Local eyesores to be replaced in Heriot
A grant of £3,640.84 from the Greencoat Carcant (Heriot) Community Fund will enable the Community Council to install two new public benches and refurbish the phone box housing the village defibrillator.
The millennium bench and phone kiosk have deteriorated over a number of years, and the Community Council was keen to rectify this following resident concern. The dilapidated bench is currently the only seat in Heriot Station area, in a location offering a tranquil resting place for residents and visitors. The phone box has been neglected for 50 years, putting at risk the defibrillator installed inside it, as well as being a blot on the village landscape. In the absence of clear signage, there is a real risk that the defibrillator might be missed in an emergency.
A new bench at Sandyknowe will offer residents and passing cyclists a great view across the local area and will be enjoyed by the increasing numbers of walkers and cyclists passing along the 250 miles “Borderloop”, 79 miles “Borderloop4 Hawick” and “Tour de Lauder” routes.
We are delighted that Greencoat Carcant Heriot Community Fund has granted us the funds to make these significant improvements for the village. The phone box housing the defibrillator and bench in Heriot Station have looked rather sad recently, and it will be great both for the community’s safety and comfort to have these improvements – indeed, we are adding from our own HCC funds to make up the balance of the investment
Sue Sharp and Gavin Whittaker from Heriot Community Council.
The defibrillator is a potential lifesaver – so it’s great to see grant funding from the Greencoat Carcant Heriot Community Fund being used to refurbish the phone box where it is housed, and to add better sign-posting. The Panel of local residents play a vital role in examining project ideas and awarding funds to improve life in Heriot, and the Panel will be looking for new members later this year
Malcolm Jack, Community Funds Manager from Foundation Scotland