Emergency work needed to keep leisure centres open

Urgent work is needed to replace the heating and air handling systems at two Borders leisure centres in order to avoid their closure.

More than £300,000 is required to keep the Gytes Leisure Centre in Peebles and Eyemouth Leisure Centre open.

Scottish Borders Council's (SBC) chief executive has signed off emergency funding to replace the systems.

Councillors will be asked to rubber-stamp the support for operators Live Borders later this month.

Without the funding it was estimated both centres would have to close within a matter of weeks.

A report to councillors spells out the stark situation at both facilities.

At the Peebles centre, the main boiler is beyond economic repair and a back-up boiler was condemned as dangerous following a recent inspection.

It is currently without heating and hot water and if a solution is not found it will have to close in October.

A price of £130,000 has been attached to work to replace the boilers.

In Eyemouth, the problems centre on the air handling units at its swimming pool which are both more than 25 years old.

They have failed and are also deemed to be beyond repair.

A workaround is currently being used but it would also have to shut in October if working costing nearly £200,000 is not carried out.

The council has been warned it would cause "significant public concern and reputational damage" if the two centres were allowed to close.

SBC chief executive David Robertson has signed off the emergency funding to order the parts.

Councillors will be asked to back that decision when they meet on 31 August.