The Scrutiny and Petitions Committee of Scottish Borders Council met on Thursday 13 August 2026 to discuss a petition regarding a one-way system on Yarrow Terrace and Mill Street in Selkirk, and to consider the work programme for scrutiny reviews. The committee decided to refer the petition to the Director of Infrastructure and Environment for future budget identification and feasibility studies, following the completion of the A7 works.

Petition Regarding Yarrow Terrace and Mill Street One-Way System

The committee considered a petition requesting a survey into the practicality, cost, funding, and benefits of a one-way system on Yarrow Terrace and Mill Street in Selkirk. Mr Andy Murray, Chair of Selkirk Community Council and the principal petitioner, presented the petition, highlighting that over 300 residents had previously endorsed a one-way system. He stated that the Traffic Department had no existing data for Yarrow Terrace and that any comments on the merits of a one-way system were premature without a survey. Mr Murray also noted that a previous temporary one-way system on these roads, from 2014 to 2017, had been popular.

Philippa Gilhooly, Team Leader for Traffic and Road Safety at Scottish Borders Council, explained that the previous temporary one-way system was implemented as an emergency measure due to repairs needed at The Glen Hotel. She confirmed that there was no baseline data collected at the time and that the decision to repair the wall meant there was no funding for a permanent one-way system. Ms Gilhooly stated that currently, there is no identified budget for a survey, and any study would be invalidated by the ongoing A7 works by Transport Scotland and BEAR Scotland, which are expected to take approximately two years to complete and evaluate. She estimated the cost of a comprehensive survey and modelling to be between £35,000 and £40,000.

During the discussion, councillors explored various options, including the potential for traffic lights, which were estimated to cost around £110,000 to £150,000. Councillor Elaine Thornton-Nicol, Chair of the Committee, noted that while the A7 works were primarily focused on pedestrian improvements in the town centre, the council officers believed they could have a knock-on effect on traffic flow throughout Selkirk.

Ultimately, the committee agreed to refer the petition to the Director of Infrastructure and Environment. The recommendation was to identify future budgets to undertake a feasibility and evaluation study for a traffic management scheme on Yarrow Terrace and surrounding streets, specifically after the completion and evaluation of the proposed A7 works in Selkirk. The committee also agreed that the council would independently look into implementing marked bays on Yarrow Terrace, a measure estimated to have a low cost and potentially improve parking management.

Scrutiny and Petitions Committee Programme 2026/27

The committee also considered a report updating them on the Scrutiny and Petitions Work Programme and proposing scopes for three future scrutiny review topics: Contract Processes, the Role and Remit of the Town Team, and the Play Park Fund and Future Plans. The committee members agreed to the proposed scopes for these reviews. The next meeting of the Scrutiny and Petitions Committee was scheduled for Thursday, 29 October 2026, with the Contract Processes review and a Gaelic Language Update on the agenda.