Extra time needed for Hawick flood scheme contract

The process to find a contractor for the scheme has been extended by six months

Efforts to find a contractor to build a multi-million pound flood scheme in the Borders have been put back six months.

The extension to the procurement process in Hawick has been blamed on the "scale and complexity" of the scheme.

Scottish Borders Council said it would allow increased certainty for the development going forward.

A statement said the project team would work to minimise any impact on the final completion date for the work.

The defences in Hawick are expected to cost more than £44m in total and should be finished by 2022.

However, the contract process will now take longer than originally anticipated.

The council said the current clearance of trees and shrubs would be suspended to minimise the visual impact on the town.

An update on the scheme will be given to a community workshop in Hawick Town Hall on 6 December from 19:00 to 21:00.