Plea for more common riding cash as budget approved
Selkirk, UNITED KINGDOM - 17 June 2011: Selkirk Common Riding (Photo by Rob Gray / Freelance)
SOME of the extra money which has been set aside by Scottish Borders Council to assist the funding of “events” in the coming year should go to common ridings.
That was the plea from Selkirkshire SNP councillor Kenneth Gunn when the local authority met last week and approved a £264million revenue budget for 2012/13.
Reporting to Monday’s meeting of the community council, Mr Gunn said the main thrust of SBC’s spending programme had been to keep expenditure within the corcordat agreement [with the Scottish Government] which had seen a further boost for Borderers with the freezing of council tax for a fifth successive year.
“That’s good news, but there isn’t a lot of it about,” said Mr Gunn. “A late amendment by the administration at Newtown does see an extra £335,000 being put into the economic development pot for events.
“I made a strong claim at the council meeting for at least part of this sum to go to common ridings and festivals instead of new events.
“The common ridings have seen no increase in their grant for seven years and, in the knowledge these summer events bring millions into the Borders economy and cost the council very little to run, I feel now is the time we should be increasing their funding.”
During the SBC debate, Mr Gunn went as far as to suggest that some local festivals, run entirely by unpaid volunteers, “could go to the wall if something isn’t done”.
SBC leader David Parker said no council did more to support common ridings and local festivals, and he reminded Mr Gunn that it was the council who would pick up the tab for the controversial temporary traffic restriction orders (TTROs) which were now required by statute at the events.
“I believe Mr Gunn needs to do his homework and if he looks at the balances of common ridings he might get a surprise,” said Mr Parker.
He also revealed that there had already been 36 enquiries from local groups seeking funding to help with events celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
On Monday, Mr Gunn told community councillors that SNP councillors would, if in power after the May 3 election, replace SBC’s existing executive/scrutiny system with committees that would have representation from all political interests.
“The current system means only a few elected councillors have any input into what constitutes the budget and even those members of the ruling groups [Conservatives, Lib Dems and Independents] with no portfolio have no input.
“The opposition is criticised this year and has been for the past five years by this ruling elite because we have no alternative budget in place. With 11 months to work on the figures, that is a bit ‘holier than thou’ when the official opposition only gets to see the administration figures nine days before the budget meeting.”
In the event, attempts by Mr Gunn’s SNP group to take £1million out of SBC’s reserves to pay for a road realignment on the A72 at Dirtpot Corner near Cardrona, and to reinstate £25,000 for regular nightly inspections of street lighting, were roundly rejected by 23 votes to five.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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