The fact that already now it is known that the budget will be at least 50 per cent higher than initially estimated makes it even more worse.

Councillors have to realise they will have to be re-elected in 2017 and I can tell them now that most of them will lose their seat when they go ahead with this.

They are spending the money that is already hard to come by on a project which is not necessary while there is so much more that urgently needs to be taken care of in the Borders.

The answer then is always that there is no money - they cut costs on bin collection; they do not do effective snow control; there are potholes everywhere; they cut costs on public transport in the Borders, discriminating people that do not have a driver’s licencebut that pay the same level of council tax.

YET there is money for a new coffee machine at council headquarters, for paid lunches - the electorate do not get paid lunches, so why should they? - and now for this project?

In the case they want to go ahead, I suggest every councillor takes a pay cut of £1000 a month to cover part of the costs - 34 councillors times £1000 equals £34,000. And put in contract that this is going to be the case for the next 30 years - that is how long you are saddling us with the costs.

If councillors are right and it is going to be a multi million pound drawing project, then they can take back the £1000 per month from the remunerations. I challenge them to do it this way if they are behind this project 100 per cent.

I am, etc.

Ilona Brandwijk Hawick