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Fears leisure centre closure plan pits 'town against town'

by Gavin
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A council has been accused of "setting town against town" as a consultation begins on the future of sport, leisure and cultural facilities in the Scottish Borders.

Dozens of sites run by charitable trust Live Borders on the local authority's behalf have been recommended for closure in a report by consultants.

Scottish Borders Council leader Euan Jardine stressed that no decisions had been made and they were seeking "constructive input".

However, Gill Cooper of Abbey Quilters – a community groups which use the Abbey Row centre in Kelso – said it felt like they were pitting towns and villages against one another in order to see which facilities were retained.

A range of community groups use the Abbey Row site in Kelso

Speaking after a meeting with other concerned groups at the site which consultants recommended for closure, she said: "We're absolutely disgusted at the questions they're asking on the consultation to be honest.

"All they're asking about is individual spaces and numbers – all they're trying to do is set the hall in Earlston against the hall in Kelso, against the hall in Jedburgh."

She said the council should be looking to invest in the cultural life of the region and places like Abbey Row were the "bedrock of that Borders life".

"Don't be setting town against town, village against village," she added.

"Instead, ask what we need in the Borders – what are we trying to achieve in our communities?

"Abbey Row has lots of activity every day, which support disability, mental health, dexterity, the loneliness index – I could go on and on. But they're not interested in that."

She said that the council had its priorities wrong if it was not prepared to invest in community life and suggested it could use the money from a 10% increase in council tax.

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