Latest news with #Peebles
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Glentress funding bids to boost Scots mountain biking levels
Heading for the hills should be set to become a lot easier as further Scottish government money has been pledged towards accessible mountain participation in the sport has soared over the past two decades, several sections of society have been left Holyrood support of £120,000, Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) is launching programmes for people who are financially struggling, have physical disabilities or mental health completing trails at Glentress, outside Peebles, sports minister Maree Todd said she hoped even more people would soon be having the same experiences. "It feels great to be out in the hills - it's a powerful way of either staying or becoming healthy as well as socialising," she said."The benefits of mountain biking are widespread and there is support from across government as it helps tourism, the rural economy and the health of our population."She said DMBinS was "great at making a lot from a small amount of money"."They can make an impact by collaborating and coming up with new ideas," she said."We have great assets - like here at Glentress which is not far from the central belt - and there are electric bikes now which can help you onto the hills." As well as launching programmes to encourage more people onto the trails, DMBinS is exploring the creation of links between active travel routes and off-road trails. DMBinS head Graeme McLean said: "Getting people onto bikes is going to be hugely important for our health, wellbeing and transport."There's a whole range of people who maybe aren't as privileged as us to be regularly riding bikes - this could be because of affordability, mental health issues or a physical disability."We have programmes for all of those groups to help them access mountain biking and experience beautiful places like Glentress."
Axios
10-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Brooklyn Village developers warn county it will forgo affordable housing plan
The Peebles Corporation is warning Mecklenburg County that if it doesn't subsidize affordable housing for Brooklyn Village, the developer will proceed with its original plan to build mostly luxury apartments on the historically significant site. Why it matters: It's looking increasingly less likely that Peebles will actually redevelop Brooklyn, once a thriving Black neighborhood in Charlotte until it was razed in the '60s and '70s. A legal battle could ensue if the county wants to reclaim control of the site it sold to The Peebles Corporation for a discount. Catch up quick: Mecklenburg County sold prime land near Uptown to The Peebles Corporation and its development partner at a discounted rate, expecting they would honor Brooklyn through a mixed-use development that incorporates affordable housing. But the project has stalled for years because of negotiations and construction delays, which have been blamed on market conditions. In February, the development team revised its proposal and said it would build 250 affordable housing units — instead of 550 mixed-income units — in part to restore confidence with county commissioners. The latest: Peebles told the county April 18 it would miss a contractual deadline to demolish a building on the site due to the discovery of asbestos. WFAE reports that the county may use this latest delay as an out from its relationship with Peebles. In an unprompted email to Axios on Tuesday, Peebles emphasized that it now owns the Brooklyn land. "There is no reversion provision for Mecklenburg County to take it back," the email states. Peebles also said it scored among the top applicants for a government subsidy to build affordable housing. However, the email claims the city was "insistent" that the county contributed, and the county refused. Peebles further blamed the county for not disclosing the asbestos. It added that the building is on Phase 2 land for Brooklyn Village, which the developers do not own and, according to the email, do not plan on acquiring within the next decade. "The County wants BK Partners to pay for and perform an environmental clean-up of a building we do not own," the email states. "They are trying to shift the cost of extensive clean up." The other side: A letter Mecklenburg County's outside attorney sent to Peebles Corp. in late April, reported by WFAE, reads, "In reality, this is merely a continuation of BKV's ongoing attempts to avoid performing the demolition and removal work it agreed to perform. Clearly, BKV did not proceed diligently because it