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Corn mill conversion could help Kirkhope community to grow

BBC Corn mill picture by David KnoxBBC
Work has almost been completed on the conversion of the old corn mill

A converted Victorian corn mill could help to revive a rural corner of the Scottish Borders.

Work started at Kirkhope, just outside Ettrickbridge, last spring on the £1.9m scheme to turn it - and a farm steading and paddock - into family homes and business workshops.

The final touches are now being completed ahead of tenants moving in this summer.

The Ettrick and Yarrow Community Development Company (EYCDC) project will create five rentable homes and seven workspaces.

It is hoped it can bring jobs to the valley and also boost numbers at the local primary school.

Trio
Andy Wright (left) and Vicky Davidson (right) showed Prof Russel Griggs round the development

Andy Wright, who is one of the EYCDC directors, said: "It's great see this steading being brought back to life.

"As a community development company, we wanted to bring economic and social regeneration to the valleys, and we identified a real need for affordable housing as well as light industrial units to encourage people to stay and work here.

"We hope the five homes will attract young families which will lead to additional children at both the nursery and the primary school in the village."

The first tenants will move in over the coming months and EYCDC is already engaging with businesses interested in the neighbouring units.

Corn mill picture by David Knox
It is hoped the project can help bring young families to the area

The project - backed by a range of bodies - has already had an impact with a small number of jobs created during the construction phase.

Almost all materials and fittings were also sourced locally.

Vicky Davidson, EYCDC project manager, added: "We felt it was important to support local business during the building works.

"This is very much a community project which will have a positive impact on the valleys for many years to come."

EYCDC Steading artists impressionEYCDC
South of Scotland Enterprise put a large slice of the funding towards the scheme

South of Scotland Enterprise has been Kirkhope Steading's biggest backer to the tune of about £850,000.

Prof Russel Griggs, who chairs the group, was given a recent tour of the project.

He said it had been delighted to support any project which could make a rural community more sustainable.

The development hasn't been without its snags, as undetected problems with one of the roofs emerged during early conversion works.

The recent hike in material costs also led to some rebalancing of the books.

However, Scottish Borders Council and the Scottish government stepped in with extra support.

Council leader Mark Rowley said the local authority's second homes council tax fund was designed to help projects like the one at Ettrickbridge.

He said it could make a "big difference to a small community" in the region.