RESIDENTS of a Galashiels housing development must do more to tackle anti-social behaviour, according to two of the town’s councillors.

During a meeting of Galashiels Community Council last week, independent councillor Harry Scott said that there are “still ongoing problems at Melrose Gait”.

He said that fellow Gala councillor Sandy Aitchison had tried to get some of the people living on the development to group together or to join the Langlee Residents Association (LRA).

However, Mr Scott told the meeting that it “really hasn’t gone very far”.

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“I don’t know what we can do to encourage the residents out there to try and do something to form a community group,” said Mr Scott.

“If you look at Facebook there seems to be ongoing problems with vandalism and minor acts of anti-social behaviour, mainly by children.

“It’s a community issue that they need to take some responsibility for if they’re looking for a resolution to take place.”

Mr Aitchison, also an independent member, said that there seems to be a “lack of impetus” among the community.

“We cannot expect the police to be there all the time and us councillors, we can’t be there much of the time,” he said. “I’ve been in correspondence with people and I’ve said, ‘Look, we’ll help you if you help yourselves’.

"Until such time as they are prepared to come on board there’s not a hell of a lot we can do.”

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He added: “I must say that it’s a planning issue for the future.

"Recreational facilities should be the first thing in and house building should be the first thing to come after that to welcome people into the place, and not as an afterthought as it appears to be with this development.”

Chairing the meeting, Judith Cleghorn described it as a “tricky one”.

“They haven’t even got a community hall that they can meet in so it would seem sensible to me that they do join up with the LRA (Langlee Residents Association),” she said.

Mr Aitchison, who had his milk bottles stolen recently, said that the problems at Melrose Gait are part of an overall increase in anti-social behaviour seen in the town.

“That’s part and parcel of the time of the year and how fed up the kids are in terms of the on/off business of school,” he said. “It’s been an extraordinarily hard time for young people especially.

“I sincerely hope that for the remainder of the summer and going into the autumn that may decrease and more activity will be permitted.”