A BID for six new holiday lodges near Hawick has been placed on Scottish Borders Council’s planning agenda.

The lodges would be located 300 metres north-east of Hawick, on land adjacent to the south of Trowmill House.

The applicant, Andrew Lang, owns and manages an existing business – “PodzRUs” – which trades from the non-domestic shed in the yard at Trowmill.

PodzRUs manufacturers modular holiday lodges for sale to holiday accommodation operators. Customers include a number of existing operators in the Borders as well as a variety of other providers further afield.

A report with the application, from Galashiels-based Ferguson Planning, says: “The proposal will support dozens of jobs during the construction phase.

“The applicant works extensively with local tradespeople in the Borders and intends to use those businesses to deliver the development.

“When the development is completed and brought into use, it will diversify the applicant’s existing business at Trowmill and deliver a broader consumer base.

“While a small number of staff will be hired to manage bookings and administration, larger numbers will be required for cleaning and maintenance. This will provide a sustainable level of continued local employment into the future within a growth sector of the economy, supported by national and local policy.

“The proposal represents the erection of a tourism development on an appropriate site in the countryside. The development has been sensitively designed in the local landscape for sole use as holiday accommodation

“The detailed design of the proposal is considered to represent new holiday accommodation designed and delivered to a high quality. It is considered that the design provides the basis for making a new high quality place at Trowmill and would not raise issues of any significance.

“The proposal is considered to provide for good amenity for the tourists occupying the holiday lodges and pose no amenity risk to existing dwellings.”