Friday October 31st 2025
Live Borders, the body which operates the services on Scottish Borders Council’s behalf, addresses £2m in financial pressures.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A timetable over the future of sport, leisure and cultural-related properties in the Scottish Borders was revealed this week.
Tough decisions are expected as Live Borders, the body which operates the services on Scottish Borders Council’s behalf, addresses £2m in financial pressures.
Consultants Integratis recommended a swathe of closures to community centres, swimming pools and other venues after which a public consultation process was launched.
Councillors this week received an update on the ongoing work at a meeting of Scottish Borders Council on Wednesday, October 29.
It was revealed that a special meeting of full council will take place on Thursday, November 20, for the consideration of the facility proposals and to receive further details on operational changes.
Before that meeting, communities will be give access to the recommendations when a report is published on Thursday, November 13.
A key factor in the property recommendations will be the input received from over five thousand people through the recent consultation and stakeholder engagement activities carried out by the council and Live Borders.
Other considerations include multiple financial and operational considerations, local and national strategies, accessibility and equity and community health and social value.
The evaluation method being used to consider the various options for each facility and the multiple, often conflicting criteria, is based on best practice and has itself been informed by the input received through the consultation and engagement process.
Councillor Euan Jardine, leader of Scottish Borders Council, said: “In the space of just three years the council has had to provide £6m of additional funding over and above the agreed annual management fee for Live Borders and there is still a £2m pressure.
“A significant scale of change is needed, both operationally and strategically, to achieve financial stability and allow targeted investment into improving facilities and services for the benefit of our communities and visitors.
“The extensive feedback received through the recent engagement processes has underlined just how important our sport, leisure and cultural services are, and in some cases how important the actual buildings are that they are delivered from.
“Our best chance of protecting and improving these services in the long term, and retaining key properties, is to take some difficult decisions next month.
“Financial impacts are obviously a key factor in our decision-making, but there are many other important elements that we are taking into account and giving significant weight to, including the community health and social value of services and facilities.
“This is just one area where that feedback from our conversations across the Borders and the responses to the consultations are being fed in and will be reflected in the final proposals.”
Bill Douglas, chair of Live Borders’ Board of Trustees, added: “We are absolutely committed to the shared objective of delivering fit for purpose and sustainable services and facilities for the people of the Scottish Borders and visitors to the region.
“The consultation and engagement feedback has been incredibly valuable to us as an organisation and is helping to shape how we maximise the impact of our services for the benefit of individuals and our communities.”
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