has been hoping it could evade its obligations." Mecklenburg County provided Axios with its April 30 response to Peebles but declined to comment further. The bottom line: The latest email effectively warns the county to approve its request for more funding if it's "genuinely committed to providing more affordable housing." "Otherwise, we will wait until market conditions improve in Charlotte and then proceed with our original plan," the email states. What's next: Developers say they expect to meet with the county in the coming weeks to seek a resolution. Read The Peebles Corporation's statement to Axios in full below: 1. The development team of BK Partners, composed of Conformity Corp and The Peebles Corporation, owns the Phase 1 land. 2. There is no reversion provision for Mecklenburg County to take it back. 3. BK Partners has the right to build luxury apartments, a hotel, office and retail. 4. Current market conditions make construction of any of these uses infeasible economically. This is due to the impact of a global pandemic, the tripling of interest rates and an oversupply of apartments in the market. 5. BK Partners has an obligation to build 10% of any apartments on Phase 1 as affordable. 6. To address the County's and City's need and desire for more affordable housing, BK Partners was willing to build 250 units of affordable housing in two buildings. 7. As is the case for all affordable housing in Charlotte and the nation, a government subsidy is required. We applied for it and scored at the top of the applicants. 8. The City was insistent that the County contribute to their subsidy and the County refused. 9. As to the Board of Education building: A. It is on the site of Phase 2 which we do not own and do not plan on acquiring in the next 8-10 years. B. At the County's request two years ago, BK Village agreed to demolish the building under the expectation that there was minimal asbestos. C. Prior to securing a permit for demolition, an additional environmental study was performed, and extensive friable asbestos was discovered. This extended the timeframe to demolish the building significantly as all the asbestos will need to be removed by hand first. Then demolition will follow. D. The extensive asbestos in the building increased the demolition costs fivefold and added 6 to 8 months of time to the demolition process. E. BK Partners was unaware of the extensive environmental contamination of the building prior to this discovery. F. Apparently, the County government knew of the contamination but did not disclose this information to us. 10. The Board of Education Building has nothing to do with the schedule of Phase 1, nor does it impact the construction of affordable housing. It is the County government who is trying to leverage the construction of affordable housing to force us to cover the cost of the environmental clean-up of the Board of Education building in exchange for them to support affordable housing on Brooklyn Village Phase 1. We are surprised and disappointed by their approach. However, this is a complicated issue which will need to be addressed at some point. 11. The County wants BK Partners to pay for and perform an environmental clean-up of a building we do not own. They are trying to shift the cost of extensive clean up to BKV Partners. 12. BK Partners does not understand the urgency of the Board of Education building demolition as our original development agreement contemplated it being demolished before we started on Phase 2, which is 6-8 years away. 13. BK Partners has asked the County to allow us to proceed with the affordable housing buildings now and separately work out the issues involving the environmental clean-up. 14. If the County is genuinely committed to providing more affordable housing, it will approve our request. Otherwise, we will wait until market conditions improve in Charlotte and then proceed with our original plan. 15. BK Partners plans to meet with the county in the coming weeks to try and reach a resolution to move forward with the affordable housing. 16. There have been several reports of how we have delayed the project. Here are the facts: A. The Development Agreement was approved by the county Commission October 2016. B. The County did not control all of the land in Phase 1 because the City had rights to recover a portion of the land in Phase 1. C. The County and City did not reach an agreement on the land until 2021. D. BK Partners acquired the land under Phase 1 for $10 million in 2023. E. BK Partners immediately commenced demolition and site work on the property as required in the agreement with the County.
