Friday October 30th 2026
Former Peebles High School
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Cash-strapped Scottish Borders Council faces a shock £5.5m bill to remove asbestos from a former school, it has been revealed.
The local authority needs to find “unavoidable additional expenditure” to complete the safe demolition of the former Peebles High School, including the removal of significant quantities of unforeseen asbestos-containing material.
When Scottish Borders Council meets on Thursday, October 5, members will be asked to endorse the expenditure of £5.5m.
A report notes that the council’s chief executive David Robertson has now written to the Scottish Government and COSLA’s Estate Investment Programme Board requesting additional financial support with these “abnormal, unforeseen costs”.
The unexpected bill comes as SBC continues efforts to balance its books and prepares for setting its budget for the 2027/28 financial year.
This material could not reasonably have been identified before demolition as destructive investigation was constrained while the school remained occupied, and the asbestos was concealed within an atypical roof construction for which no historical records were available, full council will be told in the report to be presented to them next week.
Peebles High School in Springwood Road closed in October last year, with the new school opening soon afterwards on a former grass pitch close by.
The report reveals that additional asbestos was identified in the old school above the ceiling lining board in the Assembly and Craft Design and Technology buildings.
Testing confirmed the presence of amosite asbestos, which is in a friable condition and can release airborne fibres when disturbed.
These fibres have bonded to the porous, honeycomb-like underside of the concrete roof and accumulated in its ridges and voids, meaning they cannot be physically removed completely.
The report adds: “The arrangement of materials at Peebles High School appears to be highly unusual.
“Specialist advice has been sought from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), SEPA, licensed asbestos contractors, consultants, surveyors, structural engineers and academics. None has identified a comparable arrangement from their experience.
“The demolition of the remaining buildings has become a significantly high risk activity in terms of health and requires a very detailed, closely managed approach to achieve this safely.”
The asbestos will be removed while following regulations outlined by the Health and Safety Executive.
The demolished material will be tested, classified and removed from site.
Asbestos specialists will supervise the remaining demolition process, with independent analysts providing air monitoring, fibre counts and the required clearance assurance throughout.
The report adds: “Asbestos is an emotive subject and it is recognised that neighbours to the demolition site are likely to have concerns about any potential risks to their health as a result of this discovery and the demolition works.
“The proposed method of removal, as set out in this report, will allow the removal of these Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) to be done in a safe, controlled manner that is monitored by independent experts, all in accordance with legislative guidance and the knowledge of the HSE.
“There is no immediate public health risk associated with the buildings in their current condition and the due diligence approach of all involved in the project has prevented their being such a risk.
“There would be a concern regarding public health risk if the buildings were left for a period of time as the fabric will deteriorate and they may also be seen as an attractive destination for vandalism.”
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