Common Good funds: assets, value and spending

Dear Ally Tibbitt

I acknowledge receipt of your request for information relating to the
above and shall respond within the relevant 20 working day period.

Yours sincerely

Information Management Team

Scottish Borders Council

0300 100 1800

[1][cyfeiriad ebost]

[2]Web | [3]Twitter | [4]Facebook | [5]Flickr | [6]YouTube

How are you playing [7]#yourpart to help us keep the Borders thriving?

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Your data: Information Requests

You can contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer using the contact
details for the Council as set out above or by email at [8][cyfeiriad
ebost].

We will use your information to process your information request. The
Council is entitled to collect and use this information under its
statutory duty to respond to Freedom of Information requests. 

Your initial request, response, related correspondence and other
supporting documentation will be destroyed in a secure manner 3 years
after completion of your request.

Your information will be accessed by Council staff who need to do so in
order to provide you with a response to your request. 

For information on your rights, please visit our website
[9]http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/DPYourRights

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References

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2. http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/
3. https://twitter.com/scotborders
4. http://www.facebook.com/sbcouncil
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6. http://www.youtube.com/scotborderscouncil
7. http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/yourpart
8. mailto:[cyfeiriad%20ebost]
9. http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/DPYourRights

Dear Ally Tibbitt

Further to your request for information under the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002 relating to the above I am now able to respond.

The following response was prepared and provided on behalf of Finance &
Corporate Governance:

I understand that the council must put together a Common Good Asset
register and specific account for Common Good funds.

In this context, I would be grateful if you could supply the following
information from the council:

1.       The Net Asset Value of the Common Good Funds administered by the
council in these financial years:
* 2007/08 – INFORMATION NO LONGER HELD ON FILE
* 2012/13 – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ATTACHED
* 2017/18 – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ATTACHED
* 2020/21 – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ATTACHED
* 2021/22 (if known) – NOT AVAILABLE

We refer to S17 of FOI(S)A 2002 where information is not held.

2. The online location of all available Common Good accounts for the
council.
[1]https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/2005...

3. The online location of the Common Good funds asset register. If it is
not online, then please supply it in an excel format, or another machine
readable, open format. It should not be supplied in pdf format files.

Scottish Borders Council does not yet have an established Common Good
asset register. The Common Good register was the subject of a public
consultation from December 2021 to March 2022, and the register will be
published as a result of this process by 30 September 2022.

A copy of the consultation (now closed) can be viewed at:
[2]https://scotborders.citizenspace.com/reg...

A copy of the asset list for each former Burgh, which formed the basis of
the consultation is attached (“CG assets lists”). An excel version of this
list, with valuations, is provided at ‘Finance CG list”.

4. An itemised breakdown of all debits from the Common Good account for
the last three financial years where finalised records are available,
showing the recipient, and summary purpose of each debit. This should be
supplied in Microsoft excel format, or another machine readable, open
format. It should not be supplied in pdf format files. – FILE ATTACHED

5. An itemised list of any Common Good assets that have been sold or
otherwise removed from the accounts in the last three financial years
where finalised records are available. This should show the revenue raised
by the sale, and details of the buyer. In the case of assets that were
otherwise removed from the Common Good fund, please provide a short
summary explanation of why they were removed. This should be supplied in
Microsoft excel format, or another machine readable, open format. It
should not be supplied in pdf format files.

Two assets were removed from the asset list for Galashiels in December
2021. These are:

- a small area of land at Netherdale, Galashiels which was mistakenly on
the Register (it is actually in third party ownership, having formed part
of Borders College for many years).

- Old Town Cemetery, Church Street, Galashiels was also mistakenly on the
Common Good list. Further investigation has shown that it came into the
ownership of the Council through the Church of Scotland (Property and
Endowments) Act 1925 and is not, accordingly, common good. It is owned by
Scottish Borders Council.

6. An itemised list of any Common Good assets that have been added to the
register in the last three financial years where finalised records are
available. This should include the value of the asset and a description or
location of the asset, and the date it was added. This should be supplied
in Microsoft excel format, or another machine readable, open format. It
should not be supplied in pdf format files.

The attached files (CG asset lists) show any assets which have been added
to the list during the past 3 years as highlighted in yellow. These
properties were previously understood to have been owned by Scottish
Borders Council in its own right. They have now been re-categorised as
common good assets.

7. An itemised list of any Common Good assets that are currently leased to
other organisations, including other council departments or public sector
bodies. This list should include summary details of the start and end date
of the lease, the lease holder, and the annual revenue that is raised from
the lease. This should be supplied in Microsoft excel format, or another
machine readable, open format. It should not be supplied in pdf format
files.

Leased common good assets are listed in the attached excel file ‘Copy of
FOI 387 Common Good Assets 11 May’. Where the tenant is a private
individual, their name has been withheld under section 38(1) of the
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

I should advise that you have a right to request a review within 40
working days from the date we respond to your request.  You should either
e-mail [3][cyfeiriad ebost] or write to the Information Manager, Scottish
Borders Council, Council HQ, Newtown St. Boswells TD6 0SA.

If after the Council’s FOI Advice Group have considered your review and
you are still not happy with the decision you then have a right to appeal
to the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner, you do this either
by visiting [4]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal  or by post to: 
Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9DS.

Yours sincerely

Molly Longstaff
for the

Information Management Team

Scottish Borders Council

Newtown St Boswells

TD6 0SA

E mail:  [E-bost cais Scottish Borders Council]

Tel: 0300 100 1800

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References

Visible links
1. https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/2005...
2. https://scotborders.citizenspace.com/reg...
3. mailto:[cyfeiriad%20ebost]
4. http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal