Musings from the Merse
Saturday, May 30, 2009
GOING THAT EXTRA MILE
Spurred on by their townee cousins in Westminster Scottish Borders Councillors have had their (relatively modest) expenses published-see the story here The biggest earner appears to be mileage claims for official travel-presumably within the Borders. And guess who is the largest claimant in these parts-yes, Big Jim Fullarton (see next para) who is of course rather isolated at home in the wilds of Coldingham. His portfolio includes Roads so no doubt he has to make a point of using them-even the track from Hell -the B6461
(East Berwickshire councillor expenses: Councillor Michael Cook (executive member for economic improvement) - salary £23,550, mileage £3,989, subsistence £10, telephone and ICT £1,276, other expenses £1,417, total = £30,242; Councillor Jim Fullarton (executive member for roads and infrastructure) - salary £20,478, mileage £6,291, telephone and ICT £1,094, other expenses £6, total = £27,869; Councillor David Raw (executive member for social work) - salary £23,550, mileage £5,163, telephone and ICT £1,137, other expenses £5, total = £29,855.
Mid Berwickshire councillor expenses: Councillor Trevor Jones (vice chairman planning and building standards) - salary £15,821, mileage £ 2,548, telephone and ICT £1,028, total = £19,397; Councillor Donald Moffat (chairman of scrutiny) - salary £17,663, mileage £2,868, telephone and ICT £1021, other expenses £351, total = £21,903; Councillor Frances Renton (chairman of Berwickshire Area Committee) - £15,821, mileage £3,680, telephone and ICT expenses £737, other expenses £94, total = £20,332)
But even given his responsibilities a mileage claim of £6,291,-at 40p a mile represents an awful lot of motoring in Borders Country on official business.
It is all official business isn't it?
Spurred on by their townee cousins in Westminster Scottish Borders Councillors have had their (relatively modest) expenses published-see the story here The biggest earner appears to be mileage claims for official travel-presumably within the Borders. And guess who is the largest claimant in these parts-yes, Big Jim Fullarton (see next para) who is of course rather isolated at home in the wilds of Coldingham. His portfolio includes Roads so no doubt he has to make a point of using them-even the track from Hell -the B6461
(East Berwickshire councillor expenses: Councillor Michael Cook (executive member for economic improvement) - salary £23,550, mileage £3,989, subsistence £10, telephone and ICT £1,276, other expenses £1,417, total = £30,242; Councillor Jim Fullarton (executive member for roads and infrastructure) - salary £20,478, mileage £6,291, telephone and ICT £1,094, other expenses £6, total = £27,869; Councillor David Raw (executive member for social work) - salary £23,550, mileage £5,163, telephone and ICT £1,137, other expenses £5, total = £29,855.
Mid Berwickshire councillor expenses: Councillor Trevor Jones (vice chairman planning and building standards) - salary £15,821, mileage £ 2,548, telephone and ICT £1,028, total = £19,397; Councillor Donald Moffat (chairman of scrutiny) - salary £17,663, mileage £2,868, telephone and ICT £1021, other expenses £351, total = £21,903; Councillor Frances Renton (chairman of Berwickshire Area Committee) - £15,821, mileage £3,680, telephone and ICT expenses £737, other expenses £94, total = £20,332)
But even given his responsibilities a mileage claim of £6,291,-at 40p a mile represents an awful lot of motoring in Borders Country on official business.
It is all official business isn't it?
Labels: Expenses, Scottish Borders Council
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Hubbly Bubbly £1.25 a cup?
It was inevitable that the newly installed Coffee Hub in Scottish Borders Council HQ would attract the attention of the regular letter writers to the Berwickshire; hence:
SIR, - Yet again I feel compelled to vent my frustration at the gross hypocrisy of our so called council and councillors.
It was reported last week in the local and national press and the BBC that SBC have just spent nearly £20,000 of our money on a “coffee hub”, this includes £13,657 on alterations and £3,123 each on two new dispensing machines. The new look hub replaces three self operated hot water machines.
The “Hub” is situated next to the debating chamber and dispenses free drinks to our councillors and guests, however, to us mere mortals it is £1.25 thank you very much.
Depute leader Alec Nicol tried to justify the expenditure by saying: “It follows longstanding dissatisfaction with previous arrangements expressed by members and officers alike and a desire from them for a more palatable alternative, provided through improved facilities”.
This is the same Alec Nicol, among others, who told a packed Drill Hall in Duns just three weeks ago that there had to be cuts and it was unfortunate that the renewal of the lease for the Drill Hall was one of them.
