The free gutter cleaning scheme in Hawick, launched in December to help preserve the town’s historic High Street buildings, started on Sunday 9 March.
As part of the Hawick Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS), contractors removed vegetation and carried out minor repairs on more than a dozen High Street buildings. This initiative aimed to prevent costly future repairs by tackling blocked gutters, a major cause of damp, mould, and structural decay that can lead to severe deterioration.
The works
Despite plans to begin at lower numbered properties and work upwards, access issues on 9 March resulted in contractors starting further up the street and scheduling was adjusted to focus on buildings that were taller or easier to access.
The final day of gutter cleaning was on 23 March, and all the buildings that signed up were successfully completed.
Councillor Simon Mountford, Executive Member for Planning and Community Assets
“It’s great to see such a strong uptake for this initiative.
“With the Hawick CARS programme extended until December 2025, we have more time to support funded projects and help them to get on site. Ensuring the proper maintenance of our historic buildings is key to preserving their resilience and energy efficiency and, thereby, helping to ensure their future.”
Findings from the cleaning work will be reported back, and if necessary, recommendations for further repairs will be provided.
Funding
The gutter cleaning project is funded through the Hawick CARS programme, which is supported by Ourselves, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), with a total budget exceeding £1.5 million. All scheme funding has now been fully allocated.
For more information, contact the Hawick CARS project team at HawickCARS@scotborders.gov.uk or 01835 825215.