Peeblesshire News | News | Final Chapters

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Friday, 29th September, 2006 10:34

Final Chapters

By David Knox

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Library move to courthouse or hall rejected

PEEBLES library saga became a tale of two endings at yesterday’s (Thursday’s) heated council meeting.

Campaigners against taking books into the Burgh Hall were left celebrating after plans for the controversial relocation were dropped.

But the community group hoping to attract the public facility into the former courthouse was left disappointed.

Members of the Peebles Sheriff Courthouse Conservation Trust sat in the public gallery as a furious row raged in the council chamber.

But despite a spirited plea by the town’s three councilors – Nancy Norman, Graham Garvie and Catriona Bhatia – not to close the book on the trust’s ambitious plans, they were outvoted 18-13.

A saddened Ronald Ireland, chairman of the conservation trust, admitted this could be the final chapter. He told the Peeblesshire News: “I am very disappointed by the decision, although it was expected. We will have to sit down and talk things through, but it doesn’t look good.

“They have come up with excuse after excuse not to support us. They said they didn’t want to acquire any more property – the Trust would technically have had ownership of the building, not them, if they had supported us.

“They said they didn’t have a budget for this – we are not asking for money, only for them to consider the courthouse for relocating the library.”

Scottish Borders Council has been searching for a solution to the current cramped, and non-wheelchair friendly, library provision for some time.

Several options have been touted recently – with the emerging frontrunner to take the bookshelves downstairs and into the Burgh Hall.

Conservationists put their hat in the reading ring at the start of 2005 with a solution to solve two problems – find the library a better home and find a use for part of the redundant courthouse.

They were given a warm council welcome and plenty encouragement at the time, but 18 months later, and after tireless research and planning, they have been told where to go.

The council’s spokeswoman for libraries, Val Robson, openly apologised for wasting their time. She told yesterday’s meeting: “I take responsibility for this. I apologise to the Trust for not telling them almost two years ago that this was not an option.”

Even appeals by the local members, couldn’t win over enough of their colleagues.

During a fiery debate Graham Garvie blasted: “ I think this is an example of community government at its worst.

“Let’s enhance the whole concept of community government by involving the community of Peebles in the future of the library.”

While closing the book on the courthouse was met with anger and frustration, a similar fate for the Burgh Hall option was welcomed.

Councillor Nancy Norman told us: “We can take some satisfaction that they won’t pursue the option of putting the library in the Burgh Hall. It was a crazy idea that the whole of the town was against.”

And even the council leader David Parker conceded the hall option was unpopular. He said: “People in Peebles clearly don’t want the Burgh Hall to be used as a library. I have received hundreds of letters telling me this.”

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