Tweeddale MP David Mundell has arranged and will convene a meeting of all local councillors, community councillors and current owner’s site owners the Royal Bank of Scotland to get plans to develop Veitch’s Corner back on track. Mr Mundell believes that local politicians and the community must work together to tackle the prominent site which continues to be an eyesore for visitor and locals. The building which sits on the corner of the High Street has been vacant for several years and Peebles Community Council and a number of local politicians have been particularly vocal in calling for the building to be reoccupied and restored to its former glory. Over the past year a number of solutions and proposals have been brought forward without success and Mr Mundell is keen to get some traction behind this latest attempt to resolve the situation.
Commenting David Mundell MP said: “Like a number of local residents I am tired and frustrated by the lack of action on Veitch's. Moving forward, getting something done at Veitch’s Corner cannot become one of those issues we only talk about when there is an election. That is why I have organised this cross-party, community meeting to bring together all interested parties after the by-election to see if we can make some real progress. I am hoping that between myself, Peebles Community Council and local SBC Councillors we will be able to work together and use our combined influence to get the building occupied.”
Mr Mundell added: “The current situation which is letting down the surrounding shops and the number of local residents and business owners, who work so hard to make our town presentable and attractive, cannot be allowed to continue. RBS currently have a big say in what happens to the building and it is vital that we work with them to find a viable future for the site. This meeting with senior representatives from the bank is a really important opportunity for us to highlight to them the strength of feeling in the local community and amongst other traders. I hope that we will be able to speak with one voice and ensure that all possible options to get the premise occupied are explored.”