He is obviously of the opinion a “more palatable” free cuppa for him and his cronies is more important than providing a community hall in Duns.
Most people in their workplace have to pay for their own coffee through kittys or by bringing their own. Just what sort of arrogance leads them to believe they are above such practises?
The other councillors could learn a lot from Councillor Nicholas Watson who branded it “a waste of public money” and Councillor Davie Paterson who brings his own flask to meetings as a matter of principle.
I urge the people of the Borders to no longer accept these double standards and start asking questions of our council’s behaviour.
Councillor Nicol, wake up and smell the coffee, £1.25 please!
NIALL WHYTE,
£1.25 seems very reasonable to me
And now a flash from our motoring correspondent:
"This tale of the B6461 is, for once, not a tale of snail-like geriatric motorists.
"En route to Berwick last night in the early evening I was at the big bend due west of the Low Baldersbury sign. Towards me, riding at excessive speed and largely on the wrong side of the road (i.e. the bit with me on it) was a black clad motorcyclist. Not only that, but he was leaning in the direction opposite to the biker depicted on the tacky yellow sign. Blog readers are advised to proceed with caution."
Presumabaly he will have reached his destination by now?
BGH? Aka GBH?
It was inevitable that the newly installed Coffee Hub in Scottish Borders Council HQ would attract the attention of the regular letter writers to the Berwickshire; hence:
SIR, - Yet again I feel compelled to vent my frustration at the gross hypocrisy of our so called council and councillors.
It was reported last week in the local and national press and the BBC that SBC have just spent nearly £20,000 of our money on a “coffee hub”, this includes £13,657 on alterations and £3,123 each on two new dispensing machines. The new look hub replaces three self operated hot water machines.
The “Hub” is situated next to the debating chamber and dispenses free drinks to our councillors and guests, however, to us mere mortals it is £1.25 thank you very much.
Depute leader Alec Nicol tried to justify the expenditure by saying: “It follows longstanding dissatisfaction with previous arrangements expressed by members and officers alike and a desire from them for a more palatable alternative, provided through improved facilities”.
This is the same Alec Nicol, among others, who told a packed Drill Hall in Duns just three weeks ago that there had to be cuts and it was unfortunate that the renewal of the lease for the Drill Hall was one of them.
He is obviously of the opinion a “more palatable” free cuppa for him and his cronies is more important than providing a community hall in Duns.
Most people in their workplace have to pay for their own coffee through kittys or by bringing their own. Just what sort of arrogance leads them to believe they are above such practises?
The other councillors could learn a lot from Councillor Nicholas Watson who branded it “a waste of public money” and Councillor Davie Paterson who brings his own flask to meetings as a matter of principle.
I urge the people of the Borders to no longer accept these double standards and start asking questions of our council’s behaviour.
Councillor Nicol, wake up and smell the coffee, £1.25 please!
NIALL WHYTE,
£1.25 seems very reasonable to me
And now a flash from our motoring correspondent:
"This tale of the B6461 is, for once, not a tale of snail-like geriatric motorists.
"En route to Berwick last night in the early evening I was at the big bend due west of the Low Baldersbury sign. Towards me, riding at excessive speed and largely on the wrong side of the road (i.e. the bit with me on it) was a black clad motorcyclist. Not only that, but he was leaning in the direction opposite to the biker depicted on the tacky yellow sign. Blog readers are advised to proceed with caution."
Presumabaly he will have reached his destination by now?
BGH? Aka GBH?
Labels: Coffee Hubs, Scottish Borders Council
Monday, May 04, 2009
STORM IN A COFFEE HUB
AS you can read here Borders Councillors have been engaged in a fierce debate as to the cost and propriety of spending several thousand pounds on new coffee dispensing machines-or 'hubs' in council-speak. Me, I can't see what the fuss is about; no one can really operate at peak efficiency without a twice daily fix of caffeine-not that should be an 'issue' for our elected representatives-'peak efficiency' is less of an aspiration than an oxymoron in these parts. And a few thousand quid wasted on such extravagances pales besides the vast sums locked away in the frozen deposits of the Bank Icelandski.
The Depute (ugh) Leader who has a somewhat ponderous turn of phrase, as he might not put it, answered criticism with :
"It (installation of the Coffee Hub Facility) followed longstanding dissatisfaction with the previous arrangements expressed by members and officers alike and a desire from them for a more palatable alternative, provided through improved facilities"
A Palatable Alternative? NPI, Huttonian suspects
'How about a well stocked bar with drink at taxpayer subsidised prices?'
