Building Briefs – January 16th

  • Shepherd sells two plots of commercial land in Perth

Acting on behalf of administrators, Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has sold two plots of commercial land at Inveralmond Industrial Estate in Perth for a combined total of £766,000.

Building Briefs – January 16th

Ruthvenfield Road

Inveralmond Industrial Estate is an important and established trading estate serving the Perth area and is situated alongside the A9 bypass with direct access to the local and national road network.



The first plot, centrally located within the estate at Ruthvenfield Way comprising a 1.2-acre level rectangular-shaped site surfaced and bound by security fencing with a temporary office structure at the front of the site, has been bought by Crossford Properties.

Building Briefs – January 16th

Ruthvenfield Way

The second, situated prominently at the entrance to the estate on Ruthvenfield Road where there are a number of established motor dealerships, comprises a fully secure and surfaced split level 0.4 acre yard together with a 722 sq ft steel frame workshop.

The site has been purchased by Arnold Clark.



 

  • Storm damage takes its toll on Highland roads

Storm Brendan has taken its toll on roads and infrastructure across the Highlands. 

Building Briefs – January 16th

The damage done during Storm Brendan at Applecross 

Localised flooding, wind and ice has caused damage to roads, paths, car parks and walls in numerous areas including Applecross, Lochaber and Caithness and Sutherland. This week’s storm follows recent severe weather causing two significant landslides which closed roads in South Skye and Rasaay, temporarily cutting off communities and costing thousands in debris clearance and road repairs. 



The Highland Council has the longest road network in the UK with 4,000 miles of local roads, 1,000 miles of footpaths and 1,400 bridges spanning a region covering one third of Scotland. The extensive road infrastructure presents significant maintenance challenges to the Council and severe weather events result in significant additional costs which put more pressure on the limited roads budget. 

 

  • Overnight works on Queensferry Crossing now complete

Councillors in Fife have been updated by Traffic Scotland and Amey on the traffic issues that affect the Queensferry Crossing.



They were told that the overnight works on the new Queensferry Crossing are now complete. This should see an end to the regular evening restrictions, once all the equipment has been removed. In the near future the lights that illuminate the ends of the crossing will be dimmed to reduce the impact to drivers entering the bridge.

It was emphasised that the bridge has been very successful. The old bridge had the capacity to take approximately 70,000 vehicles per day, the Queensferry Crossing is now up to 80,000. With additional housing being built in Fife a growth of 1-3% per annum is anticipated. The wind breaks on the new crossing have proved to be extremely effective. There have been more than 30 instances where the original bridge would have had to be closed but the new crossing has been able to remain open.

 

  • £4.6m Edinburgh hotel renovation is complete

The £4.6 million renovation of Salisbury Green Hotel and Bistro in Edinburgh has been completed with the makeover of its Mansion House.



The building next to Holyrood Park comprises 36 en-suite twin, double and single bedrooms with new mattresses and furnishings, while the decor retains the original character of the 18th century building.

Next door, in the contemporary part of the hotel, the 72 bedrooms underwent a huge refurbishment in 2018, offering guests top of the range Elite mattresses, new fitted bathrooms with Arran Aromatics toiletries and a contemporary lounge and bistro area downstairs.

 

  • £700m contract to transform household waste

A unique new contract will see up to 190,000 tonnes of black bag waste from five Scottish councils diverted from landfill and converted to low carbon energy on an annual basis.



The £700 million, 25-year Clyde Valley Residual Waste Project between East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire councils and Viridor started on 7 January.

The household waste is taken from each council area to Viridor’s Materials Recovery Facility at Bargeddie in North Lanarkshire and treated to produce a refuse derived fuel. It is then transported to the company’s Energy Recovery Facility at Dunbar, where it is burned at high temperatures, under carefully controlled conditions, to produce 258GWh of low carbon electricity which goes to the national grid.

The rubbish being treated through the contract is residual household waste, which cannot be recycled and would otherwise be sent to landfill.

A number of community benefits will be delivered as part of the contract, including apprenticeships, work placements and training workshops for businesses.



 

  • £160,000 invested in Harthill projects

An outdoor gym and multi-use games area will be built in Harthill as a result of the new Participatory Budgeting (PB) initiative.

Residents in the Wishaw and Shotts areas were invited by North Lanarkshire Council to vote for projects that would benefit their local communities, and those with the most votes are now being taken forward.



In the public park, a multi-use games area (MUGA) will be built with facilities for football and basketball. The surface allows the area to be used all year round. Work should start in April, with the MUGA opening by June.

The proposal in the Participatory Budgeting vote was for the MUGA to be built beside the community centre. However this site was not suitable, so it has been relocated to a site in the public park which had previously been agreed through a play development consultation.

An outdoor gym for older children and adults will be installed next to the community centre on Victoria Street, with a range of equipment including a rowing machine, arm, leg and chest workout machines and a fitness frame. Equipment features pistons that can be adjusted to different abilities. The gym will be free to use, with information about workouts available via an app.

This project replaces the suggested play area set out in the PB vote. The play area was not viable because of the existing play facilities within the public park, but the outdoor gym enhances the facilities available for all age groups and retains the funding for the benefit of the community.

A new play area, available for all residents, will be created within the housing development planned for Albert Road.

As well as the PB projects, a new war memorial will be created for the village, next to the mining memorial in West Main Street - funded by the Local Development Programme. It will feature stone walls and seating with the names of local servicemen and women who gave their lives in both world wars and other conflicts Work is expected to be complete by May, in time for the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

 

  • British Pest Control Association issues mouse infestation guide

The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) has published a new document with an accompanying video providing expert advice to housing providers on how to deal with a mouse infestation.

The advice highlights the signs and consequences of a mouse infestation.

Mice are one of the most common pest species in the UK and they can pose a risk to public health, as well as causing property damage.

They can spread Salmonella and Listeria - there is also a possibility that some building fires or flood issues are caused by the rodents’ gnawing behaviours.

The house mouse is the most problematic species in the UK, due to their proximity to humans. Mice can be a problem year-round as they do not hibernate, but cold weather makes the possibility of an infestation more likely, as field mice also head indoors to seek warmth and food.

Within the BPCA’s online guide is information about the lifespan, habits and breeding cycle of mice, as well as advice on preventing infestation and ways to tackle the presence of the pest.

The BPCA’s guide to mice is available here.

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