IMAGES depicting how a new retail and apartment block earmarked to replace an ‘eyesore’ building at the heart of a Borders town would look have been made public for the first time.
The landmark Jedburgh building at 12 Market Place and 2 High Street has been covered in scaffolding since 2015 after being judged dangerous due to falling masonry.
The council had been unable to secure the co-operation of the early 19th century’s category C-listed building’s six absentee landlords to have it demolished.
And in August last year Scottish Ministers gave the local authority ownership after a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) was approved.
Works have started on dismantling and redeveloping the key town centre site.
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Now a planning application has been submitted to Scottish Borders Council with plans from Edinburgh-based Gray Macpherson Architects for a new retail unit on the ground floor and apartments on the first, second and third floor.
It proposes a “like for like” contemporary building on the site, with design images also submitted showing how the proposed building would look.
In July 2019 Scottish Borders Council held a small invited competition to develop a conceptual response for a replacement building on a prominent corner site in the heart of the Royal Burgh of Jedburgh Conservation Area.
The brief was to design an apartment building which would be suitable to purchase by Selkirk-based Eildon Housing Association on completion as part of their social housing portfolio, with SBC’s brief is to “deliver an aspirational and quality scheme that will compliment, in contemporary terms, the historic town centre”.
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A new design statement from Gray Mapherson Architects stated: “The site’s prominent position makes it the bookend to two important long views in Jedburgh. Firstly it is in the centre of the view when looking down the High Street from the Gaol. It is also prominent when looking up Market Street to the centre of the town.
“The building footprint is broadly like that of the original building on the site. The proposed uses are also a like for like replacement of the previous uses that were on the site.
“Our initial aims were to design a building which provides first class apartments and a vibrant, light-filled commercial space, whilst also providing an elegant and contemporary addition to the streetscapes, whilst enhancing the centre of Jedburgh.”
The existing building housed Angel Hair Design and Garioch Pension Fund on the ground floor.
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