Interchange wins major regeneration award

The £5.2million scheme – the design of which was met with mixed reviews locally – was named Town Centre Regeneration Project of the Year at the Scottish Property Awards in Glasgow on Thursday, March 3.

The landmark building beat off competition from projects in Helensburgh and Lennoxtown to scoop the title.

A key element of the award submission was the involvement of a community stakeholder group. Involving various organisations, the group met more than 80 times.

Since opening on August 6, thousands of people have used the building to board the Borders Railway and access buses. The facility also aims to direct footfall into the town centre.

Other facilities in the TI include a café, seating, tourist information, bus and train real-time information and a railway ticket machine. There are also showers, toilets and bike lockers to promote cycling and walking.

However, the office space on the upper floors of the building have not been so universally popular, with the first external company to lease the space only moving in last month.

Scottish Borders Council’s (SBC) executive member for roads and infrastructure, Councillor Gordon Edgar, said: “The involvement of the community was vital to the project, and I am pleased the local organisations have been recognised as part of the successful awards submission. The award also recognises the excellent partnership working between SBC, Hub South East Scotland and the other organisations which worked on the TI.

“With the building hosting a business breakfast event on Friday, May 20, to highlight opportunities across the Borders, we can see the TI starting to deliver for the local community.”

Any business which wishes to attend or get involved in the business breakfast event should phone Michelle Aaen on 0141 309 4906 or email [email protected].