Building Briefs – July 25th

• Linthouse to begin tenement window replacement works  

An extensive window replacement works in relation to the pre-1919 sandstone tenement properties has been a key priority for Linthouse Housing Association this year.

The Association said the programme of works represents its commitment to ensuring that their properties are reflective of, and satisfy, modern living standards.

The first phase of the project includes the fitting of new double-glazed windows to 16 of the Association’s properties, located at 8 and 10 Skipness Drive. Given that the properties are within a conservation area, the project will necessitate timber windows in line with Glasgow City Council’s planning policy.

Phase 1 will also include essential stonework repairs, further ensuring that the Association fulfils its objective to retain and protect Glasgow’s built heritage.

Main contractor Contract Building Services successfully won the contract for the project following an advert for the works on PCS.  The date for completion of the window replacement and stonework repairs project is October 2019. The contract value, including works, fees and vat, is circa £325,000.

• NHBC names Paisley builder as one of UK’s best

NHBC has named David Blair of Barratt Homes in the first round of its flagship competition for his site in Paisley.

The competition is dedicated to recognising site managers who achieve the highest standards in housebuilding.

Nearly 450 UK site managers have won a Quality Award in the first round of NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2019. Being selected as one of the UK’s top site managers is testament to their commitment to delivering quality homes for residents.

David will now go on to compete for a Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards that will be announced at events across the UK in the autumn, with the Supreme Award winners unveiled at a gala ceremony in January 2020.

Managing director David Scott from Barratt and David Wilson Homes West Scotland said: “These awards recognise only the very best new homes and well-run sites. They are something that customers can look out for as a quality mark knowing their home has been built to the highest standard possible. To win more of these awards than any other housebuilder for 15 years in a row is a real point of difference which shows how committed we are to building high-quality homes for our customers.”

• Algo breaks ground on new distillery warehouse

Perth-based construction firm Algo has begun work on the new McQueen Distillery project in Callander.

Algo site manager Eric Little broke ground at the new site for the new warehouse for McQueen Gin Distillery. The project has been designed by WD Harley.

Algo said it “aims to get this complete as soon as possible for them as we hear that their gin is in demand and this new facility will allow for faster bottle to shelf times.”

• East Beach footbridge at Lossiemouth closed for repairs

The footbridge joining Lossiemouth to the East Beach is to close with immediate effect.

Following concerns raised with Moray Council by members of the public, structural engineers were dispatched to inspect the bridge and the decision has been taken to close the bridge as it deemed to be unsafe for continued use at this time. Small controlled groups can use the bridge to leave the beach while the beach empties.

The bridge had a survey commissioned by Lossiemouth Community Trust in 2017. At that time it was deemed to be “generally structurally sound” with the advice that “significant works will need to be carried out to ensure this remains the case”.

A spokesperson for Moray Council said: “The nice weather this week has understandably led to more people visiting the East Beach. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of people crossing the bridge has led to deterioration significant enough to warrant closure of the bridge in the interests of public safety. While the bridge is not the property of Moray Council we have a responsibility to keep the public safe around such structures.”

• Pacific sponsors Ronald McDonald Houses charity golf day

Pacific Building has said it was delighted to be one of the sponsors of the annual Ronald McDonald Houses charity golf day at Dalmahoy Country Club, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

Pacific banners, stands and posters were displayed at the famous Halfway House on the course as scores of players from across the United Kingdom dusted off their clubs for the big day on July 23.

Ronald McDonald House Glasgow and Ronald McDonald House Charities UK came together for this event in support of families with a seriously ill child in hospital.

The charities provide accommodation for relatives of sick children, so they can be close to them 24 hours a day.

When children are having medical treatment in hospital, their families can often be faced with having to travel long distances each day and either pay for costly hotel rooms or sleep on a chair at their bedsides.

The houses provide a warm and welcoming place for relatives to put their heads down, safe in the knowledge they are only a stone’s throw away from their little loved ones.

The Dalmahoy event – which featured golf, fun and fundraising – followed the hugely successful Ronald McDonald Houses Scotland Ball in Glasgow in May.

