THE debate surrounding the location of the new Galashiels Academy campus has become “toxic”, according to a Scottish Borders Council member. On Wednesday last week (May 5), the town s community council discussed the options on where the school should be built. At the meeting, SBC member Euan Jardine, who represents Galashiels, said he has received abuse online about the proposed location for the school on Scott Park, adding that people are “scared to talk” about the development. “It’s getting more and more toxic,” said Mr Jardine, of the Conservatives. “This is becoming like Brexit or the independence referendum. This is about Gala getting a new school. People are scared and worried to say their opinion. It shouldn’t be toxic – the community should be rallying together.”
The warnings, issued by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, are in place until Monday (April 26). Parts of the central Borders have been issued with an ‘extreme’ alert for Monday, while the rest of the region is in the ‘very high’ category. Bruce Farquharson, from the fire service, said: We are asking the public to exercise extreme caution and think twice before using anything involving a naked flame.
READ MORE: Many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant damage. Livestock, farmland, wildlife, protected woodland and sites of special scientific interest can all be devastated by these fires – as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities.
A CIVIL engineer is calling for the informal public consultation on the new Galashiels Academy to be extended. The deadline to submit feedback on options for the new £55 million community campus is Monday (April 26). But Save Scott Park campaigner Stuart Gordon, who lives in the town, says people should be given more time to take part after Scottish Borders Council added in extra video content at the eleventh hour . In a letter to this newspaper, Dr Gordon wrote: As the Galashiels campus consultation end date approaches it is still clear that the same misleading language is being used, as follows: The consultation site includes details of the five possible options to replace Galashiels Academy, including our preferred option to build a 1,000+ pupil school built largely within the existing school boundary and a portion of the town’s Scott Park .