Travellers in Selkirk - Freedom of information requests
Title or Description
Travellers in Selkirk
FOI Number
293
Date Received
22/03/2022
Type of Request
FOI
Request or Question
I am a resident of Selkirk and am concerned at the situation over the past two years with the travellers being placed in Selkirk, Therefore can I please request a Freedom of Information (FOI) for the following.Since the start of the pandemic in early 2020:1* How much money has been received from the Scottish Government to meet the needs of the travellers.2* How much of this money has been paid to Live Borders who were forced to have them on the Victoria Park Selkirk.
3* How much damage has been done over the two year period and how much have the repairs been.
4* Have any monies been paid to the Selkirk Common Good fun who own the park.
5* How much has it cost to have porta loos, showers, lockers and skips placed in the park and serviced accordingly.
6* What is the estimated cost of any clean up that will need done after they leave.
The cost of creating a temporary site behind Ettrick Riverside Mill on waste ground.
How much money has been spent on preparation of the ground at this site. This should include
7* The cost of the survey done on the ground to make sure it was safe
8* Tree Surgeon, Hole Quest and Malcolm Davidson contractor.
9* The final estimated cost of the finished site and wither the money will come from the Scottish Government or out of Scottish Borders Council funds.
Response
1. I can confirm that Scottish Borders Council submitted a bid and were successful in securing funding totalling £30k in 2020/21 from Scottish Government – 'Winter Plan for Social Protection – Public Health Support to Gypsy/Travellers'.
The grant was to pay the costs of sanitation for roadside camps or other costs associated with supporting gypsy/travellers to follow public health guidelines during the period 23 October 2020 to 31 March 2021.
Any costs incurred in excess of this specific funding were covered by the Council's established Covid-19 Reserve Fund.
An allocation of £6k has been made available in 2021/22 from the Financial Insecurity Fund for site payments at Victoria Park in Selkirk in relation to gypsy/travellers. This is also Scottish Government funding.
All other costs incurred in 2021/22 have been funded from the Council's Covid-19 Reserve Fund (site fees, hire of portable toilets/showers and storage containers).
2. Live Borders have been paid a total, to date, of £71,970 for site fees and utilities. This covers the period from 7 May 2020 to 30 July 2021. These costs were partly funded by the grant award from Scottish Government with the balance coming from the Council's Covid-19 Reserve Fund. A further payment is due to Live Borders for the period up to 31 March 2022. This is forecast at £6k and will be addressed from the Financial Insecurity funding provided by Scottish Government.
3. Any routine maintenance and repairs have been picked up in the normal work schedules.
4. No
5. To date, costs for the hire of showers, toilets and storage containers amount to £80,753.70. These costs were partly funded by the grant award from Scottish Government with the balance coming from the Council's Covid-19 Reserve Fund.
6. This will be undertaken as part of the normal refuse/litter collection process.
The cost of creating a temporary site behind Ettrick Riverside Mill on waste ground.
External Design Costs (Electric and Water) - £1,360
Main Works (Aborted) – No valuation in from SB Contracts as yet.
7. Initial Site Investigation Works - £2,054.50
Phase 1 Preliminary Risk Assessment - £600
Phase 2 Site Investigation Works – Outturn Cost TBC but circa £20k
8. Advance Tree Felling and Vegetation Clearance - £4,000