How palatable is that? Spirited discussions guaranteed. And for 'working hours' read 'Happy Hour' throughout
And the Council's efficient decision making mechanisms would certainly be
well oiled
AS you can read here Borders Councillors have been engaged in a fierce debate as to the cost and propriety of spending several thousand pounds on new coffee dispensing machines-or 'hubs' in council-speak. Me, I can't see what the fuss is about; no one can really operate at peak efficiency without a twice daily fix of caffeine-not that should be an 'issue' for our elected representatives-'peak efficiency' is less of an aspiration than an oxymoron in these parts. And a few thousand quid wasted on such extravagances pales besides the vast sums locked away in the frozen deposits of the Bank Icelandski.
The Depute (ugh) Leader who has a somewhat ponderous turn of phrase, as he might not put it, answered criticism with :
"It (installation of the Coffee Hub Facility) followed longstanding dissatisfaction with the previous arrangements expressed by members and officers alike and a desire from them for a more palatable alternative, provided through improved facilities"
A Palatable Alternative? NPI, Huttonian suspects
'How about a well stocked bar with drink at taxpayer subsidised prices?'
How palatable is that? Spirited discussions guaranteed. And for 'working hours' read 'Happy Hour' throughout
And the Council's efficient decision making mechanisms would certainly be
well oiled
Labels: Coffee Hubs, Scottish Borders Council
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Backwards to the Future
Huttonians do not traditionally show much sympathy or even regard for Paxtonians but one of the latter ilk is on the wrong end of one of the stupider planning decisions to issue from the lowheidyins of the planning office in Duns. Full saga can be found here
But if you want to avoid wading through faff, suffice it to know that a very junior planning officer, on her own initiative, it appears, has turned down a planned extension to an existing building on the grounds that it interferes with the privacy of a house yet to be constructed: rather like:
Yesterday upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today, Oh how I wish he'd go away.
You might say.
If she had bothered to look closely at the plans for the proposed extension and put them with the design of the house which is not there (and in the present climate likely to stay that way) she could have worked out that the only way that the privacy of the virtual house could be jeopardised by the not quite yet extension would be for some one in the room on top of the extension, when completed, to peer out of a window (someone should hold his legs) proposed to put in and by turning his head 78 degrees to the left and looking down at an angle of 97 degrees might just be able to see part of a corner of a room, as yet non existent, unless of course the eventually to be hung curtain was drawn. Then he could see nothing. Tough being a Peeping Tom in a future Paxton.
I suspect the appeal will find for the applicant. In which case one hopes a sharp rap on the real knuckles of the Planning Officer in question might remind her of the purpose of her office is to be helpful and constructive to Johnny Citizen and not a pain on the collective backside of the Merse community.
Dream on
Huttonians do not traditionally show much sympathy or even regard for Paxtonians but one of the latter ilk is on the wrong end of one of the stupider planning decisions to issue from the lowheidyins of the planning office in Duns. Full saga can be found here
But if you want to avoid wading through faff, suffice it to know that a very junior planning officer, on her own initiative, it appears, has turned down a planned extension to an existing building on the grounds that it interferes with the privacy of a house yet to be constructed: rather like:
Yesterday upon the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today, Oh how I wish he'd go away.
You might say.
If she had bothered to look closely at the plans for the proposed extension and put them with the design of the house which is not there (and in the present climate likely to stay that way) she could have worked out that the only way that the privacy of the virtual house could be jeopardised by the not quite yet extension would be for some one in the room on top of the extension, when completed, to peer out of a window (someone should hold his legs) proposed to put in and by turning his head 78 degrees to the left and looking down at an angle of 97 degrees might just be able to see part of a corner of a room, as yet non existent, unless of course the eventually to be hung curtain was drawn. Then he could see nothing. Tough being a Peeping Tom in a future Paxton.
I suspect the appeal will find for the applicant. In which case one hopes a sharp rap on the real knuckles of the Planning Officer in question might remind her of the purpose of her office is to be helpful and constructive to Johnny Citizen and not a pain on the collective backside of the Merse community.
Dream on
Labels: lowheidyins, Paxton, Planning, Scottish Borders Council
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Council bids to steer region through recession
is the front page lead in the Christmas edition of the Berwickshire As you can see from the story here imaginative and visionary measures are in place to steer the region through the worst recession since, well, quite a long time. Fear not,your council is on the ball, focused, proactive, positive, fearless and does not face election for three years. Throwing money at the problem a la Darling and that White Scot Brown, I perceive you think. Right.
Resigned sigh; how much?
£65,000.
£65,000?
Are we short of a few noughts?
Apparently not. In the prudent corridors of Newtown St Boswells they know how to make a few Muckles go a long way.
