COMMUNITY leaders in Peebles are still waiting to hear whether their bid to buy part of the Kingsmeadows Estates has been successful.

Peebles Community Trust tabled an offer for the steadings and grounds but not the house itself by the July 3 deadline. And it insisted this week that it remained “optimistic” of realising its ambition to set up a community hub at the historic site.

The listed building and grounds owned by insurance and pensions giant Standard Life were on the market for £2.5m - half the asking price of a few years ago - before being put up for auction.

Peebles Community Trust decided it was not feasible to take on the 18th century building in the estate but hoped it might be able to work with a buyer of it. Crick Carleton, co-ordinator for the Trust, said: “We’ve heard nothing about our bid and it might be some time before we do. Presumably Standard Life are still working through the bids but we remain eternally optimistic that we will be able to go ahead with our plans.

“The general view is that most of the bids are likely to be contingent on the buyers gaining planning permission.

“We did originally want to make a bid for the house but the business model for the main house on the site was less obvious and it’s uncertain whether it would have been profitable to take it on. But there’s no reason why we could not work alongside a preferred bidder for the house.” Mr Carleton added that potential buyers might be put off by the possibility of Scottish Borders Council implementing a compulsory purchase order to build a bridge on or near the site.

The Trust’s own plans for the site include putting in a bridge to link with the network of footpaths and cyclepaths on the north side of the river. It is also proposing to use existing buildings for holiday accommodation and encouraging green business outlets to set up shop. Kingsmeadows House was built in 1795 as a baronial home and in recent years has been used as a country retreat for Standard Life employees. The 20-acre site comes with salmon fishing rights.