THE demolition of a historic Scottish mill, the first water-powered textile mill in the Borders, has been rubber-stamped.
Caerlee Mill in Innerleithen was built by Alexander Brodie in 1788 and added to over the years.
Its success led to a great increase in the local population from 463 in 1841 to 2313 by 1881, and at its peak it employed about 400 workers.
A management takeover saved the site in 2010 but it closed for good in 2013, at which time it was Scotland’s oldest continually-operating textile mill.
Now, a planning application submitted to Scottish Borders Council seeking its demolition has been approved.
A Mountain Bike Innovation Centre earmarked for the vacant site – being delivered by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) with support from Scottish Borders Council and Napier University – is a flagship Borderlands Growth Deal project.
It has been predicted to generate more than £100 million for the local economy and create over 400 jobs in the next 10 years.
The original plan was to convert the former mill – but due to structural issues within the building this can no longer be achieved.
Although the mill site has been fully decontaminated and made safe, issues were much more substantial than the initial surveys indicated, with the technical advice now being that the majority of the historic structure needs to be replaced.
Such work would have pushed the costs significantly above the available budget.
The proposal is to retain all other listed building elements of the site including the former factory chimney and boiler house.
The application had received the support of Innerleithen and District Community Council (IDCC), a spokesperson for which said: “We are fully supportive of the demolition of this site as it will pave the way for the creation of the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre and, subsequently, the proposed adventure park, often referred to as the Bike Park.
“Both projects are reliant of the Borderlands funding. This means the adventure park cannot go ahead without the innovation centre also going ahead.
“Both offer a fantastic opportunity for employment in Innerleithen, something we are in full support of. In addition to the benefits of employment in the area, both can have a positive impact on tourism to Innerleithen and providing a boost to businesses that support tourism, including local shops, cafes, restaurants, bars and other retail outlets, boosting employment potential even further.”
Only one objection was submitted, from the group Save Britain’s Heritage, who said loss of the building “would cause irreversible harm to a designated heritage asset and Innerleithen Conservation Area”.
A planning submission with the application, from Galashiels-based Ferguson Planning, stated: “The intent of the proposal is to facilitate the construction of a new Mountain Bike Innovation Centre, which is to be the subject of a separate planning application, to make use of allocated government funding and deliver a new purpose to this historically significant yet underutilised site.
“Despite best efforts to find a way that demolition could be avoided, regrettably, escalating costs and worsening structural conditions have necessitated a re-evaluation of earlier schemes approved for the site.
“Multiple attempts have been made by the applicant, and by previous landowners, to market the site for an alternative, viable use.
“The cost of restoring the building coupled with the layout and the structure of the building result in prohibitively high conversion costs for any potential redevelopment project.
“Demolition is considered to be the only viable option for the site.”
The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal was signed in March 2021.
The £350m investment in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, from the UK and Scottish Governments, is made up of £150m for Scotland (£85m from the Scottish Government and £65m from the UK Government) and up to £200m for England from the UK Government. This will be supported by over £100m of funding from local partners.
Plans were approved in 2023 for the conversion of the 234-year-old Caerlee Mill at Damside.
The building will cater for a wide range of activities, including bike design, testing and manufacture of bike components and accessories, as well as training and support facilities for elite riders.
