Great Tapestry of Scotland: Tweedbank home decision contested

A bid is being made to reverse Scottish Borders Council's decision to help fund a permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland at Tweedbank.

The Scottish government has pledged £2.5m towards the scheme at one end of the recently-opened Borders Railway.

The local authority voted last year to allocate up to £3.5m to the project.

However, a petition gathered thousands of signatures against the move and councillors will meet this week to be asked to drop their financial support.

The council agreed the move to create what leader David Parker described as a "truly inspirational visitor centre" in December 2014.

The tapestry has been on tour for some time but it is hoped to give it a permanent home as near as possible to the Tweedbank terminus on the new rail line.

'Vanity project'

A council report described it as a "unique opportunity" for the Scottish Borders to have an "exhibition of national significance" with ties to the region's textiles traditions.

It estimated around 50,000 visitors a year would come to the facility which would bring money into the economy and create the equivalent of 17 full-time jobs.

The petition, with more than 4,000 signatures, claims the cost of the centre is "unacceptable" at a time when essential services are being cut.

It asks the council to overturn its decision to back the plan.

Among the complaints cited by opponents are:

• No serious investigation of alternative and cheaper sites

• A "poor level" of anticipated profits from the scheme

• Concern about the public's willingness to travel and pay to see something which has previously been free to view

They claim many residents believed it was a "vanity project" rather than one meeting a "calculated business need".

Councillors are due to meet on Thursday to decide whether to continue with the scheme.

What do you think? Should Scottish Borders Council pull the plug on plans for a permanent home for the Great Tapestry or would that be a "unique opportunity" missed? [e-mail].