Selkirk Community Recycling Centre to close for at least 16 weeks

The closure – which begins on Monday, February 8 – is required to allow a diversion route to be extended through the facility.

When completed, this route will be used through the summer to allow homes and businesses to still be accessed when the installation of a new culvert requires a section of Dunsdale Haugh between Belmont Motors and Allied Storage to be temporarily shut.

The decision was taken after an appraisal of all the options, and following discussions with the roads authority and local businesses, as well as previous experience of Dunsdale Haugh being closed in 2014.

While the Community Recycling Centre is closed, the site will be reconfigured to accommodate the diversion route.

However, all the current facilities at the Community Recycling Centre will remain when it reopens.

The nearest alternative community recycling centres are at Hawick or Galashiels, with members of the public advised that ongoing improvements to the Hawick facility may also lead to short-term closures.

Any closures of this facility will be advertised beforehand on Scottish Borders Council’s (SBC) website – www.scotborders.gov.uk – and its Twitter and Facebook pages.

Councillor David Paterson, SBC’s executive member for environmental services, said: “Our waste team, as well as the Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme staff, are conscious of the inconvenience the temporary closure of the town’s Community Recycling Centre will cause.

“However, it has been made to ensure traffic can still access businesses and homes along Dunsdale Haugh later in the year, which we know is vital to townsfolk.”

SBC’s executive member for roads and infrastructure, Councillor Gordon Edgar, added: “We are now past the halfway mark for the Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme and while there has been significant disruption in the town and surrounding areas, it has already helped protect Selkirk from flooding during storms Desmond and Frank.

“The Community Recycling Centre closure will impact on Selkirk residents, but it is worth reiterating that the Flood Protection Scheme will provide long-term protection to almost 600 properties in Selkirk against a major flood event.”