The statutory consultation on the permanent closure of Eddleston Primary School, will be considered at Council on 4 December.
On 25 September 2025, it was agreed that a statutory consultation on the permanent closure of Eddleston Primary School, which has been mothballed since 2022, would commence due to a sustained decline in pupil numbers Eddleston Primary School | Notice of decision | Scottish Borders Council
Statutory Consultation
The Proposal Report for the statutory consultation will be considered at full council on 4 December, and if passed will be published, with the statutory consultation set to open on 8 December 2025, running until 13 February 2026.
This process is required under the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010 (As Amended), which ensures communities are aware of proposed major changes to the school estate and includes a presumption against rural school closure unless all alternatives have been fully explored and discounted.
The Council’s recommendations follow a detailed Options Appraisal Mothball Review earlier this year, which found that pupil numbers in the Eddleston catchment remain the same with no clear evidence of a future increase in demand for the school to sustainable levels. The review concluded that permanent closure would provide clarity for the community after three years of mothball status and allow for effective long-term planning of educational provision and that the educational benefits of closing the school permanently and rezoning the catchment area, outweigh the educational drawbacks of reopening the school with such small numbers.
The Proposals are to permanently close Eddleston Primary School and rezone the catchment area to either Newlands Primary School (the current temporary catchment) or to Kingsland Primary School in Peebles. Views will be sought on both those options before further recommendations are made to elected members.
Councillor Julie Pirone, Executive Member for Education, Youth Development and Lifelong Learning
"This has been a difficult process for everyone involved, but our priority is to ensure clarity and stability for families and children in the Eddleston community.
“The statutory consultation will give everyone a chance to have their say, and I hope everyone makes their views and comments known. We are committed to listening to local views before any final decision is made."
No final decision on the proposals will be made by elected members until the statutory consultation is completed, all representations have been considered within a Consultation report and Scottish Ministers have reviewed the outcome in line with national legislation to provide approval.
Options for the future use of the Eddleston Primary School building including potential community asset transfer will be explored with local groups once the Statutory Consultation process has been completed in full and the outcome known.