Action demanded to bring Hawick buildings back into use

Crumhaugh House, a former community hospital in Crumhaugh Road, has stood empty for three years, and the old Peter Scott knitwear factory in Buccleuch Street, has been unoccupied for 18 months since production ended there.

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Davie Paterson hopes the futures of both buildings will be resolved before 2018 is out.

He said: “I understand that Peter Scott’s has been bought and there are plans to convert it into accommodation for the elderly, but I have been informed by residents that live nearby that it is now being vandalised.

“Windows are being smashed at the side next to the car park.

“I have asked the council if they could get in touch with the owners and see if they could get them to repair or protect the windows and see if the building needs to be secured.

“If not, they could be faced with an even bigger bill.

“With Crumhaugh House, the health board were going to bring it back into use, but several of my constituents that live nearby were telling me of the problems that they had been subjected to in the past, and I passed these concerns on to the health board.

“That is possibly why they have reconsidered housing patients with mental health problems at this location, which my constituents and myself were unhappy with.

“I really think that the health board should be coming up with something to bring this building back to life for something for their own use or possibly sell the building off to be converted into a hotel.

“It’s not doing anyone any good just sitting there.

“It’s a state-of-the-art building which should be used for the benefit of the people that I represent.”