Community updated on Mountain Bike Innovation Centre plans

A public meeting in Innerleithen heard partners involved in the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre re-enforce their commitment to the exciting project for the Scottish Borders.

 The meeting held on Monday 23 September provided the community with a full update on the Centre, which will support Scottish, UK and international companies to develop innovative products and services and train and test athletes within the mountain biking and wider cycling sector. 

 The Centre – being delivered by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) with support from Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and Edinburgh Napier University -  will provide a series of benefits for the Scottish Borders.

These include a predicted £138m contribution into the local economy and creation of over 400 jobs in the region over a ten year period. It is one of the key projects in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.

Update

• The Centre was earmarked for the former Caerlee Mill in Innerleithen after the site was purchased by SOSE with planning permission secured in 2023.

• However, the public meeting heard that thorough investigations carried out at the site earlier this year have now discovered significant structural issues with the building.

• While the site has been fully decontaminated and made safe, these issues are much more substantial than the initial surveys indicated, with the technical advice now being that the majority of the historic structure needs to be replaced.
• This work will push the costs of the project significantly above the available budget.

Commitment

The public meeting was provided with all of these details but partners re-enforced their commitment to delivering a Mountain Bike Innovation Centre as well as ensuring a viable future for the Caerlee Mill site.

It is expected that a number of innovation services - in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University – will be launched ahead of the physical facility opening. 

The next public engagement event regarding Caerlee Mill will be in approximately six weeks’ time, which will allow time to incorporate feedback to move forward with the Caerlee Mill site.

How is the Centre being funded?

The Mountain Bike Innovation Centre will be funded by a £19m investment from the UK Government as part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, including £4m to be allocated towards the Tweed Valley Bike Park and Trail Lab. This funding is available, subject to the Full Business Case being completed and approved.

Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of SOSE, said: 

“Alongside partners, SOSE remains committed to delivering the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre in Innerleithen, providing high value jobs in the local area and making use of key industries like textiles to shape the future of mountain biking.

“At the same time, we want to secure a viable future for the Caerlee Mill site.

“We have made every effort to find a solution to the significant issues we encountered but given the advice received it would simply cost too much for us to continue with our original plans to renovate the former mill building.

“We recognise Caerlee Mill site is a hugely important town centre location, which is why we remain dedicated to finding a positive solution for the site.”

Councillor Euan Jardine, Leader of Scottish Borders Council and Borderlands Partnership Board member, said:

“The development of the Innovation Centre and the Caerlee Mill site is important for the community and the feedback received following the public meeting will help shape how we progress.

“All the partners are committed to delivering the project, but it is essential that it is done within budget.

“The development of the Innovation Centre in the Tweed Valley, which is synonymous with mountain biking, will deliver significant benefits for the local economy and a massive return on the investment going into it from the public sector.”

About Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal

The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal was signed in March 2021. 

The £350 million investment in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, from the UK and Scottish Governments, is made up of £150 million for Scotland (£85 million from the Scottish Government and £65 million from the UK Government) and up to £200 million for England from the UK Government. This will be supported by over £100million of funding from local partners.

FAQs

What are the costs involved in continuing to use Caerlee Mill building for the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre?	The required construction approach would increase the costs of the project significantly above the available budget, to approximately £30m. Savings have been identified but this would still leave the project significantly over budget.
What would a new building on the Caerlee Mill site cost?	It is estimated a new build Innovation Centre will cost around half the approximate £30m renovation cost if built on the same site.
Why were these issues with Caerlee Mill building not noticed earlier?	It was only once the site was purchased and thorough investigations were carried out was SOSE able to find out the full extent of the structural issues.
How much has been spent on the Caerlee Mill site so far by SOSE and Borderlands?	SOSE has so far spent £2.3million to: ·         Purchase the site ·         Early works which  discovered the structural issues with the building, decontaminated the site and made it safe ·         Legal costs ·         Achieving planning permission ·         Ongoing costs to keep site safe Borderlands funding is available, subject to the Full Business Case being completed and approved, so has not yet been used.
Is Caerlee Mill safe in its current condition?	SOSE have employed a specialist to fully prop the building to ensure it is safe at this time. The building is subject to weekly site safety inspections.
What works have been carried out at the site so far?	The early works carried out by main contractor Morrison Construction between December 2023 to May 2024 managed to successfully decontaminate the site and made it safe. Actions included: ·         Large amounts of asbestos found and fully removed ·         The main building being fully secured ·         Limited demolitions and wider site clearance of materials and waste left over ·         Over 100 test pits dug and monitored to identify the structure of foundations, soil conditions and for wider contaminants ·         Every piece of timber within the building investigated ·         Rain water pipes reinstated and roof repaired to prevent ongoing deterioration