So it seems
But how? A carper carps
We will be producing new promotional material including a DVD and will develop a new, more business-oriented web presence," announced Councillor Vicky Davidson, SBC's executive member for Vision and Wishful Thinking-sorry-Economic Development
And then:
"Underpinning all this, we will carry out research and feasibility work to identify all opportunities in particular sectors and actively pursue them."
In this way we will miss the worst ravages of the recession. So we are told.
Money well spent. Ain't it?
'Bloody expensive DVD' said the guy from the Black Bull.
Might get it cheaper on Amazon?
(The image is of Newtown St Boswells, the beating heart of Borders decision making)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Borders Confidential
The 'Public Access' website detailing Scottish Borders Council Planning Applications carries this caveat:
NOTE: For reasons of confidentiality, Scottish Borders Council may choose not to display certain Planning Applications.
One wonders, does one not, what applications are to be shielded from public scrutiny in the Borders? WMD Installations? Nuclear Bunkers-might the IRA, for example, seek permission for a facility to put their weapons 'beyond use' outside Ireland.?
Huttonian knows of no examples of 'confidential' planning applications, but then he wouldn't, if they were confidential, would he?
There is one possible case where this rule might have been applied; Fishwick Special Branch's new Head Quarters. So secure was the planning process that the original application was shredded-before submitting to the committee-and for security reasons no copy was made. Moreover it was belatedly discovered that none of the councillors on the Area Committee had been security cleared so they would not have been allowed to see the planning application in any case, as it was classified Secret, Open Eyes Only and Loc Sen (Locally sensitive) The only planning official cleared to deal with classified documents, a certain Hajji Mustafa Ibrahim Renton was in Iran on holiday at the time (may still be there as there is no trace of him at Newtown St.Boswells when the Blog enquired under the Freedom of Information Act)
Planning Permission was therefore never given but as the secret plans for the facility were also destroyed and the exact site not allowed to be revealed to the builder it did not matter very much. So FSB still operate out of the spare room at the Hutton Think Tank Research Complex. Wherever
that may be.
(The image is possibly of one of the sites which may or may not have been considered for the new HQ. Or possibly not. Whatever)
Labels: Planning, Scottish Borders Council
Friday, February 15, 2008
Put Out More PETS
Great news for ardent green recyclers in the Borders-a major expansion in the sort of material that is now accepted 'kerbside'-aerosol cans for example but more significantly all types of (transparent) plastic (not just PET 1 and PET 2) including cling wrap and plastic bags(although, curiously not black ones. So you can recycle your wheelie bin but not the bin liner)
Good news indeed but why so coy about it. There is a small news item on page 12 of the Berwickshire and a little self congratulatory piece on www.scotborders.gov.uk/recycling and thats it. So I suspect that not many people know about this great leap forward. So why not tell them? A letter to all households on recycled paper perhaps?
Ironically there has just been a new issue of the appropriate recycling plastic bags. But the out of date ones with the old highly restrictive categories of what was permissible:No doubt the newly labelled ones will be out in a years time. So if people have doubts as what to do with their inaccurately labelled clear plastic bags-Hutton Think Tank's (HTT) advice is :
Recycle them.
(The image is of a recent recycling exercise involving HTT's files)
Labels: Recycling, Scottish Borders Council
Saturday, December 29, 2007
No Truck with Death?
I don't think this letter to last Thursday's Berwickshire was written by the deceased (to Mr Callum Hay of the Scottish Borders Council) -although she (we know this)seems to be something of a funeral groupie given past correspondence with the highheidyins ic Borders cemetries.
SIR, - As director of technical services with Scottish Borders Council I would like you to explain the following.
Why, despite me having raised this issue numerous times with your department over the past few years (and know personally of others who have done likewise) Scottish Borders Council employees continue to show no respect for bereaved families at Eyemouth Cemetery?
I refer to the intrusion of a large, yellow, SBC truck being left in the middle of the cemetery, while a funeral is in progress. Mourners and funeral transport are left to detour around it, with people having to walk over paths and graves, which are often treacherous for those who are not sure foooted.
Are your employees completely insensitive, or just sheer lazy? Everyone in Eyemouth is aware the nearby carpark cannot accommodate the truck during busy times, but just what is stopping the driver* moving it to the nearby industrial estate and returning later?
The state of the cemetery is bad enough with very uneven paths and no running water in the new area without the indignity of having the said truck during any funeral. Maybe this letter will finally make a difference!
