Bungalow standing in way of £44m Hawick flood defences to be demolished

Scottish Borders Council planners have agreed to the demolition of Teviot Lodge in the town’s St George’s Lane, a bungalow built in the 1970s.

The site will be redeveloped as public space to provide a ramped access to a raised-level replacement for the footbridge to the Common Haugh used by Hawick High School students to get to their bus pick-up and drop-off points.

An underground pumping station also part of the flood scheme is to be built there too, having already secured planning permission.

Hard landscaping will be provided to ensure the redeveloped site fits in with the town’s conservation area.

Though the current house is a modern bungalow, the land it was built on once formed part of the grounds of the original Teviot Lodge, owned by William Elliot, the developer responsible for the town’s Tower Mill.

Following the redevelopment and expansion of Hawick High, the original Teviot Lodge was demolished in the mid-1960s to allow a new classroom block to be added to accommodate the school leaving age being raised to 16.

The soon-to-be-bulldozed bungalow, flooded twice in the space of 14 weeks in 2005, is believed to have been named after the original Teviot Lodge.

In his report recommending demolition, council planning officer Stuart Herkes says: “I am content that the house per se contributes little to the historic character or visual amenities of the conservation area and note the concern that it is removed for operational reasons in connection with the progress of the wider Hawick flood protection scheme works and supporting works.

“Given that the land is required to accommodate the latter, I am content that there is an acceptable justification informing this proposal and that there would be greater community, amenity and environmental benefits facilitated by the demolition which outweigh any concerns with respect to maintaining the property.

“The building has only recently been vacated and appears to be reasonably well maintained.

“There is no immediate concern that bats, or breeding birds, might be present.”

“I am content that the proposal is permissible.”