Clinic with the diagnosis for raising footfall

The venture, simply called Chiropractor, is earmarked for the former Liz’s Gifts at 5 Douglas Bridge.

A planning bid has been submitted to Scottish Borders Council by Dr Donald Francis, who currently operates Tweed Chiropractic at 38 Gala Park and who signed a lease on the new property last September.

The Douglas Bridge unit has been unoccuppied since the short-lived gift shop closed three years ago.

However, over the course of the last eight years the property has been closed for seven years in total.

Dr Francis said: “The building has been empty for most of the last eight years. A retail shop, Liz’s Gifts, tried in 2016/17 and the lady lost a huge amount of money.

“There are two other units nearby, both owned by my current landlord Sava Estates, which are empty. In our current premises on Gala Park we currently see 350 patients per week. This would be expected to rise to over 500 during 2021 which would bring a significant footfall into Douglas Bridge and Channel Street, most of whom don’t currently shop in Galashiels. Our neighbour in Douglas Bridge is Specsavers who have been in their current location for approximately nine years. While they do retail glasses they are mostly a service provider. We retail insoles and vitamins but are mostly a service provider so I feel we are similar in that respect.”

Chiropractic is a complementary and alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system.