PLANS to hand Scottish Borders Council (SBC) chief Tracey Logan delegated control of decision-making are expected to be rubber-stamped this week.

It comes hot on the heels of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s instruction that everyone in the UK should spend most of their time at home in order to counter the coronavirus outbreak.

But on Thursday (March 26), in an unprecedented move, proposals to temporarily delegate the local authority’s decision-making responsibility to the Chief Executive will be passed.

Council meetings in Newtown St Boswells will be cancelled until September 30, with the exception of vital committee meetings which will be done through video-conferencing.

SBC chief legal officer Nuala McKinlay stated: “As the virus makes a wider impact on public life, Scottish Borders Council must consider how to respond.

"In taking any decision to protect health by limiting social contact, it must also ensure processes are in place to enable it to continue to make urgent decisions.

“In order to allow decisions to be made, it is proposed that all those decision-making functions of council which can lawfully be delegated, be delegated to the chief executive to be made in consultation with members and relevant senior officers.”

It is also proposed that any committee meetings which do need to take place between now and October will be held via remote video links.

Ms McKinlay added: “The Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 allows a local authority to vary that process and conduct a meeting by other ways. It therefore allows members to attend a meeting remotely by use of electronic means.”