A MOTHBALLED Peeblesshire primary school could be transformed into a temporary community wellbeing hub.

That is one of the ideas for the Eddleston building being pitched to residents at an event this weekend.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) agreed to close the school last June after the number of pupils attending it fell to just four.

In response to a request from Eddleston Community Council, SBC has offered to lease part of the building to the community on a temporary basis, which could run until 2025.

The group has arranged an open afternoon and community consultation day to decide whether to take up the deal.

Community council chair Kirsty Peebles said: “Eddleston Primary is a well-appointed building in an outstanding setting with huge potential.

“Reopening as a council-run primary school or pre-school nursery would be our strong preference but we think it’s important to consider the alternatives if those don’t prove possible.”

She added: “The mothballing period offers an opportunity to consider alternative uses for the building on a temporary basis, to think about how we make use of the building in a way that benefits the community and to consider the future of village spaces in the longer term.

“This is the conversation we’re hoping to initiate on Saturday.”

Dance classes, music events, book groups, a co-working space and a library are all activities being imagined for community use of the building.

Running from 2pm until 4pm on Saturday (June 3), the open day will give many residents a first opportunity to spend time inside the school building.

COVID restrictions in the time running up to the school’s closure meant that access was limited while a number of families have moved to Eddleston recently.

The closure decision came after the council deemed it was no longer viable to run the school, which opened in April 1992.

It is hoped it will reopen in future if pupil numbers in the catchment area around it increase.

Students from Eddleston have in the past been transferred to Halyrude, Kingsland, Newlands, Priorsford and West Linton primary schools.

The school roll fluctuated between 63 and 51 between 1999 and 2017, but fell steadily in the last five years.

Approving the mothballing of the school last year, SBC executive member for education and lifelong learning Leagh Douglas said: “This should not be seen as the beginning of the end for Eddleston Primary School.

“While it will be sad to see this school mothballed it does appear the most reasonable option given the drop in numbers in primary age pupils.”