Axios
09-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
A timeline of the embattled Brooklyn Village project
Nine years ago, Mecklenburg County selected The Peebles Corporation to redevelop 17 acres for Brooklyn Village, a project designed to honor what was once Charlotte's largest Black neighborhood. Today, the prime land on Uptown's edge is unmoved dirt. Why it matters: Brooklyn Village is intended to be a transformative development, breathing fresh life into the neighborhood and attempting to make amends to the Brooklyn community, which was razed in the 1960s and '70s. Surviving descendants have waited decades for some form of restitution. Yes, but: In recent years, The Peebles Corporation has pushed off construction, sought more public funding and reworked site plans. The lack of progress has frustrated community members and leaders. The latest: In April, the company informed the county that it expects to miss a contractual deadline to demolish an old, empty school board building on the site. The latest delay could be the final breaking point in the county and developer's shaky partnership. Meanwhile, a separate redevelopment deal with Peebles has fallen through with the city of Durham. Here's a timeline to catch up with Peebles' increasingly complicated history in Mecklenburg County and North Carolina. June 2025: Durham cuts ties with Peebles Durham cancels its agreement with Peebles to redevelop its former downtown police headquarters. Similar to the situation in Charlotte, Peebles has gone back and forth with Durham on how much affordable housing would be included in the project and how the city would subsidize construction. April 2025: Peebles seeks to postpone demolition of on-site Brooklyn building Peebles sends a letter to the county explaining that the 1969 Board of Education building on the Brooklyn site contains asbestos. The firm seeks an extension until July 31, 2026, to demolish the building. However, Peebles' contract with the county states the building must be torn down by July 28, 2025. WFAE reports that the county intends to uphold the deadline, possibly signaling a breakup in the long-drawn-out public-private partnership. Earlier in April, City of Charlotte staff advises city council not to fulfill a $13.5 million request to help fund Brooklyn Village. They refer to "challenges" with Peebles' financials, WFAE reports. February 2025: Peebles pitches new plan Following a poorly received presentation to county leaders months prior, The Peebles Corporation presents a new plan to build 250 all-affordable units at Brooklyn Village. The previous plan was for 550 housing units, with only 55 set aside as affordable. Peebles says the firm would seek Housing Trust Fund dollars from the city, federal tax credits and $2.5 million in gap financing from Mecklenburg County. Some commissioners say they're excited about more affordable housing, while others are skeptical of further commitments with Peebles. They say they will look at the proposal with a "fine-tooth comb." August 2024: Construction postponed until 2026 The Peebles Corporation says construction on two multi-family buildings won't begin until June 2026 — nearly a year after the required start date in the contract with Mecklenburg County. The contractual deadline is "conditioned upon a favorable financing and marketability climate," a county spokesperson tells Axios. Peebles cites economic challenges, from record-high interest rates to an "oversupply" of multi-family housing in Charlotte. Vilma Leake, a senior commissioner who went to church in Brooklyn, asks Peebles: "Will we ever finish it? Will I get to see it?" Also in August 2024, the City of Durham selects Peebles to redevelop its former downtown police headquarters. July 2024: Mecklenburg County sells land Mecklenburg County finalizes its discounted sale of 5.7 acres at Brooklyn Village to the developer for $10.3 million. The land, on the edge of Uptown and near The Pearl, has risen in value since the price was agreed to in 2016. 2016-2023: Construction start prolonged The project timeline is prolonged due to negotiations over contracts and site plans, developer due diligence and an extended closing period, according to statements from Mecklenburg County. The developer starts "horizontal" construction work on the site, including demolishing the Walton Plaza building and relocating underground utilities. 2016: Mecklenburg County chooses developer Of three bidders, Mecklenburg County chooses BK Partners — a partnership between New York-based The Peebles Corporation and Charlotte-based Conformity Corporation — to develop Brooklyn Village. The first phase is anticipated to finish in 2021 (but never breaks ground). 1960s and '70s: Brooklyn is razed
Telegraph
08-06-2025
- Telegraph
Now is the perfect time to explore the River Tweed, one of Britain's last true idylls
