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Great Tapestry of Scotland row enters Borders budget debate Great Tapestry of Scotland move fails as Borders budget approved
(about 5 hours later)
Conservative councillors in the Borders are making a late bid to halt funding to build a permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland. A late bid to halt funding for a permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland has failed as Scottish Borders Council agreed its budget.
Group leader Michelle Ballantyne said they would back spending plans from the SNP/Lib-Dem/Independent administration with one exception. Conservative councillors hoped to block that element of the ruling SNP/Lib-Dem/Independent administration's plans.
They want to see the £3.5m allocated to a permanent home for the tapestry at Tweedbank removed from the budget. That move failed and the spending proposals were approved.
The Conservatives want extra funding to be given to the region's roads instead. Council leader David Parker said the budget would allow the authority to be "efficient, flexible and streamlined" in its ways of working.
The administration outlined its spending proposals last week which will now be taken to the full council. However, he stressed that it would also protect the authority's existing workforce, as well as residents and their families, during a "particularly difficult financial climate".
It said education, flood defences and economic regeneration were the "key areas" of a budget set against a "challenging financial background". Increased investment in roads was agreed due to an amendment proposed by the administration.
'Hefty restrictions' Flood protection spending and a council tax freeze were also agreed.
It also listed a string of key capital projects including the tapestry building. The council stressed that plans to reduce staff spending meant 130 posts - not employees - could be lost.
Ms Ballantyne said the Conservatives would not be backing that project. It said the actual number of posts was likely to be "far lower" and the impact on the existing staff of about 4,500 was likely to be "minimal".
"We will be voting with the budget with one amendment and the amendment we are bringing forward is the removal of the money for the tapestry building in Tweedbank," she said. The administration outlined all its other spending priorities last week before the budget meeting.
However, she said the party members would "broadly support" the rest of the budget.
"I think in reality the political choices we have this time around are quite limited," she added.
"The officers have been faced with a significant reduction in the budget and they have also been faced with some really hefty restrictions."