Building Briefs – August 7th

• Key milestone marked in Ardrishaig regeneration

The historic Egg Shed will now serve as a community hub, detailing the story of the Crinan Canal and the communities on its banks. New parking facilities and improved walking and cycling links were also developed.

Argyll and Bute Council, in partnership with Scottish Canals, has worked with the Ardrishaig Community Council and the local Development Trust for a number of years to find ways of bringing investment, environmental improvements and regeneration opportunities to Ardrishaig waterfront.

In 2016, more than 200 local people and stakeholders joined the Rethink the link – Crinan Canal Charette to put forward ideas for an action plan and ideas for projects that were put forward for funding through the Tarbert Lochgilphead Regeneration Fund (TLRF).

The Egg Shed project was one of three chosen for development and attracted further funding from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) in 2017/18.

• Surveys continue at damaged Ayr building

Surveys are continuing at a damaged building opposite Ayr Train Station to fully understand its condition.

The structural surveys are being conducted following work to stabilise the building and ensure public safety.

Work was expected to be completed at the beginning of August, but this has since been pushed back to the week commencing August 19.

Following completion of this survey, a further major piece of work will be undertaken to appraise the report and provide an analysis of the condition and the issues identified.

The report will contain estimated costs of remediation of these defects and it is anticipated that this report will be made available at the end of September 2019.

• Angus Council begins major bathroom project

The first phase of a seven-year bathroom replacement programme for about 6,500 homes across Angus is set to begin.

Angus Council has set aside more than £12 million for the next four years, with contractor MPS Housing Ltd starting work on properties in the Brechin and Montrose areas.

The first phase is expected to take up to three years, with Arbroath, Carnoustie and Monifieth areas being tackled in the next two years of the contract, to be followed by Forfar and Kirriemuir.

More than 80 per cent of the council’s stock will be improved.

• One in ten Edinburgh city centre properties listed on Airbnb

One in ten properties in Edinburgh city centre are listed on Airbnb, according to a new investigation.

The number of Edinburgh properties listed on the service has doubled to 12,000 since 2016, The Times reports, with concerns that a lack of regulation is exacerbating the housing crisis in the Scottish capital.

The newspaper has published a map breaking down Airbnb lets by area, with 922 properties listed in the Old Town, Princes Street and Leith Street area alone.

A report published last month by tenants’ union Living Rent found that landlords are abusing holiday let contracts to evade their responsibilities to tenants, some of whom are staying in their properties for up to 10 months or more.

A Scottish government consultation on the regulation of short-term lets closed last month.

• Veterans Minister Graeme Day visits housing development for disabled veterans

Veterans Minister Graeme Day has visited a development for disabled veterans being built in East Lothian.

The site is the former East Lothian Council groundcare depot at Osborne Terrace, Cockenzie, which will now provide a two-storey flatted block with six two-bedroom flats, including three fully wheelchair-accessible units on the ground floor.

The project is being delivered through a design and build contract with Gordon Guthrie Contracts Ltd. Work began on site in May this year with completion scheduled for December. The total cost is just under £1 million, with £354,000 of that coming from a Scottish Governmentgrant.

The Osborne Terrace development is specifically for disabled veterans, who will be nominated for the housing by the Scottish Veterans Garden City Association (SVGCA), a charity and private landlord specifically for disabled veterans in Scotland.

The development builds on the work already being done to support veterans in East Lothian, including a new housing allocations policy which awards points specifically for those leaving a service tenancy.

East Lothian Council recently signed an Armed Forces Covenant, which involves a working group bringing together key partners from the council, health, education, service and veterans’ organisations to create policies and practices that will support armed forces personnel (serving and retired) and their families. The key themes that the group is progressing are housing, employment, education and training, health and wellbeing and community.

• Borders rural roads to receive £1m investment

Scottish Borders Council has received over £700,000 from the Strategic Timber Transport Fund towards four rural road improvement schemes.

A total of £710,705 has been awarded by the Strategic Timber Transport Fund for the routes, which alongside £373,245 of investment from the council means over £1 million will be invested in the key rural roads.

The road sections to be improved are:

· A701 Edinburgh to Moffat Road between Tweedsmuir and Tweedhopefoot

· B6357 Jedburgh to Newcastleton Road at Saughtree Grain

· B6357 Jedburgh to Newcastleton Road at Sandholm Bridge

· C34 Saughtree Cottages and Myredykes

The Strategic Timber Transport Fund (STTF) was set up by the Scottish Government in 2005 in recognition of the challenge faced in getting timber to market.

The awards are managed by Scottish Forestry.

The STTF co-finances projects that will improve mostly minor rural roads throughout Scotland or that promote modal shift, taking lorries off the road and transporting timber to market by sea.

Work is expected to begin in early autumn 2019.