Local community facilities to be ‘Decimated’
Newtongrange Library: angry locals outside the library. Naomi Knights with a petition against closure of the library.
Libraries and leisure facilities in Mayfield, Gorebridge and Newtongrange will all close under council plans for the replacement Newbattle Community High School.
On Tuesday, councillors approved plans for the new school to be built at the Mayfield Complex, across the road from its current site. They also agreed to initiate a public consultation on moving local community facilities to a Newbattle Community Hub at the new school.
As previously reported in the Advertiser, Midlothian Council insisted that no decision had been taken ahead of the consultation, but this week’s revelation has devastated local community groups, who packed Tuesday’s meeting.
Jason Ferry, chairman of Newtongrange Community Council, is upset at the potential loss of four local services, with all the buildings set to be demolished. He said: “That’s awful, but to be expected. It’s going to decimate the centre of the village.
“The only justifications are the potential cost savings, but I would like to see the facts and figures.
“I would like the person making these decisions to come into the communities they are going to rip apart and explain themselves. We are going to lose all our facilities, along with Gorebridge, and have them moved to Easthouses. It’s going to be a summer of discontent.”
Read more local reaction to this in the February 28 edition of the Midlothian Advertiser.
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Weather for Dalkeith
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 3 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: North
