CONCERNS have been raised about an assortment of wheelie bins ‘spoiling’ the area around the Great Tapestry centre.

The attraction opened its doors in August, with visitor numbers and revenue figures “in line” with business projections.

But this month Galashiels Community Council heard that the bins on Sime Place look “terrible” from inside the centre.

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Rick Kenney, a member of the community council, said: “The figures for the tapestry in terms of income are encouraging but when I went in, unfortunately, Sime Place across the road always looks terrible.

“You can’t help but look out on the collection of black and blue-lidded bins from the 'big window' inside.

“If you look across the road we’ve got the usual assortment of wheelie bins literally lying there on a bit of vacant ground.

“I know the issue of ‘it doesn’t belong to the council’ [but] when you’ve got such an eye-catching building and we’re doing everything we can to build up the town, if there’s anything that can be done to tidy up that bit across the road.”

Gala Policies Group chairwoman Jill Forsyth agreed with Mr Kenney.

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“It looks absolutely dreadful,” she said. “It really spoils it.”

Later in the meeting, Galashiels councillor Harry Scott – who described the tapestry centre as “a great asset to the town” – said he was encouraged by the latest figures for the attraction.

A full council meeting last month heard that the Great Tapestry centre had sold more than 7,500 tickets since opening, generating close to £70,000.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Mr Scott said: “As an old tapestry sceptic, I was really quite encouraged with what I’d heard given the times we’re in. I think 7,000 visitors in the period it has been open is excellent and the revenue it’s raised from ticket sales alone is £70,000.

“Every time I pass the building and look in I see the hospitality sector is also well patronised. It is doing well, let’s just hope that next year when better times are here it really does take off because it is a good building.”