CONCERN has been raised that Scottish Borders Council could sell off important community assets in Selkirk.

In recent months a consultation exercise has been carried out throughout the Borders to compile Heritable and Moveable Asset Registers for all former royal burghs.

The process in Selkirk concluded that there was insufficient evidence to establish that Selkirk Library and the town’s Governor’s House were Common Good assets.

But this was disputed by members of the community amid concern that the buildings need to be protected from potentially being sold off for profit by the local authority.

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At a meeting of Selkirk Common Good Sub-Committee, Ian King, a member of Selkirk Community Council, said there was a potential “pot of gold” for council coffers if the buildings were sold and called for clarity over their protection for the community.

He said: “I would hang my hat on the community being at odds with some of the recommendations. The library and the Governor’s House are community assets which could represent a positive income for the council if the politics of the time so chose. In the past and within my terms of reference in the council there were sales of assets that still rankle within in the community to this day.

“I don’t want this meeting to accept these recommendations without these very strong recommendations which I am trying to express on behalf of the community.

“My concern would be safeguarding those assets which are still in dispute within certain sections of the community and therefore I would like there to be a presumption that no sale of assets or property be taken over any of these particular named items, so the traditions and the heritage of Selkirk can be maintained and not lost.”

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In response, Hannah Macleod, the council’s principal solicitor, said: “I completely understand where Mr King is coming from but I just want to caution that it is not within the power of this sub-committee to put any moratorium on the council disposing of assets, and if it was the case, which I have absolutely no reason to think that it is, that Scottish Borders Council wanted to sell the library, then it would be for the community to step in and ask for some sort of judicial review.”

It was agreed that the concern of the community was noted in regard to the future of the buildings and the belief that the library, the Governor’s House and municipal buildings were believed to be Common Good assets.