Building Briefs – July 28th

Much-loved mosaics designed for a London Underground station by the celebrated sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi are to be reassembled in the artist’s home city.

The colourful works, which have adorned the walls of Tottenham Court Road station for the past 30 years will eventually be placed on public display at the University of Edinburgh.

The mosaics, which formed arches over the escalators in the station’s main concourse, have been gifted to the University by London Underground managers Transport for London.

The works were removed as part of a major renovation of the station.

The University will use the reassembly of the mosaics in a new undergraduate course, Edinburgh Collections, in the next academic year. They will be used in other courses and in conservation training.

The pieces will be photographed and digitally mapped over the next few years, allowing experts to virtually reconstruct the work before it is physically reassembled by students, researchers and ceramics conservators.

House prices up 3.5 per cent

House prices rose 3.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2015-16 compared to the same period in the previous year, according to official statistics published today by Registers of Scotland (RoS).

The average house price in Scotland from April to June was £167,765, the highest figure recorded for this quarter since RoS began compiling quarterly statistics in 2003.

The total volume of sales across Scotland was 24,685, an increase of 1.6 per cent on the same quarter in the previous year. This is the highest volume of sales for this quarter since 2008.

Glasgow City showed the largest percentage rise in the number of sales, with an increase of 17.6 per cent.

This brought Glasgow City above the City of Edinburgh in terms of volume, with 3,035 residential house sales compared to Edinburgh’s 3,002. This is the first time that the volume of Glasgow sales have exceeded those in Edinburgh since quarter four of 2012-13.

The biggest percentage decrease in the number of sales was seen in Aberdeen, which fell 18 per cent to 1.263.

The total value of sales across Scotland increased by 5.1 per cent compared to the previous year to over £4.14 billion. The City of Edinburgh remains the largest market, with sales of over £712 million for the quarter, up 6.4 per cent. West Dunbartonshire recorded the highest increase in value, up 27 per cent to over £45 million.

Flats showed the biggest increase in both average price and sales volume; prices rose 4.7 per cent to £133,790, while the number of sales increased by 6.9 per cent. Meanwhile, detached and terraced properties both saw decreases in average price and volume. Detached prices fell by 0.2 per cent, with volumes down 2.9 per cent, while terraced properties showed a 0.3 per cent fall in price and the largest decrease in volume of sales at 3.7 per cent.

Saddle Hill windfarm developer wins plea for more time

The developer behind a proposed windfarm on the border between Angus and Perthshire has asked for more time to answer critics.

The proposed Saddle Hill windfarm – around 2.4 miles north-west of Kilry – would comprise 14 turbines up to 115 metres in height.

Wind Prospect Developments Ltd, on behalf of EDF Energy Renewables, submitted a planning application to both Angus and Perth & Kinross councils.

The application was due to go before members of Angus Council’s development standards committee on August 4, with a large deputation of anti-windfarm campaigners expected to attend.

Wind Prospect has asked for a delay in determining the application, in order to resolve noise and private water supply concerns and it will now be heard on September 15.

The main objections from the public relate to landscape, cumulative visual effect, and harm to the tourism industry and wildlife.

Work to get under way on Perth centre of sporting excellence

Work on a multi-million-pound centre of sporting excellence will begin in Perth next month.

The ambitious development is being spearheaded by Perth College and is earmarked for land next to its Crieff Road campus.

The college has now struck a deal with Edinburgh-based Dixons Contractors to work on the £6.5 million Academy of Sport and Wellbeing, starting with a cutting of the turf ceremony on August 14.

The centre is scheduled to finish next summer and the first students are due to arrive in September 2016.

The building will include a multipurpose sports hall with bleacher seating for about 430 people.

It will have six badminton courts with markings for hockey, netball and basketball games.

The academy, which will also have a facility for indoor cricket, could even boast an electronic scoring system and climbing chamber.

A fitness wing and hair and beauty therapy suite is also planned.

A site next to the current student union is being cleared to make way for the development.

Inverclyde Council announces demolition of former pub site

Inverclyde Council has announced the demolition of a former pub site in Port Glasgow.

The site of Monty’s Bar, which has been empty since a blaze in March 2009, was purchased by the council earlier this year.

Now a demolition company has been brought in to tear down the building.

After demolition, the area will landscaped while a decision is made on the long term future of the site.

Scottish Water announces information event ahead of works

Scottish Water has announced an information event is to be held ahead of a water mains upgrade project in the Kilmacolm area.

The company is planning to replace 2.6 miles of piping to continue providing fresh water for customers while also reducing the likelihood of bursts.

The work, which will be carried out by Scottish Water’s partner Caledonia Water Alliance, is due to start in late August.

The information event will be held in Kilmacolm Community Centre between 4pm and 7pm on 30 July.

Demolition plans for Edinburgh restaurant win support

Plans to demolish a popular Edinburgh restaurant to make way for a new development are being recommended for approval.

Earthy at Canonmills would be bulldozed if councillors accept officials’ recommendation to approve the move.

Under the plans, the organic restaurant and food shop, part of the low-rise building at 1-6 Canonmills Bridge, would make way for the proposed development containing six flats, three townhouses and two restaurants.

Planning permission was issued for the proposed scheme in 2013, but developers need approval for demolition before it can go ahead.

The application is due to be considered at the council’s development management sub-committee on Wednesday.

The site is in the Inverleith Conservation Area, but the building itself, which dates back to about 1860, is not listed.

SSE completes overhead line project

SSE has announced the completion of a ten year project to develop a section of the Beauly-Denny overhead power line.

Over 1,500 people worked on designing and building 539 steel towers in a 200km section between Beauly and the Wharry Burn near Dunblane.

The new line reinforces the transmission network in the north of Scotland.

The replacement Beauly-Denny line, developed in conjunction with principal contractor Balfour Beatty, is an important step in securing the future of Scotland’s electricity network.

As a direct result of the Beauly-Denny project, 30 individual renewable developments across the north of Scotland will have progressed to completion, totalling over 700MW of new renewable generation.