PROPOSALS to construct a multi-million-pound retail park and hotel in Tweebank have been dealt a blow after a report concluded that approval of the plans would represent "an undesirable precedent."

The planned retail park, proposed by Edinburgh-based investors, would see the erection of a mixed-use development including a budget hotel, restaurant, retail unit and filling station facility.

However, the proposals have fallen foul of planning guidelines stipulating the appropriate business uses of the area.

Karen Ruthven, of Scottish Borders Council’s Forward Planning Department, outlined that “the uses proposed as part of this planning application do not conform with the requirements of policy ED1” which seeks “to protect this strategic business and industrial site for business and industrial use.”

“It would also result in the loss of business land within the Central Borders which is a scarce resource,” she adds.

In addition, the presence of ongoing “buoyant business activity” in the form of Stewart Technology, CGI and Tempest Brewery was cited as a reason why the retail park should not be granted approval.

The report raises further concerns about the potential impact of the proposed development plan on the high streets in nearby Melrose and Galashiels.

“Locating a retail development at this location will have a detrimental impact upon the function of the Galashiels town centre and indeed Melrose, although as the proposal does not have a clear and recognised end user it is difficult to fully quantify this.”

The planned budget hotel may also be doomed, with the report outlining Galashiels as a preferred location for any new hotel.

The report states that the developer had previously been “very clear that there was no developer interest for a hotel within the Galashiels Town Centre” and failure to support the development at Tweedbank would ensure “no hotel development would ever be forthcoming.”

However, as previously reported by the Border Telegraph, Travelodge have since outlined their desire to construct a budget hotel within Galashiels, with the Forward Planning report arguing that “the preferable location for a hotel is within Galashiels, given the initiative of regenerating the town centre and the wide arrays of facilities that the town centre offers.”

Despite the Forward Planning Department’s report appearing to cast real doubt on the future of the Tweedbank development, there appears to be broad public support for the proposals in their current form.

Over 100 comments of support have been lodged with SBC’s planning department.