The Scottish Borders is one of the few places left in Britain where you can find breathtaking scenery and peace and quiet, and undoubtedly the Best of the Borders can be found along the River Tweed. It meanders through glorious countryside, under stately bridges, past historic country homes, romantic abbey ruins and castles, telling of a turbulent history on its 97-mile journey to that most Scottish of English towns, Berwick. Due to be ready in 2028 (hopefully before the dark towers and pylons of Net Zero cast their shadow across the valley), a new 113-mile River Tweed Trail will allow walkers and cyclists to follow one of Britain's most beautiful rivers from source to sea. Much of the trail is already in place so here are some of the highlights you can see along the way, before the crowds arrive. Mighty firs and lazy waters The river begins at Tweeds Well, 1,500 feet up in the Lowther Hills, north of Moffat, and quickly descends 1,000 feet to Peebles, past the village of Tweedsmuir, childhood home of John Buchan, author of The 39 Steps, and Dawyk Botanic Gardens, Scotland's finest arboretum, famous for its Douglas Firs. Guarding the approach to Peebles is Neidpath Castle, a 14th-century fortress with walls 11 feet thick, dramatically sited on a high rock above a bend in the river. Strawberries carved above the gateway bear witness to the original builders of the castle, the Frasers, named from ' fraisier ', derived from the French for strawberry. Peebles, girdled with wooded hills, lies on a glorious stretch of the river, spanned by an elegant stone bridge of 1467, since widened, and is a popular fishing centre. Here, the lazy waters of the Tweed form deep pools and gravelly shallows that nurture the salmon for which the Tweed is famous. Lairds and young pretenders The river heads west to Traquair, the oldest house in Scotland and one of its loveliest. It began life in the 12th century as a simple peel tower set so close to the river that the laird could fish for salmon out of his bedroom window. The river was later diverted away to its present course by James Stewart, 1st Laird of Traquair, who was killed at Flodden in 1513. His descendants still live at Traquair, the present owner being Catherine Maxwell Stuart, 21st Lady of Traquair. The present, largely 17th-century house incorporates the original tower and forms the most unpretentious and 'Scottish' of all Scotland's great houses, grey and mellowed with corbelled turrets and dormer windows. Bonnie Prince Charlie stopped by during the 1745 uprising and after he left his kinsman, the Earl of Traquair, closed the Bear Gates to the main avenue vowing they would never be opened again until a Stuart sat on the throne. 'It is a poor place, but mine own,' declared novelist Sir Walter Scott when he purchased the ramshackle farm of Cartleyhole near Melrose in 1811. Over the next 15 years he transformed the farmhouse into a grand baronial 'conundrum castle' he called Abbotsford, and filled it with Scottish memorabilia, Rob Roy's broadsword, Flora Macdonald's pocket book, the inevitable lock of Bonnie Prince Charlie's hair. Best of all is the cosy, intimate study overlooking the Tweed where Scott wrote his Waverley novels, and where he died in 1832 from the exertions of writing ceaselessly to pay off the debts of his bankrupt publishing company. The house was opened to the public in 1840 as one of Scotland's earliest tourist attractions. Melrose gathers around the warm, pink walls of its ruined abbey, the loveliest of the Border abbeys founded by David I in the 12th century, and like so many it was sacked by the English and dismantled at the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Melrose is notable for the delicacy and humour of its carvings – look out for the bagpipe-playing pig high up on a buttress – and the exquisite tracery of its great windows. Thrillingly, the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce is buried beneath the chapter house floor. The River now dips south into Berwickshire and loops past the romantic ruins of Dryburgh Abbey, where Sir Walter Scott is buried. High above on Bermersyde Hill is Scott's View, looking west over the Tweed to the Eildon Hills. Scott would often stop there and during his funeral procession from Abbotsford to Dryburgh the horses pulling his coffin halted there of their own accord as if to give their master a last look at his beloved native land. 