a second language were also discussed along with an update on the latest news from the project team at the Chambers Institution. The point was made that the Chambers

Institution is for the whole of Tweeddale not just Peebles and that it should be used and enjoyed by all. The future shape of area partnerships was also discussed in a series of round table discussions concerning future topics, agenda setting, use of technology and the involvement of partners as well as the composition and governance of area partnerships. The results of these deliberations will be collated and form part of the ongoing consultation process.

Asset transfer

THE public consultation period for the planned asset transfer of the Old Railway Building in the Eastgate car park to Peebles Community Trust will be going public from Saturday, running for 20 days until April 29. Full details are available on the SBC website and in the library and contact centres.

Contact

DUE to the parliamentary recess, my next surgery will be at Tesco in Peebles with Christine Grahame MSP on Friday, June 14 from 11 am until noon. Constituents can of course contact me at any time with any issues or problems by using the following contact details: Contact me by telephone at 0300 100 0220; email marshall.douglas@scotborders.gov.uk