THE future of Peebles Agricultural Show is under threat amid proposals to develop the show ground for housing.

Peebles Community Council said it would be a “tragedy” to lose the site at Nether Horsburgh, near Cardrona, adding that it could have a major impact on tourism.

The annual event boasts one of the largest entries of livestock anywhere in Scotland.

Organisers of Peebles Show have reported record crowds after relocating from Peebles’ Hay Lodge Park in 2013.

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The convenor of planning on the town’s community council, Peter Maudsley, said: “In the next Local Development Plan there are two specific areas that I want to highlight.

"Scottish Borders Council is looking at allocating housing in what is now the Agricultural Show ground.

“The two major industries in the Borders are agriculture and tourism and if there's no alternative show ground then that is going to do serious damage, I think, to Peebles.”

Finlay Smith, the president of Peebles Show, told this newspaper that the Nether Horsburgh site is an “ideal” event location in Peeblesshire.

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On the council plans, he said: “We have known about it for a while and obviously it’s not been given complete planning permission, but it has been identified as a possible site.

“I don’t think it will be happening in the near future – that would be our hope anyway.

“It’s a perfect site for the show and other events with great access.

"We have a great working relationship with the owners of the site and the Renwick family that rent the grazing off them. 

“We feel that the show has grown since we moved there and it’s hopefully going to grow more but everything is unfortunately up in the air at the moment.”

When asked what the future would hold for Peebles Show if housing is backed, Mr Smith said: “The show has probably outgrown Hay Lodge now and where we are currently, we’ve got far more room on the equestrian side of the show.

"It’s just grown beyond belief.”

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He added: “It’s not easy but we’ve always managed to adapt and move on.”

Meanwhile, the traffic capacity of the mini roundabout in Peebles also raised a red flag for town councillors.

Mr Maudsley said: “The other area that is worth highlighting is the mini roundabout at the Old Parish Church which roads department documents already highlight as being, once Tweedbridge Court and South Parks are completed, about 95 per cent of operational capacity.

“Any new developments within Peebles will have some effect on that mini roundabout, so the suggestion is that before any development is approved, the capacity of the roundabout should be recalculated each time.”