SBC still owe Selkirk residents £68k
Ally McGilvray • Published 16 Aug 2011 09:30
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Gordon Edgar and Dr Neil, chairman and vice-chairman of the community council, are pictured with Kirstin Scott outside Governor's House in Selkirk.
CASH-STRAPPED council chiefs still owe residents in the region thousands of pounds for selling off land which was gifted to them - almost six years after banking the money.
The Royal Burgh of Selkirk Community Council this week heard Scottish Borders Council is due the town's Common Good Fund £68,000 following the sale of the now developed Rosebank Quarry in September 2005.
It had previously been reported that the local authority had repaid the money which would more than double the estimated £50,000 currently in its coffers after it was confirmed it was a common good asset 16 months ago.
But, at their meeting in the Victoria Hall on Monday night, community councillors were told by local lawyer Kirstin Scott the cash was still "missing".
She has spent months trawling through the title deeds of dozens of Selkirk properties held by Scottish Borders Council in an effort to establish exactly which ones are rightfully common good fund assets.
And, last month, it emerged community councillors could go to court in its bid to have more buildings included in the town's register.
Commenting on the revelation this week, Dr Lindsay Neil, vice-chairman of the Community Council, said: "I think it's scandalous that the money which has been proven to belong to the town through the Common Good Fund has not been repaid."
The community council has already voiced its concerns about the council's proposals to combine all common good and trust funds under its control - including Selkirk - and appoint a fund manager in a bid to obtain better rates of return.
And, this week, it argued that all meetings of the Common Good Fund Working Group should be opened to the public to improve transparency and encourage more community involvement in future.
A spokesperson for SBC said: "A report is currently being prepared by council officers to establish principles which should apply in respect of council occupation of common good assets and associated financial issues arising from the ongoing review of these assets.
"It should be borne in mind that the receipt of £68,000 is only part of the picture and that very substantial sums have been spent by the general fund on common good property which would also need to be taken into account when looking at the financial issues."
This article appeared in Border Telegraph 16 Aug 11
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Leven Brown
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Aug 23, 12:25
Report commentDr Neil is spot on ...
If they can find the cash to award themselves generous pay rises, and they can allegedly find the cash to build a £multi million railway - they can find the money which they owe to Selkirk!
"A spokesperson for SBC said: "A report is currently being prepared by council officers to establish principles which should apply in respect of council occupation of common good assets and associated financial issues arising from the ongoing review of these assets.
"It should be borne in mind that the receipt of £68,000 is only part of the picture and that very substantial sums have been spent by the general fund on common good property which would also need to be taken into account when looking at the financial issues."
The usual nameless, faceless, unaccountable response but that aside doesn't it sound like a long winded version of 'We are trying to find some way of not paying you!' ...
Come on SBC! Six years is enough time to solve just about any issue - how much more time do you need?!
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