Scottish Borders Council is to set its 2017/18 budget later this week.
Roads, bridges, school, flood protection works and economic development will be the key areas of focus once the budget is agreed on Thursday, 09 February.
As well as a £1.3 billion five-year revenue plan, key highlights of the council's £321 million 10-year capital plan include:
• £14.2m additional funding for essential works to roads and key bridges, taking roads capital funding to £67m over 10 years
• £3.2m additional funding for the £38m Hawick Flood Protection Scheme
• £400,000 additional funding to improve parks and open spaces
• £500,000 to improve Council commercial premises
• £6.2m additional funding for energy efficiency works in the Council estate, to improve the efficiency and reduce carbon emission
• £7.5m to fund the works highlighted by the School Estate Review, taking total investment in the school estate to £77.7m over 10 years
• £1.4m to upgrade adult services facilities, including Council-owned care homes
• £500,000 to upgrade Council-owned public halls
• £500,000 for a 3G sports pitch in Jedburgh
• £800,000 to support the regeneration of Eyemouth
• £800,000 to renew the waste management fleet.
Council Leader David Parker said: "The budget we are putting forward on 9 February reflects our ongoing commitment to protect frontline services, and deliver significant investment for the Scottish Borders.
"This includes maintaining teacher numbers in our schools for the next year, continuing our ambitious plans to attract people and businesses to locate here, modernising the way we work, and a capital programme which will benefit the whole of the region.
"Like other local authorities, we are facing financial pressures as a result of decreasing public funding and increased demand on our services. However, thanks to our sound transformational and financial plans over many years, we are in a much better position than we might have been given the economic climate."
(LM/MH)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
22/11/2024
SP Energy Networks has announced a major investment in Britain's electricity grid, selecting 19 preferred partners to deliver a £5.4bn supply chain programme. This significant initiative aims to meet increasing energy demand and facilitate future growth. The selected companies, many of which are ...
22/11/2024
Edinburgh City Council has launched a 12-week public consultation on a new strategy to revitalise Princes Street and the wider Waverley Valley. The vision aims to create a more vibrant and welcoming city centre, attracting investment, supporting businesses, and enhancing the visitor ...
22/11/2024
Ener-G Services Limited, a leading UK electrical engineering company specialising in renewables, marine, and offshore sectors, has expanded its operations in Westhill, Aberdeenshire. The company has leased Unit 6E at Kingshill Commercial Park, a 2,500 sq ft space, on a 5-year lease. This new ...
22/11/2024
A consortium of leading scientists, industry experts, and academic institutions has joined forces to accelerate Scotland's offshore wind sector. The £2.5 million project, led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the University of Dundee and the Forth and Tay Offshore cluster (FTO), ...
22/11/2024
The Port of Aberdeen and Turner & Townsend were highly commended in the 'Engineering, Construction & Infrastructure Project of the Year' category at the APM Project Management Awards 2024. The award recognises excellence in project management and the positive impact on end-users. The £420 million ...
22/11/2024
South Lanarkshire Council's £10 million fire safety improvement programme has reached a significant milestone, with CCG (Scotland) completing installations in over 1,700 high-rise residences across East Kilbride and Cambuslang. The Glasgow-based construction firm has been working closely with the ...
22/11/2024
SSEN Transmission, a key player in the UK's energy transition, is set to further expand its workforce and move into a new, sustainable office space in Glasgow. The company's commitment to net zero and the increasing demand for green energy workers has led to significant growth, with the number of ...
22/11/2024
Scottish Water is investing in the upgrade of its Loch Eck clean water plant in Dunoon. The project involves replacing outdated dry well pumps with new, more reliable pumps capable of operating in both wet and dry conditions. WGM Engineering, an RSK Group company, has been tasked with carrying out ...
22/11/2024
Scottish Land & Estates has expressed serious concerns over the Scottish Government's Land Reform Bill, particularly the provisions that would allow ministers to force landowners to sell large estates in lots. Sarah-Jane Laing, the organisation's chief executive, stated that while the land-based ...
22/11/2024
Clark Contracts employees have once again shown their commitment to community engagement by volunteering at Silverburn Park in Leven. On Thursday, 21st November, 16 members of the team spent their day planting over 400 trees and carrying out other landscaping tasks. This latest volunteering effort ...