EARLSTON Community Council, which disbanded after a spate of resignations linked to the ongoing furore over a £300,000 adventure playground in the village, is to reform.

The process for electing a new community council for Earlston began this week when nominations for members opened.

Anyone whose names appear on the current electoral register for Earlston Community Council area is entitled to stand.

The closing date for nominations will be noon on Monday, May 11. The Community Council consists of a maximum of 12 members. In the event of there being more nominations than places available a ballot will be held.

From this week, nomination forms can be obtained from Donaldson’s Butchers and Evergreen Flower Shop in Earlston. Forms will also be available from Scottish Borders Council.

Official notice that the 12-member council could no longer constitutionally function with just five surviving elected members was given by former chairman Tom Burnham last month.

“I don’t blame those who have gone,” he told us at the time. “They have been under increasing pressure. They may be disillusioned but I suspect they are really disgusted.” The row over the proposed facility at Mill Meadow, on a riverside site known locally as The Cauldie, appeared to have abated last year when a lottery funding application for £250,000 by the Earlston Community Development Trust (ECDT) was refused.

But it re-emerged with a vengeance in January when the lottery decision was reversed and it emerged the site had, in the interim, been acquired from the Crown by Scottish Borders Council whose three ward councillors – David Parker, Jim Torrance and Iain Gillespie – all support the project.

The dissatisfaction of those who have always opposed The Cauldie site found angry expression when 80 people turned up at special meeting of the community council and a 547-signature petition objecting to the project was submitted.

One member of the community council Paul Goode tendered his resignation shortly after that meeting and another member Michael Scott resigned soon after.

“As a result of Michael’s resignation there are now only five elected community councillors – Wilma Brennan, Joy Snape, Disney Barlow, George Hardie and myself,” wrote Mr Burnham.

“As a result all remaining community councillors must stand down pending a new election. The election previously scheduled for 2016 will be brought forward a year and must take place within six weeks. I’d like to thank you all for your support since the resignations which led to my becoming chairman.”