'The most romantic place in Scotland' Kelso, described by Scott as 'the most romantic, if not the most beautiful place in Scotland', sits by a luxurious curve of the Tweed, here joined by the Teviot. There's not much left of what was the largest of the Border abbeys, but what does survive looms over the town and is spectacular, the magnificent facade of the north transept regarded as the finest example of Norman architecture in Scotland. From the abbey, cobbled streets lead to the handsomest and largest town square in Scotland. The fine stone bridge that leads across the Tweed into the town was built in 1803 by John Rennie and provides good views of the turreted extravaganza that is Floors Castle, home of the Dukes of Roxburghe and the largest inhabited mansion in Britain. Soon the Tweed becomes the border between Scotland and England – Tweed is a Celtic word for 'border' – before reaching the clean, spacious town of Coldstream at the lowest fording point of the river. Edward I crossed here to invade Scotland in 1296, James IV and the flower of the Scots nobility crossed in the other direction on their way to defeat at Flodden in 1513. On January 1 1660 General Monk left his headquarters in Coldstream's market square and crossed into England with his Regiment of Foot to march to London and assist the restoration of Charles II. His regiment thereafter took the name Coldstream Guards and it is now the oldest continuously serving regiment in the British Army. In 1766 John Smeaton put up a fine five-arched bridge to replace the ford and a toll house on the Scottish side which became popular for runaway marriages. The waters then slip by the mighty Norman walls of Norham Castle, perched high on a grassy mound to guard another vital ford, and then pass under the Union Chain Bridge linking Scotland with England. With a span of 449 feet, this was the longest iron suspension bridge in the world when it was built in 1820 and the first in the world to carry vehicles. Downriver on the Scottish bank sits Paxton House, an elegant Palladian gem of pink sandstone designed for Patrick Home by the Adam brothers, James, John and Robert. In 1812 an east wing was added to accommodate a gallery for Home's art collection, now dispersed, and the gallery is today open to the public as part of the National Galleries of Scotland. At this point the Tweed turns for Berwick and the sea, disappearing into Northumberland for its final two miles. Where to stay Traquair is the oldest and most romantic house in Scotland, and has four spacious double bedrooms furnished with antiques and canopied beds. Rooms from £240, including breakfast. Dryburgh Abbey Hotel is a Scottish country house hotel on the River Tweed, right next to Dryburgh Abbey and perfect setting for exploring the Scottish Borders. Doubles from £146, including breakfast.
BBC News
04-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Tweed Valley osprey love triangle chicks fail to survive
The four chicks which hatched as part of a rare osprey love triangle in the Borders have and Land Scotland (FLS) had captured the unusual arrangement on cameras set up as part of the Tweed Valley Osprey Project (TVOP) at Glentress near female birds and one male had been breeding in what initially appeared to be a "tolerant" after the male bird left the nest, the two females struggled to provide enough food for the chicks which ultimately failed to survive. The unusual breeding situation was revealed last month when the relationship between the birds was "looking good".They worked together to incubate the four eggs in the nest and the chicks began to hatch on 28 by that stage the male bird - named Newboy - had abandoned the nest, leaving the two females - F2 and Mrs O - to provide for the co-ordinator Diane Bennett said that process had started out quite well. "It was with huge relief to everyone on the project when F2 brought a half-eaten fish back to the nest and both females began to feed the tiny chicks together," she said."It was a unique moment to witness and it was looking hopeful that they would figure out a feeding strategy to look after their young between them."However, no further fish were brought to the nest over Friday and Saturday."The chicks were begging for food, Mrs O went into her instinctive role to nurture her young, protect them and to stay with them," Diane Bennett said."This left F2 to go against her natural instinct to do the same as Mrs O and to become the hunter and provider instead, which ordinarily is the role of the male bird in the osprey breeding cycle."F2 was struggling to fulfil this role, Newboy never returned and Mrs O was locked into her motherhood mode." She said that F2 did eventually return on Monday with a "small portion of half-eaten fish" but Mrs O was "so ravenous" that she had eaten it, leaving none for the Tuesday, when Mrs O stood away from the brood, it was clear that three of the young had died and one was still "begging to be fed".F2 did eventually bring some fish to the nest but by that time the remaining chick had also "succumbed to starvation and passed away"."Everyone is so heartbroken that the female ospreys have not managed to make this situation work," said Diane Bennett."This has been very upsetting and sad to watch this family drama turn to tragedy and brings home just how vulnerable and fragile the whole breeding cycle can be for ospreys."For their very brief lives they touched many hearts of people who dearly wanted them to survive."However, she said it was "not all doom and gloom" in the Tweed Valley as other birds that had fledged from the area had been spotted far have been reported on the Isle of Anglesey, in North Yorkshire and the Usk Valley in Wales.
