AS expected, a motion by the Conservative opposition group at Newtown to ditch the £3.5m capital spend on a new centre for the Great Tapestry of Scotland at Tweedbank was voted down yesterday (Thursday) by the ruling administration.

The nine Tory councillors wanted that cash, along with a £208,000 annual loan repayment from revenue, spent, instead, on roads maintenance.

However, a question mark still hangs over the Scottish Government’s commitment to contribute its share of £2.5m towards the £6, construction project near Tweedbank and the business case supporting the site remains under review.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said this week: “We have provided investment of £353m for the Borders Railway which has re-established passenger railway services between Edinburgh through Midlothian to Tweedbank for the first time since 1969.

The 30 miles of new railway and seven new stations has delivered major economic and social development opportunities and offered a fast and efficient railway.

“The Scottish Government has made a commitment to work with Scottish Borders Council and the Trustees of the Tapestry, as well as other funders, to support the creation of a visitor hub to deliver a fitting home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland and we have funding up to £2.5m earmarked in the proposed budget for this purpose.

“Any investment decision by Scottish Government remains subject to the submission of a fully robust business case.

“The due diligence process to review the business case is ongoing.”

Yesterday's decision at Newtown St Boswells has been welcomed by the trustees of the Great Tapestry - Alexander McCall Smith, Alistair Moffat, James Naughtie, Lesley Kerr, and Hugh Andrew.

In a joint statement they said: "Our responsibility is to ensure the well-being of the tapestry, the creation of more than a thousand stitchers who worked as volunteers for more than a year to create it.

"We also have a duty to those who wish to see this remarkable object and to preserve it for future generations. And the trust believes that Scottish Borders Council has produced the very best solution possible with a custom-designed building at Tweedbank.

"We were particularly anxious that this extraordinary story of Scotland should be easily available to Scots and visitors to Scotland and its location beside the terminus station of the Borders Railway will ensure that."