A BORDERS MSP has hit out after the local authority refused to release correspondence which led to next month's planned closure of Peebles tourist information centre.

It was announced last year that the shutters were to come down on the High Street centre next month with Borders tourism services being centralised in Jedburgh.

Christine Grahame has slammed the decision previously.

And towards the end of last year she submitted identical Freedom of Information requests to both VisitScotland and the local authority seeking details which led to the decision.

While the tourism body responded with full and appropriately redacted disclosure, Scottish Borders Council refused to co-operate fully - citing an environmental act as a reason for them being exempt.

Ms Grahame told us: "I am not completely satisfied with the reasoning behind the decision to close the tourist information office in Peebles.

"I asked, as I'm entitled to do under Freedom of Information, for communications between VisitScotland, the council and other involved parties regarding the decision to close Peebles and centralise operations in Jedburgh.

"Although I'm not convinced by VisitScotland's argument they did send me all the correspondence I asked for... yet I received a completely different response from Scottish Borders Council.

"They are trying to put up a brick wall and I'm not having it - this isn't the transparent local governance we are promised."

VisitScotland announced last summer that its iCentre in Peebles was to close and the information centre in Hawick was being taken over by leisure charity Live Borders, leaving Jedburgh as the only town in the region with a dedicated tourist information centre.

The announcement came after Melrose TIC had closed the previous June and Kelso's office shut for good in the October.

A drop in footfall and a move towards accessing information online was blamed by tourism bosses.

VisitScotland also unveiled a new strategy which will see Jedburgh’s iCentre being supported by over 70 VisitScotland Information Partners (VIPs) across, which includes hotels, bed & breakfasts, self-catering properties and camping sites as well as attractions such as Glentress, Abbotsford and Traquair House.

But the figures behind the Peebles decision hadn't convinced the Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale MSP.

She added: "I think the Peebles office is a very successful operation and its closure will have a huge impact on the town's high street as well as local tourism businesses.

"It doesn't take up much space and can't cost a lot to operate."

Scottish Borders Council cited the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulation 2004 as the reason for their exemption from releasing details of the planned closure in Peebles.

Ms Grahame has submitted an appeal to the local authority for them to reconsider.

Scottish Borders Council believes that an internal mistake was made in responding to Ms Grahame's initial FOI.

A spokesman said: "Having reviewed this request we have established that the initial request for information was not circulated to all relevant departments of the council, which led to an incomplete response being provided.

“We will apologise for that failure and are now rectifying it and will provide the information requested.

"The council reviews FOI and EIR requests where people believe they have not received a full response."

Peebles tourist information centre is due to open for the final time on Saturday, February 16.