A PEEBLESSHIRE man has raised concerns that a new high school could 'miss the opportunity' to provide athletics facilities the region deserves.

Colin Woods, a committee member with the Moorfoot Runners, told Innerleithen Community Council on Monday evening (March 7) that concerns had been raised in the running club about the proposed athletics facilities as part of the new Peebles High School development.

At the meeting Mr Woods, who is also a co-opted member of the community council, expressed that the club has a long history of producing top-level athletes and hopes that the facilities at the high school will be optimised to benefit everyone.


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He said: "Peebles High School facilities are a regional hub for the whole of Tweeddale and the whole of Peeblesshire."

On the proposed facilities in the new build Mr Woods said: "It's a like-for-like change.

"They are going to build the new high school on the grass playing field at the same time as being able to demolish the old high school.

"At the moment there is a 100 metre, six-lane track, and effectively another track is being built and there's also a long jump track which at the moment is parallel to the 100 metre track and that is at right angles to the track.

"Those are the only athletics provisions which are included.

"The bottom line is we feel like it's a real missed opportunity."


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The meeting also heard that last week, Moorfoot coach Gregor Nicholson attended a meeting with architects and the design team behind the school.

Mr Woods added: "There is an integrated approach here.

"There's been discussions about enhancing the athletics facilities since 2014.

"The juniors who are using the high school at the moment have to run on the pavement and run through Victoria Park.

"There's no oval track, our expectation is that that won't be delivered, but there is an opportunity for a perimeter track which is an all-weather surface which is floodlit.

"We just want to make sure that this opportunity isn't missed at all."

The Moorfoot Runners also plan to write to the community councils covered by the geographic area seeking their support.

Independent councillor Robin Tatler and Conservative councillor Shona Haslam, who both represent Tweeddale East, committed to lobbying on the Moorfoot Runners' behalf, highlighting that budget and footprint would be deciding factors.


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Mr Tatler also highlighted an ongoing project which he hoped the Moorfoot Runners would join.

He said: "There is some other work going on about sports facilities across the whole of Peebles.

" I'm really keen to try and make sure that athletics clubs are involved in that process as well.

"At the moment it's the football, rugby, the cricket involved.

"To all community councils we should encourage them all to lobby on behalf of Moorfoot."