A PRIVATE council meeting over the Great Tapestry of Scotland on Thursday, may change to be held in public.

Council Leader and Councillor David Parker will raise the matter at Thursday’s meeting of the Full Council that the Great Tapestry of Scotland report and discussion should be heard in public.

Councillor Parker, to be backed by Councillor Stuart Bell, will move that the covering report and the two business cases, for the Tweedbank site and the potential Galashiels site, are presented publicly.

Councillor Parker said: “A decision as to whether this matter will be held in private or public can only be made on Thursday by Council - as the papers for the meeting have already been published.

"For that reason I will raise the matter on the day and, if agreed, this will mean that all of the information Councillors will consider as part of their decision-making at Thursday’s meeting will be made public.

“Although it was recommended to Members that the report be taken in private, due to the commercially sensitive information contained in it, the Administration believes it is crucial that all the information is released to enable the Borders’ public to make their own assessment of the information Councillors will debate.”