FIVE Borders councillors have vowed to ensure that a “completely unacceptable” road will not be built through Gala Policies.

In September last year, proposals for the council’s Local Development Plan were put to councillors ahead of a 12-week consultation process with the public.

In a section on the Hollybush area, the proposals stated that a “new road through the Policies on [the] Balmoral Avenue side” would be assessed as part of a council ‘Masterplan’ to determine the site’s longer-term use.

According to Gala Policies Group’s chairwoman, Jill Forsyth, many people formally objected to the idea during the consultation period.

Following this, five elected members at Scottish Borders Council have now supported objectors, outlining their opposition to any road proposal through the Policies.

The joint message, issued by council convener David Parker (a representative for Leaderdale and Melrose) alongside Galashiels councillors Andy Anderson, Sandy Aitchison, Euan Jardine and Harry Scott, states: “Can we take this opportunity to thank everyone who took part in the recent local development plan consultation.

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“All of the consultation responses and the proposed final local development plan will come before elected members of Scottish Borders Council this summer for approval.

“When the plan comes back before elected members, it is our intention as councillors for the Galashiels area to reject any proposal to consider a road through the Gala Policies.

“When the plan comes before elected members we will move an amendment to reject the Gala Policies road and ensure that the threat of this proposal is completely removed.”

According to the councillors, a Masterplan is an “assessment/study” which could take up to two years to complete, with public consultation part of the process.

Councillors say the Masterplan could recommend development on the site but could also conclude that Hollybush is not a possible development site.

“It is our view that if an assessment was done to look at a road through the Gala Policies, that assessment would conclusively demonstrate that such a road could never be approved or granted permission on the grounds of environmental impact,” the councillors’ message continues.

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“However, even considering a road through the Gala Policies is completely unacceptable to us as councillors, and clearly to the local community.

“The fight to save the Gala Policies from development was won in the mid 1990s. The Policies have become established as a fantastic environmental asset to Galashiels and the Scottish Borders and they should be preserved as such for future generations to enjoy.

“In recent years the work done to enhance and preserve the Policies has been widely recognised and the efforts of a great many volunteers should be applauded.

It concludes: “A road through the Gala Policies is a completely unacceptable proposal that we will work to ensure does not happen and is ruled out completely when the local development plan is back before elected members this summer.”

Gala Policies Group, a community-run organisation that aims to “support, maintain, manage and improve” the area, said they were pleased with the councillors’ message.

Ms Forsyth said: “The Gala Policies Group are very pleased that the five Gala councillors have now decided, in the light of growing opposition to the Local Development Plan road suggestion, to lend their support to rejecting the proposal.

“We, as a group, would like to thank all the many people who rallied round the recent Facebook campaign and submitted their objections to SBC Planning Department – a magnificent response to a highly controversial road proposal which very few people had been aware of.”