A LOCAL councillor has asked officers to come back to Selkirk and add the finishing touches the town after lampposts were left scratched by council workers and the town’s bus shelter left in a dire condition.

Selkirk has benefited from £2.4m worth of investment in the town’s centre through a conservation area regeneration scheme (CARS) and a streetscape project.

As part of those projects, Selkirk’s historical buildings have been given a facelift and its marketplace has been redeveloped.

However, Selkirkshire councillor Gordon Edgar has been left bemused by the lack of finishing touches to the town, which includes two large signposts left with no signage, hanging baskets left to rot on lampposts, and the lightning conductor on the side of town hall left hanging loose.

At a meeting Scottish Borders Council’s executive committee, councillor Edgar asked officers: “The CARS scheme in Selkirk has been excellent, and the workmanship has been brilliant, but it’s being let down by minor details. It doesn’t seem to be getting finished.

“The lampposts have been all marked and damaged by the works, the bus stop was moved, it was also scratched and damaged.

“I suppose to rephrase it, it’s not been done. They don’t seem to have finished off the job. Is there any deadline that we can put on the officers?

“The flood protection scheme is in the same state, there’s just minor details that need to finished. I have asked and asked but I’ve had no response.”

Jo Hogg, the council’s regeneration officer, replied: “The final elements of the streetscape works were due to be finished once the scaffolding had been removed from the court house so I’ll take your point back to the team that is managing the works, but as I understand it I think it’s just final works that need to be done now.

“You’re probably aware that we’re keen to do an informal opening, and we’ve got that in mind, so I’ll pass your comments back.”

The town’s riverside has also been redeveloped as part of the Selkirk flood scheme. The £31.4m project was completed in February 2017, but benches which were taken away to be renovated have still not been replaced.

Speaking after the meeting, councillor Edgar said: “I’ve been in touch with officers constantly. I get promised this and that and it never gets done.

“It’s the same at the riverside flood prevention scheme, we’ve told for ages that the benches would be replaced, but I can’t get it done. It’s not a big thing in the grand scheme of the project, elderly folk who take a walk down the riverside need to be able to take a seat. I

“I’m just saying enough is enough let’s finish the job before we move on to another.”