Scottish Borders Council
www.scotborders.gov.uk

Scottish Borders Council scores 5/10.

It administers, according to its own Accounts, the Common Good Funds for 8 burghs in the Borders. There, are, however, 12 former burghs and thus there appears to be no Common Good Funds for
  • Coldstream
  • Eyemouth
  • Innerleithen
  • Melrose
Scottish Borders Council supplied draft maps of properties held in Duns, Galashiels, Hawick, Lauder, Melrose, Peebles and Selkirk. (which raises the question as to why there is Common Good property in Melrose yet no Common Good Fund - there should be one). These maps were precise and detailed and included a key to each property.

Scottish Borders Council has been at the centre of ongoing contorversy over its management of Common Good asets. Arguyments are running in Selkirk and Peebles currently, and the Council was the subject of criticism in an audit report commissioned by Audit Scotland (click here for a copy).

Nevertheless, the Council appears to be making some efforts to update records. Management issues, however, remain unresolved.

Extract of Common Good account from the 2005/06 Accounts of Scottish Borders Council
Extract of Common Good account from the 2006/76 unaudited Accounts of Scottish Borders Council

5/10