This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Court Business Returns to Peebles
04/05/2005
Court hearings will return to Peebles today, the
Scottish Court Service has announced.
For the past four years, District and Sheriff Court
proceedings have taken place in Selkirk after extensive dry
rot was discovered in the original Peebles Court
building.
After careful consideration and consultation, it was
decided that that building could not be modernised
economically. Instead the Scottish Borders Council approved
proposals in October 2003 to use the Council Chambers and
adjoining offices in Rosetta Road as a courthouse for the
District and Sheriff Courts.
Around £150,000 has been invested by Scottish Court
Service in phase one of the project, enabling court
hearings to begin today. This has included the installation
of a state of the art video conferencing facility within
the Rosetta Road complex, linked to the Sheriff Court in
Edinburgh, to enable members of the public and solicitors
to be able to communicate with staff in Edinburgh rather
than travel to the capital.
Phase two of the project will cost an estimated £925,000
and will include the building of a police station to
replace the existing High Street station. This will create
a 'one stop' Justice Centre with the police, courts and
relevant council offices being located under one roof - the
first project of its kind in Scotland - which is expected
to be operational from early 2006.