It has been a momentous year for both Ronald McDonald House Glasgow and Ronald McDonald House Charities UK.

The Glasgow house has recently increased its capacity to 31 bedrooms and RMHC will soon be opening a new, 25-bedroom house in Edinburgh.

Together, they will support 1,000 families every year in Scotland.

• Angus Council to consult on flooding works proposals

Angus Council and JBA Consulting are seeking views on a study of flooding in Carnoustie and Monifieth.

Interested parties are invited to a consultation event at Carnoustie Library on Monday 12 August from 10:30am-4pm or Monifieth Library on Tuesday 13 August from 10:30am-4pm to view the project exhibition and ask any questions you may have.

The project has looked at the risk of flooding from the Barry Burn, Waterybutts ditch and Lochty Burn in Carnoustie, as well as the Monifieth Burn in Monifieth.

A number of households and businesses have been found to be at risk of flooding from each watercourse and we have therefore considered solutions to reduce the risk to the community and lessen the impact that flood events might have.

These options include engineering works either upstream or within the towns but they also include smaller-scale measures to help reduce the size of floods and to inform the community when flood events are likely.

The exhibition will show some of the work we have done and the proposed solutions.

Members of the council flooding team and staff from JBA Consulting will be on hand to discuss the studies.

• Council to reveal Musselburgh flood protection scheme

East Lothian Council will host an event in Musselburgh to highlight a flood protection scheme being developed for the town.

An open public exhibition will be held at Venue 1, The Brunton on Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 July.

The exhibition will present the new flood maps, and visitors to the exhibition will be able to identify whether or not their properties are exposed to flood events. The new model has had to look at not only the main flood risks from the River Esk and the North Sea (via the Firth of Forth) but also scenarios where a river flood event coincides with a high sea level. Ultimately the scheme is proposing to protect against a blended combination of these risks.

The exhibition will also present an overview of the flood risk reduction options that are applicable to Musselburgh and advise visitors on the process the project team took to determine the best combination of flood protection options to reduce the flood risk to the town (the Preferred Scheme). Members of the project team will be available to discuss the project in general, flood risk, and the flood risk reduction options.

In developing the Preferred Scheme the project team have undertaken a formal Option Appraisal Process and identified all possible flood risk reduction options. This process has resulted in almost 100 individual options being determined and over the past few months, the project team have been appraising these options from a technical, environmental, economic and social perspective. These options will be presented via this public consultation and the reaction and perspective of the residents and businesses of Musselburgh is now considered essential to allow the project team to complete this appraisal process.

The event will also include stalls from Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Flood Forum and the council’s Emergency Planning section who will be present to provide information and advice on flood risk, flood warning systems and property-level protection measures that householders may want to put in place.

Musselburgh has a history of damaging floods from the River Esk - the last major flood, and inundation of the High Street occurred in 1948. There were also significant events in 1927 and 1891. Further to information about the 1948 flood, gathered though the Scheme’s information-gathering exercise earlier in the year, the new Hydraulic Model has been able to determine that the major flooding in August 1948 was equivalent to a 1 in 200 Years Flood Event today (an event with an Annual Event Probability (AEP) of 0.5%).

In recent years, the combination of rising sea levels and changing weather patterns have suggested a possibly higher incidence of flooding events in the future. All relevant scientific information on climate change has been considered by the project team and specific information will be provided to highlight the scheme’s approach to the impact of climate change on flood risk to Musselburgh.

• Hillcrest Maintenance helps spark bright future for local student

Dundee-based trades company Hillcrest Maintenance has teamed up with The Prince’s Trust to offer a local young person the opportunity to get hands-on experience in electrical installation.

The six-week ‘Get Into Electrical’ course is a national employment initiative run by The Prince’s Trust that gives unemployed young people a chance to develop the necessary skills to help them unlock their potential and take the first step towards a career in trade.

24-year-old Arran Farquharson, who is currently a student at Dundee and Angus College, took part in the scheme where he spent one of the six weeks on a placement with Hillcrest where he job-shadowed electrician, Scott Stewart.