Description (brief history)
The Scottish Borders is a distinct geographical, administrative, and cultural entity within Scotland which sits on the border with Northumberland. The area has a high quality and distinctive environment that covers 4,731 km2. This represents almost the whole of the catchment area of the River Tweed. With the exception of the east, which is bounded by the coastline, the area is surrounded by a horseshoe of hills.
The key strengths of the Scottish Borders continue to lie in the strong entrepreneurial tradition, the natural assets of the area and the high quality of life offered by the Borders. However, persistent areas of weakness include the low value-added nature of much of the local economy, ongoing infrastructural issues and gaps and the uneven distribution of opportunity.
The Scottish Borders with a population of around 110,240 is the third most sparsely populated local authority area in Scotland, and one of most sparsely populated areas in the European Union. It has a population density of 23 per km2.
Within the Scottish Borders there is no city or conurbation that forms a central focal point. Hawick (14,200) and Galashiels (12,300) are the two largest towns. Over two thirds of the population live outwith these towns (and one third lives outside settlements of 1500). The small towns act as centres of economic activity and service centres for the surrounding rural areas.
The Scottish Borders is entirely dependent on road transport and has no rail links. Most of the area is also remote from the principal transportation communications network in the UK.
When it comes to the residents of the Borders there is a great deal of civic pride, energy and community spirit amongst the communities alongside a wide and varied voluntary sector. Research shows that the Scottish Borders has above average numbers of voluntary organisations per 1,000 people, compared with other Scottish local authority areas. There is however a marked ageing of the population in the Scottish Borders. This is evidenced by the high proportion of the population over pensionable age. There has been a continuing out-migration of young people in the 15 to 29 age category.
Activities
Innovation Area: Diverse and Sustainable Rural Businesses
Aims: A more inclusive approach to business development opportunities, involving a greater and wider range of small and micro businesses and social enterprises, focused on the delivery of clear economic benefits for the local area. Better cooperation between businesses, and between sectors. Better utilisation of local natural, cultural and community assets while fostering an entrepreneurial approach to take advantage of all of these opportunities. Focus on quality services and products.
Innovation Area: Inclusive Rural Economy
Aims: Making the Scottish Borders a more attractive place to live, learn and work, and promoting that more widely, to encourage the young to stay and come back, and attract economically active incomers, ultimately creating a broader working age demographic.
Innovation Area: Distinctive Local Products
Aims: Development and strengthening of product quality and marketability, and through this the range of products produced locally. Strengthening linkages and understanding between businesses which produce and supply regionally distinctive products.
Innovation Area: Enhanced Natural, Built and Cultural Environment
Aims: Securing positive changes in the way in which these assets are identified and valued in the community. Realising the full potential of these assets. Building on this to develop new approaches to capitalise on these assets for economic and community benefit.
Innovation Area: Cohesive and Sustainable Rural Communities
Aims: Provision or enhancement of community facilities, support for civic and community involvement, participation and engagement resulting in positive and sustained attitude change re community involvement and community confidence.
Innovation Area: Innovative and Integrated Community Services
Aims: Organisational culture change which recognises and focuses on the need to find ways to improve service delivery and broaden access.
Aims & Objectives
The key Scottish Borders LEADER Programme “Innovation Areas” are:
- Progressive Rural Economy
• Diverse and sustainable rural businesses
• Inclusive rural economy
• Distinctive local products
- Revitalising Rural Communities
• Enhanced natural, built and cultural environment • Cohesive and sustainable communities • Innovative, integrated community services
LEADER will be available throughout rural Scottish Borders. Priority target groups will be:
• young people • women • micro businesses • under-employed • people in more remote rural areas or with accessibility difficulties
This Scottish Borders LEADER Programme has incorporated a number of sustainable development principles as horizontal themes. This will mean that every project applicant will have to demonstrate how their project contributes to innovation, community involvement and sustainable development.
The initial focus of joint ‘Action 2’ projects will be with the neighbouring areas in Scotland and England, building on the cooperation projects developed through the LEADER+ Programme. This will focus on projects developed in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, Northumberland and Cumbria. In addition links will be strengthened with LAGs in the Highlands and Islands where there are similarities in approach to rural development. It is also intended that opportunities will be taken to further develop transnational projects with communities in other EU countries, including links already established with Sweden and Ireland.