COMMUNITY representatives say they have been told that ‘marking out’ the preferred location for the new Galashiels Academy campus “would not be a good idea”.

As previously reported, some concerns have been raised over building the £55 million complex on green space in Scott Park.

And at a meeting of the town’s community council in January, member Bill White asked if lines could be marked out in sawdust to show the scale of the proposals.

But at last Wednesday’s gathering, chairwoman Judith Cleghorn said she had been told it “wasn’t a particularly good idea”.

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She said: “I did put that question again to councillor [Sandy] Aitchison on Monday. He said he had discussed it with officers and they thought it wasn’t a particularly good idea to do that.”

But community councillor Gordon Richardson said he felt officers’ response was “complete rubbish”, adding the job would take “half an hour” and that it was “important that we know exactly what area it is going to take up”.

Councillor Euan Jardine said he would further investigate the possibility of marking out the school.

He added: “When the consultation takes place and we see the maps, it will all become clearer. I will work on it and see what happens.”

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The community council had been hoping to quiz SBC’s service director of assets and infrastructure, John Curry, about the development at the meeting.

But Mrs Cleghorn said a “communication error” meant he was unable to attend.

Mr Curry supplied some written statements via email and said he would come to the gathering in March.

Community councillor Bill White said: “I was hoping John Curry would have been here tonight so we could discuss this. We’ll just have to wait until next month.”