Locals challenge Jedburgh school sale

by EWAN LAMB

Residents of Jedburgh have taken to social media to throw down a challenge, asking Scottish Borders Council to justify the marketing of a potentially valuable development site, currently occupied by one of the town's two primary schools.

A number of local people claim to have been shocked when agents acting for the local authority published details of the sale of Howdenburn school and its extensive playing fields a few days ago. The school buildings, completed in the early 1970s, will be flattened after the pupils move to the burgh's new £32 million education campus in 2020.

The 5.6 acre site is being advertised for sale by Galashiels-based estate agents Edwin Thompson. The asking price for the cleared site which commands fine views over the town has not been revealed in the sales blurb.

However, SBC's right to sell has been questioned on the Jethart's Here Past and Present Facebook page.

According to local man Scott Irvine, in a post on the site: "This land was left to the people of Jedburgh through the last will and testament of the late William A Skead. It may not be SBC land, There is stipulations on this land. I done [sic] a freedom of information act request about this land a few years ago. I got a tip off that SBC may try and sell this land not realising that they may not own it and keep the proceeds from it. Whatever happens to it the one thing is the Jedburgh Common Good Fund could benefit."

Mr Irvine explained the council had to send him Mr Skead's will, as secretary of the Jethart Callants Club "as we as a club have to try and fight for our toon so there may be a chance SBC may not have known they might not own the land so we’ll just have to make them aware they may not own it."

Other residents have supported the idea of asking the council to prove its ownership of the land on which Howdenburn primary school stands. It has been claimed that in similar circumstances some years ago Jedburgh's former cottage hospital was sold by the health authorities even though land ownership was "in doubt".

Richard Gordon, a former provost of Jedburgh says on the Facebook page: " The reason the Common Good Fund is cash-rich is that the then trustees of the fund went to the Court of Session and got a ruling that land could be sold for development. If Jedburgh Town Council sold the Howdenburn school site to Roxburghshire County Council or Borders Regional Council then it will now belong to Scottish Borders Council who can sell it for development if they wish."

Mr Irvine replied: "As long as they have proof of purchase that’s fine but at the end of the day, that money would be lost to Jed if we don’t ask the questions.  Remember when SBC put the parking meters in our car parks and then found out they didn’t own them."

Another poster wrote: "People have a problem with how their hard earned money is spent by the Powers that be over at SBC HQ. That's the problem.But if Scott is correct on this matter which I'm sure he is it would be good to hear from one of our local Councillors on this matter".