Published: Friday, 26th February, 2010 1:08pm

Cashflow woe at Newlands

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Left to right: NCDT secretary, John Currie, SBC lottery officer, Jean Robertson, NCDT chair, Karen Blissitt and local councillor, Neil Calvert.

COMMUNITY leaders at Newlands are set to announce the firm who will help realise their dream.

A lengthy tendering process was completed last week for the professional team to deliver the £1.7 million community hub at the rural Peeblesshire primary school.

But it has emerged that funding for the ground-breaking facility by the Scotland Rural Development Fund won't be paid in time to meet contractors' ongoing invoices.

And a further £20,000 will be required to set up bridging finance from high street banks.

An appeal has been made for Scottish Borders Council to help by providing a £300,000 pot for Newlands Community Development Trust (NCDT) to dip into during the construction phases.

Although the bridging loan would only set back the local authority around £1500 it is unlikely this will be approved. And officials at Newtown St Boswells are currently investigating other methods of helping the finance process.

Jean Robertson, lottery officer with Scottish Borders Council, said: "We are working closely with NCDT to find a solution to this matter."

It has taken almost five years of campaigning and fundraising by community leaders around Newlands, Lamancha, Rommano Bridge and Kirkurd for the project to reach the building stage.

The trust was formed following a threat to close the rural 86-pupil school and merge it with West Linton.

In spring 2008, NCDT received £999,363 from the BIG lottery fund and in January 2009 was awarded £858,000 under the Scottish Rural Development Programme to create a community hub next to the school.

Tendering for the company to lead the project was concluded on Friday with a full planning application for the new building expected to be tabled within the next few months.

Karin Blissitt, chair of NCDT, told the Peeblesshire News: "We are hopeful we will get support from Scottish Borders Council but if we do have to find the money ourselves we somehow will. It will cost us money we don't have - and that's the problem. We hope to announce the name of the company who will oversee the project in the next week or so.

"It's astonishing how long it has taken - it was 2003 when we first tried to stop our school being closed. We are finally getting there - and the wait will have been worthwhile."

As well as the creation of a new community hall with fully equipped kitchen and dining areas, a dedicated nursery and playgroup will be built as well as adult learning, IT and library facilities.

Newlands Primary will also be refurbished by the council's education department.