Great Tapestry of Scotland: Tweedbank home reversal bid fails

A bid to get Scottish Borders Council to drop plans for a £6m permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland at Tweedbank has failed.

The authority considered the 4,000-signature petition against the project but decided to take no further action.

The planning application for the scheme will now be considered next week.

The Scottish government has pledged £2.5m towards the project but the council voted last year to allocate up to £3.5m.

Opponents raised concerns about the location of the facility and the amount being spent at a time when other services were being cut.

The local authority examined their concerns at a meeting but decided to proceed with the plans for the centre.

Brian McCrow, who helped lead a petition against the plans, said the decision was "not a surprise".

He added: "I am disappointed - I hoped they would have listened to the rational argument that was put forward."

He said he hoped the planning committee might still look at another site.

Council leader David Parker said elected members had considered the petition "very carefully".

"We had a very long debate about the evidence as to why we are supporting this project," he said.

"We were able to discuss all of the arguments of the petitioner.

"At the end of the day the majority of elected members felt that the project should still be supported because the evidence that underpins it is sound."

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