PEEBLES was under consideration as a site for the Great Tapestry of Scotland, it has been revealed.

Discussions took place over the possibility of housing the tourist attraction’s new visitor centre in the Burgh Hall.

But last month Scottish Borders Council voted 21-10 in favour of putting £3.5m towards the £6m for a new visitor centre at Tweedbank, “I know that Councillor (Graham) Garvie was in talks about this and it was considered having the Tapestry in this building,” SNP councillor Stuart Bell told a meeting of Peebles Community Council in the Burgh Hall last week. “But Tweedbank was the only viable site for the trustees.” Councillor Bell admitted the council’s controversial decision to make the massive investment at Tweedbank could backfire.

He said: “We are in a situation where we have low wages and a lack of jobs and I think this will pay back in terms of benefits for the Borders. But it is a risk and we might be wrong.” At a meeting of Innerleithen Community Council last week, councillor Bell’s Conservative rival Gavin Logan argued that the £3.5m to be spent on the visitor centre was a waste of money.

Councillor Logan insisted it would have been better used on projects such as AIMUp, a mountain bike chairlift scheme near Innerleithen.

The community are now in the process of raising £5 million to fund the project which includes the construction of a visitor centre, an uplift for mountain bikes and a toboggan run.

The developers believe they can create a thriving outdoor sports community in the Tweed Valley supporting more than 100 jobs.

Peebles Community Council member Robin Tatler backed up Councillor’s Logan views and said: “We really should be looking at AIMUp, the jobs it brings will far exceed those at the Tapestry.” Councillor Bell, however, said AIMUp was not aimed at the same tourist market. “We haven’t got the structure behind AIMUp,” he said. “It would be a significant asset for the area but it’s a different demographic.”