Funerals are much jollier affairs across the water-Ireland not France in this instance and an intrusion by a council truck presumably involved in the upkeep of the cemetry would raise few hackles and might even attract some applause. My favourite account of one of these unsolemn occasions appeared in the Cork Examiner a few years back:
"One of the mourners dropped dead at the graveside and this cast an air of gloom over the proceedings"
SBC Technical Services:
Follow that.
(* Might it have been his funeral? Just a thought. Blog-ed)
I don't think this letter to last Thursday's Berwickshire was written by the deceased (to Mr Callum Hay of the Scottish Borders Council) -although she (we know this)seems to be something of a funeral groupie given past correspondence with the highheidyins ic Borders cemetries.
SIR, - As director of technical services with Scottish Borders Council I would like you to explain the following.
Why, despite me having raised this issue numerous times with your department over the past few years (and know personally of others who have done likewise) Scottish Borders Council employees continue to show no respect for bereaved families at Eyemouth Cemetery?
I refer to the intrusion of a large, yellow, SBC truck being left in the middle of the cemetery, while a funeral is in progress. Mourners and funeral transport are left to detour around it, with people having to walk over paths and graves, which are often treacherous for those who are not sure foooted.
Are your employees completely insensitive, or just sheer lazy? Everyone in Eyemouth is aware the nearby carpark cannot accommodate the truck during busy times, but just what is stopping the driver* moving it to the nearby industrial estate and returning later?
The state of the cemetery is bad enough with very uneven paths and no running water in the new area without the indignity of having the said truck during any funeral. Maybe this letter will finally make a difference!
Funerals are much jollier affairs across the water-Ireland not France in this instance and an intrusion by a council truck presumably involved in the upkeep of the cemetry would raise few hackles and might even attract some applause. My favourite account of one of these unsolemn occasions appeared in the Cork Examiner a few years back:
"One of the mourners dropped dead at the graveside and this cast an air of gloom over the proceedings"
SBC Technical Services:
Follow that.
(* Might it have been his funeral? Just a thought. Blog-ed)
Labels: Cemetries, Scottish Borders Council
Sunday, December 09, 2007
New initiative to stamp out dog fouling
"We Bag it, tie it and bin it" is the 'Curb your Cur' slogan of the month launched by the Scottish Borders Council in yet another 'initiative' -how many has Huttonian witnessed in the last ten plus years? . Hawick and Peebles are apparently the Borders (Dog) Crap towns. The full story in the Berwickshire is as follows:
SCOTTISH Borders Council's new campaign to stamp out dog fouling was unveiled earlier this week.
The council is targeting dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs in public places and they are being told to 'Bag it, Tie it, Bin it'.
New patrols will be enforcing the law across the Scottish Borders, focusing initially on Peebles and Hawick.
"It is important that dog owners are aware of their responsibilities and clean up their dog's dirt so that no-one's health is put at risk," said Councillor Len Wyse, executive member for environmental services.
"They can dispose of it in their bin at home or in any public litter bin. Stamping out dog fouling also means everyone will be able to enjoy our public places without worrying about what mess is lurking in their way."
The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 means that fixed penalties of £40 can be issued on the spot to people who do not clean up after their dogs.
Dr Andrew Riley, director of public health at NHS Borders, said: "We welcome and support this initiative. Apart from dog fouling being unpleasant to see and on occasion to stand in, it can also be a health hazard. Some of the illnesses it causes can be serious, so prevention is very important.
"Picking up your dog's dirt should be an everyday habit. But remember that when you have handled any animals, including dogs, it is important to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water."
Lothian and Borders Police confirmed that, if there is sufficient evidence, owners of dogs that foul in public places who do not clean it up will face a fixed penalty notice. Alternatively, offenders will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
To encourage people to clean up after their dogs, the council is giving away a limited number of free dog waste bags.
They can be picked up at council contact centres and area offices.
People who have a dog fouling problem in their area can call free on 0800 376 1030 or email dogfouling@scotborders.gov.uk to report it.
More details about the campaign can be found at www.scotborders.gov.uk/dogfouling, plus a new leaflet 'Dog fouling: you and the law' has been published by the council and will be distributed widely.
The image with the article is captioned
BAG IT AND BIN IT: Izar the Border terrier with owner Andrea Shearer and friends at the launch of Scottish Borders Council’s new campaign
So now we have a canine Poo Izar to encourage his colleagues not to defecate indiscriminately and only to do so near a fully paid up bag carrying humanoid.
I am told that the headline originally read : New initiative to stamp on Dog Fouling but a sharp eyed sub got there before the press run.
A pity.
Labels: Dog Poo, Scottish Borders, Scottish Borders Council
