Environment and Infrastructure

Overview

The Environment and Infrastructure Department will provide an integrated approach to the development of the Borders, its regeneration, the environment, transport and the economy and the delivery of responsive and customer focussed operational services on the ground to support these.

Economy and Environment

The Economy and Environment Service brings together the Council's economic development and built and natural heritage functions, providing the focus for the Council's regeneration activities.  The Service also establishes a new focus for the Council's energy economics and climate change activity.  It has a clear purpose supporting the future competitiveness and prosperity of the Scottish Borders' economy and protecting, enhancing and promoting its environment.

Planning and Regulatory

Planning and Regulatory Services brings together all of the Council's existing statutory planning and building standards functions with all environmental health and trading standards functions.  In addition, some elements of the existing transport and roads functions will be delivered from within the new service.

Engineering and Infrastructure

Engineering and Infrastructure focuses on the management and maintenance of the roads, bridges and lighting infrastructure, from asset and network management through design and on to implementation on the ground of planned maintenance and major infrastructure works through SBc Contracts.   The provision of Fleet Management Services and the Passenger Transport function also sit within this service and are undertaken for the Council as a whole.

Neighbourhood Services

Neighbourhood Services will provide reactive and planned roads maintenance and delivery of Winter Services together with the functions of Parks and Open Spaces, Street Cleansing, Burials and SB Local.  Refuse Collection, Waste Disposal and Community Recycling Centres will also be part of this Service.

What we can do for you?

Economy and Environment

• Economic Strategy
• Learning & Skills Strategy including Employability Coordination
• Rural Development, (forestry, agriculture, fishing)
• Business Gateway and Business engagement
• Employment land servicing and development
• Inward Investment
• Social Enterprise
• Local procurement / supplier development
• Research and data
• Regeneration and stakeholder engagement, Town centres / High Streets / Small Towns
• Low Carbon Economy
• Carbon reduction
• Climate change
• Built heritage, Urban Design
• Arboriculture, Landscape Design
• Biodiversity, Archaeology
• Strategic / External /European funding
• Tourism & Events
• Core path planning, Countryside Access and Paths to Health

Planning and Regulatory

• Strategic and Local Planning, including Open Space Strategy
• Strategic Transport Planning
• Development Management
• Building Standards
• Planning Appeals and Local Reviews
• Planning and Building Standards Enforcement
• Strategic Environmental Assessment
• Developer Contributions
• Roads Development Control
• Roads Construction Consent
• Trading Standards
• Environmental Health including:
  • Premises, food hygiene, infectious diseases and health and safety inspections
  • Air quality and private water supply monitoring and noise control
  • Pest control and stray dogs
  • Contaminated land

Engineering and Infrastructure

• Strategic Asset Management, Planning of Engineering Infrastructure and Road Network
• Asset Management Planning of Roads, Bridges, Lighting, CCTV, Parks, Flood and Coast Protection Defences, Parks & Open Spaces, Cemeteries, Play & Sports Areas
• Major Planned Roads Maintenance work, inc. carriageway / footway resurfacing, bridges / structures, drainage, street lighting
• Traffic/Network Management and Road Safety
• Management of Winter Service Plan
• Major Infrastructure Project Management
• All Engineering Design
• Engineering Construction Management
• All Building Design/Construction Management
• Major Contracts Construction for internal/external clients
• Fleet Management, including vehicle acquisition, maintenance and disposal
• Delivery of Passenger Transport
• Management of supported public bus services

Neighbourhood Services

• Bereavement Services
• Reactive maintenance work - street cleansing and graffiti removal, litter picking, fly-tipping, grounds maintenance, minor road repairs
• Routine maintenance work - grounds maintenance,  street cleansing, toilet cleansing, roads works
• Planned roads and environmental schemes/maintenance
• Routine road maintenance work, including gully emptying, verge cutting, weed control, sweeping, traffic signs / road marking, safety inspections, street lighting
• Provision of Core Winter Service and dealing with other Emergencies
• SBLocal rapid reaction service
• Recycling of construction materials
• Waste collection, recycling and green waste
• Waste Minimisation, Re-use, Recycling & Disposal Strategy
• Carbon Management
• Recycling promotion and implementation
• Waste Disposal and treatment
• Community Safety Team, SB Wardens 
  

Facts and figures

Environment and Infrastructure has a budget of £31 million and 945 fulltime equivalent employees.

The Roads, Parks, Cleansing, SBLocal and Refuse Collection services operate from depots located throughout the Scottish Borders area.

Waste Disposal/Recycling: 
Refuse Disposal Site at Easter Langlee, Galashiels
Recycling Centres at Galashiels, Hawick, Selkirk, Duns, Eshiels (Peebles) and Eyemouth.