A HAWICK park which has undergone a £3.64 million refurbishment will finally see the opening of its new café next year. The operator of Wilton Lodge Park’s new café, Caterleisure, has revealed it will be open by February 8, 2018.

It has been timed to ensure that the facility will be available for the mid-term school holidays.

The café is part of the Wilton Lodge Park regeneration project, funded by Scottish Borders Council and the Heritage, which has already delivered a number of new facilities including the new play-park, cycle paths, Zandra Elliot Bandstand, walled garden, upgraded Waterfall Walk and improved Hawick Museum, alongside the summer events programme.

SBC said: “We welcome Caterleisure’s confirmation of the date for the opening of the new café, which will undoubtedly be a significant asset for Wilton Lodge Park and Hawick for years to come.

“We also understand and share the frustration of the people of Hawick regarding the delays to the completion of the café but now we have confirmation of the opening, we are sure Caterleisure will provide a quality service for all users of the park. This includes the cafe being open for 12 months of the year, a significant improvement on the initial plans to open the facility only on a seasonal basis.” A total of 250,000 people visit Wilton Lodge Park each year, with numbers predicted to rise as a result of the regeneration project.