A PEEBLES group will hold a special meeting in January after it emerged that the cost of a renovation project would be “an awful lot more” than expected.

Jedderfield Farm – a ‘common good’ asset – became available for lease following the death of its previous agricultural tenant.

In June it was revealed that Susanne McIntosh, the owner of the Kailzie Equestrian Centre in Peebles, was the chosen bidder.

It was agreed that the Peebles Common Good Sub-Committee would repair the bungalow at the site – at a cost estimated to be around £65,000 – while the tenant would be responsible for everything else.

But Tricia Hill, Scottish Borders Council’s estates surveyor, told a meeting of the group this week that “additional work” required at the bungalow meant the expected cost had spiralled.

“We’re expecting this to cost more than what was previously approved by the committee so we’ll need to get further approval,” she said.

Ms Hill said that tenders for the renovation work were out and would be returned on December 16.

She suggested a meeting in early January in order to give a prompt response to those tendering the work.