Councillors will vote on the plans on Friday, March 19. But today (March 12) SBC organised an online briefing for the media, during which council leader Shona Haslam said the budget would “help the Borders build back better”. Here we take you through some key points from the proposed budget. When is the Great Tapestry Centre opening? Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the council had previously confirmed that the Great Tapestry Centre in Galashiels would not meet be ready in time for the planned spring opening. At the budget briefing, SBC’s executive director, Rob Dickson, said the building is “nearing completion”.
SCOTTISH Borders Council has approved plans to install “specialist display cabinets” costing more than half a million pounds at the Great Tapestry of Scotland centre. Based in Galashiels, the centre – which the council says is nearing the final phase of construction – will house the 143m-long Great Tapestry of Scotland. A council report published before an executive committee meeting yesterday (January 19) stated that the cost of the tapestry’s display cabinets had “unfortunately” gone over budget. At the meeting, members approved taking £316,000 from the 2021 Emergency & Unplanned Schemes fund to pay for the cabinets. That figure adds to the £250,000 initially put aside for the cabinets in 2016 – taking the total cost of the cases to £566,000.