Jane Cox: Cllr. Mark Rowley - The Tour of Britain Cycle Race

Hawick Rotary welcomed Cllr. Mark Rowley as their speaker at the Zoom meeting on Thursday 15 July. As SBC's Executive Member For Economic Regeneration & Finance he talked of a stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race being hosted by Hawick on Saturday, 11 September, with this stage finishing in Edinburgh.

Mark explained that the race is coming to Hawick as part of economic regeneration. The Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest professional cycle event and attracting events of international / national importance is a key part of SBC’s economic strategy. It will lead to a positive impact being made on the host town of Hawick as well as the wider area, with Hawick being a top priority in the Borderlands Growth Deal.

A cycling festival lasting the best part of three weeks has been pulled together in the town, as described in last Friday's Hawick Paper. The local community has a celebration of cycling starting with the Ken Laidlaw Sportive on Sunday, 22 August and Festivals in the Park will take place on Saturday, 28 August and Sunday, 5 September including Pump Track, Cycle Speedway, Cycle Football, Treasure Hunt, Live Borders Tented Village, Museum exhibition, Trishaw rides and much more. On Sunday, 5th September as well, the Scottish Olympic Time Trial Championships will take place on the Carter Bar TT course, hosted by Hawick Cycling Club.

Hawick and Denholm Primary Schools are involved, with each school meeting one of the six British Cycling Teams in the Tour of Britain.

However, during this Tour of Britain we can expect chaos with many tour buses, frustrations, restrictions, diversions and closed roads, but Hawick will be seen in coverage around the world.

Mark went on to speak of other economic developments in the town, using Almstrongs as an example, plans for this project having now been finalised.. He also spoke of the potential created by the Covid-created changes to work practices, with working from home allowing house moves to the Borders when presence in an office elsewhere might only be required on one or two days each week.