Wednesday February 25th 2026
Hawick, Scottish Borders
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Footfall in Hawick town centre has almost halved since the 1990s, a new conservation report reveals.
Many of the significant historic buildings in the town centre are also under-used, are at risk of decaying and require additional funding to regenerate them.
Within its historic centre, seven ‘Buildings at Risk’ are currently identified on the national register.
These issues are addressed in the Hawick Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan to be considered by members of Scottish Borders Council’s Planning & Building Standards Committee when they meet on Monday, March 2.
The committee is being asked to endorse a 12-week public consultation on the plan, which outlines the development, maintenance and enhancement of the conservation area.
One area of the town featured in the report are the “unsympathetic” properties built in the 1960s at the old Pavilion Cinema site at 74-76 High Street.
The report states: “If an opportunity arises to remodel or replace the building, it would be desirable for the new design to distinguish between the two plots, include traditionally proportioned windows and use materials and detailing that responded better to their context.”
Similarly, demolition of Nos. 4 and 5 Teviot Crescent has left an “unattractive gap in the run of terraced houses”, enabling unintended views to the back of the buildings behind on Oliver Crescent.
The report states: “It is recommended that houses are reconstructed on the site to a similar scale to Nos. 3 and 6 Teviot Crescent to repair the continuous building line of the street and improve the appearance of this part of the conservation area.”
The report adds: “There are a number of key historic buildings in Hawick itself, including the Town Hall, historic textile mills and factories as well as the library.
“When taken as a whole, their historic significance shows that of a place that has developed over a number of centuries and has been particularly prosperous at times.
“Coupled with this, a number of high profile architects have worked within the town, including George Gilbert Scott and Scott and Campbell.
“Such interest in its buildings, and wealth and cognisance to procure such structures, adds to the conservation area’s historic value.”
The report states that historic walls should be retained and repaired and that evidence of previous features and structures should be maintained.
Similarly, historic windows and doors make a “positive contribution to the character and integrity” of the conservation area.
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Windows are generally timber sash and case of a variety of designs, whilst doors are either timber panelled or ledged and braced, with the report stating retention and like-for-like repair is “strongly encouraged”.
Historic items and those that contribute to the character of the area should be retained and kept in good condition too. These include bollards, benches, planting boxes, post boxes and metal railings.
The report encourages routine maintenance of historic buildings to help prolong the life of those buildings and the conservation area.
The report outlines the town’s economic decline in recent times, stating: “The closing of large and significant companies that manufactured wool and knitwear has led to unemployment.
“A lack of investment in the town has led to its centre slowly deteriorating. Footfall in the town centre has declined year-on-year, from a high of 9,990 a week in the 1990s to current levels of 4,680 people.”
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