May 5 2022

An unlisted historic mill within the Hawick Conservation Area is to be demolished after the cost to the public purse of stabilising the building was deemed unsustainable.

Buccleuch Mill at 2-8 Green Lane comprises a three storey central range adjoining an earlier rubble built hand loom mill and turnpike stair to the east and had been recommended for residential conversion in an options appraisal conducted by Aitken Turnbull Architects.

Having lain vacant for many years the building subssequently suffered a structural failure at the tail end of last year however, requiring emergency scaffolding to be erected by Borders Council at a cost of £40k. Subsequent structural investigations identified further concerns, forcing the authority to pursue demolition.

In a statement the authority wrote: "The removal of the building at this stage will prevent it from becoming an emergency demolition due to further structural deterioration and it ultimately becoming a danger to public health and safety. "The expected future development of the site once the building has been demolished would be residential."

A laundry list of problems identified include a failed roof, which has led to rotten timber lintels, precipitating a 'significant lean' of external masonry to the west. Cracked masonry, bowed floors, spalling and continued movement have also occurred despite the presence of supporting scaffolding. 

1 Comment

#1 Posted by burgers on 5 May 2022 at 13:57 PM

Looking at 2008 google view and 2021 there isn't much obvious change to the outside of the building other than the blue wooden shutter has been conveniently removed to let the rain and pigeons in.

Wasted opportunity for reuse of a historic building

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