Building Briefs – April 17th

• Charity’s £3.2m appeal to build state-of-the-art mental health facility

Voluntary Service Aberdeen (VSA) is calling on the generosity of the north-east for the project which will assist people living with a range of mental health conditions.

The proposed new 20-bed mental wellbeing residential facility will comprise of a dining room, residential lounge, two quiet/ relaxation rooms, a fully fitted kitchen, laundry room and offices for staff and outreach workers, garden/ outdoor space as well as staff and visitor parking.

The campaign has already garnered the support of BP, Standard Life Aberdeen, Apache, The Robertson Trust, and the A G Bain Trust among others thus far. 

Support the campaign here.

• Dundee to extend energy efficiency measures

Dundee City Council’s programme of energy efficiency measures will be extended to 350 more council and private homes at a cost of £3 million.

Councillors will be told that houses in Benvie Road, Peddie Street, Law Crescent, Brownhill Street and Tummel Place/Dickson Avenue will receive the energy saving work including external wall or cavity wall insulation.

Contractors for the work will be appointed by SSE who are project managing the programme on behalf of the council.

More homes will be in line for external wall insulation work later this year with cash from the 2019/20 Home Energy Efficiency Programme Scotland – Area Based Scheme.

The neighbourhood services committee meets on April 22.

• Councillors approve demolition of 17th Century house

Councillors have overturned recommendations and approved plans for the demolition of a “historically significant” house near Torphins.

Owner Mr H Salveson wants to knock down Findrack House – which can trace its roots back to the 17th Century – and replace it with a modern family home along with a solar array and oil tank.

The decision was made following a site visit and debate at Aberdeenshire Council’s Marr Area Committee meeting this week.

The applicant’s agents, Gerry Robb Architectural Design Services, said in a report a replacement house, constructed in accordance with current standards and regulations, would result in significant savings in energy consumption.

The replacement design would reflect the current building and would reuse some of the existing building elements.

• Dundee outlines £1m community regeneration funding

Nearly £1 million is being earmarked to help build stronger communities across Dundee.

A report to Dundee City Council’s policy & resources committee outlines community regeneration funding allocations for the new financial year covering all eight council wards.

The report also describes how the Dundee Decides 2018 programme helped give people choices over a £1.2m community infrastructure fund.

Meanwhile, 40 environmental improvement projects have also been carried out at play areas, community growing sites and cemeteries over the last two years in schemes worth more than £2m.

The committee, which meets on April 22, will hear that the community regeneration funding allocations for the next year in worth £866,935.