Friday March 27th 2026
Hawick Boxing Club
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A Borders boxing club is back off the ropes after approval was granted to move into a town police station.
There was shock in September last year when Hawick Boxing Club learned of a 60 per cent hike on the rent of its premises in Princes Street.
The club was founded in 1937 and remains a vital community resource attended by 60 youngsters every week, helping improve both their fitness and discipline.
Police Scotland stepped into the breach by allowing the use of its police gym at the town’s Howdenbank station by club members.
Now that arrangement has been formalised after an application for a certificate of lawfulness for the club to operate from the gym four hours each week was approved by Scottish Borders Council.
A report approving the application, from SBC planning officer Stuart Small, states: “The key consideration in this instance is whether the use of the police station gym by the local boxing club for two hours twice a week would comprise a material change of use requiring planning permission.
“Police Scotland are offering the use of their gym to a local boxing club who have recently vacated their own premises and the area of floorspace occupied by the gym is only a small proportion of the wider police station.
“The use of the gym by the local boxing club for four hours per week is not considered to be a material change of use and its operation as an ancillary gym for the police station would remain the principal use of the space.”
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