Building Briefs – July 31st

Work starts on retirement living development in Paisley

Link Group Ltd has begun the £4 million development of 38 ‘independent retirement living’ flats at Cotton Street, Paisley which will be available by August 2016.

The one and two-bedroom flats, for social rent and shared equity sale, are aimed at people aged 60 and above seeking to down size to a property which is more suited to their needs now and in the future.

Each flat will be designed to meet the needs of independent retirement living with three properties meeting wheelchair-user standards. Residents will also have access to common facilities, including a common lounge, a guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom.

The project was developed in partnership with Renfrewshire Council utilising funding from the Scottish Government and will be built by Westpoint Homes.

The properties will meet Link design standards for affordable housing. Each home has gas central heating, high thermal insulation and double glazing to create warm, comfortable and energy-efficient homes that will be easy and economical to run.

Link has already provided 30 new homes for sale at the Cotton Street development and has recently completed another 31 units for rent and sale at the nearby Arnotts building.

Marshall secures double contract win

Marshall Construction has secured a double contract win at the University of Stirling.

The two contracts worth almost £1 million involves refurbishing the university’s Friarscroft student residence halls and the Student Union/Nightclub.

Marshall were appointed last year to the university’s framework which delivers various joinery and building works to commercial and residential buildings, both internally and externally.

Both projects are now underway and consist of intense alterations and refurbishment of existing buildings.

This includes significant mechanical and electrical works, replacement of windows and refurbishment of external building envelope.

The works are taking place during the summer period to minimise disruption.

CALA Homes hosts construction conference

CALA Homes (North) has hosted the first ever Key Subcontractor Quarterly Update Meeting in Aberdeen.

The event was staged at the Urban Village Resort and welcomed over forty subcontractors to discuss CALA Homes’ (North) business plans, statistics from customer feedback and CALA’s key performance indicators.

Affordable housing work starts on Forfar school site

Work has started on Angus Council’s £4.7 million scheme to convert a former primary school in Forfar into affordable housing.

Local contractors Andrew Shepherd Construction Limited moved on to the Chapelpark site last week to begin the first phase of the project which will eventually provide 25 flats and four terraced houses.

Unveiled by the council back in March, the project will breathe new life into the much-loved local landmark building and is part of a wider long-term strategic programme of housing improvements in the south of Forfar.

The proposal includes conversion of the main building into 12 one-bed and four two-bed flats, with a central access created for the first time in the facade of the B-listed school.

It was built in 1815 to a design by Montrose architect David Logan, who also drew up the plans for the original Montrose Academy.

Conversion of the annexe building which sits on the corner of the site adjacent to Couttie’s Wynd will see the creation of six one-bed, two two-bed and one three-bed wheelchair-accessible flat.

The project will be completed with four four/five-bed terraced townhouses in a scheme with 35 car parking spaces and landscaping in the playground of the former school.

More than £3.3m will come from the council’s housing revenue account, alongside £1.3m in Scottish Government grants towards affordable housing.

The scheduled completion date is March 2017.

Plan rejected for almost 300 homes in Inverkeithing

A plan for 295 houses on the edge of Inverkeithing has been rejected by Fife Council’s west planning committee.

Councillors were said to have agreed the Taylor Wimpey development at Spencerfield would have created apparent coalescence between the town and Dalgety Bay.

The council’s development service recommended the application be refused, stating that it would “extend the urban fringe” of Inverkeithing towards Dalgety Bay and create “visual confusion” between the two settlements.

Councillors also accepted the argument it would result in the loss of a significant area of prime agricultural land and was premature ahead of examination of the FIFEplan local development plan.

Detailed planning consent for 39 houses within the site was also rejected.

A previous application for planning permission in principle for 450 houses was refused by the council and a Scottish Government reporter following appeal.

Dundee church conversion to deliver 16 new homes

St Luke’s Parish Church in Dundee, which has lain empty for more than 10 years, could be converted into housing.

A planning application to turn the church, and its associated outbuildings on Bright Street, into 11 flats and five new build terraced homes, has been lodged with the city council.

Developer Edinburgh MI has appointed ARC Architects to the scheme.

Cairngorms wind farm plans rejected by government

Ministers have refused consent for the proposed 31-turbine wind farm at Allt Duine near Kincraig.

Deputy first minister John Swinney concluded the plan does not represent sustainable development as it would result in significant and unacceptable landscape and visual impacts on the Cairngorms National Park, an area of national importance for its natural and cultural heritage, and on wild land.

The decision follows a public local inquiry and Scottish Government consultations on the potential impacts of the wind farm on the Cairngorms National Park and on the implications of the development on new planning policies.

Community sports group bowled over by cash boost from Persimmon

A community cricket club that celebrated its 60th anniversary this year has been given a cash boost by Persimmon Homes West Scotland as part of its year-long initiative to support local communities.

Inverclyde Cricket Club has received £500 from the housebuilder to help fund the clubs three year plan entitled ‘Growing Cricket in Inverclyde’ that aims to increase interest and participation in the sport in and around the community.

The donation comes as part of the housebuilders Community Champions project which will see a pot of £24,000 being donated to local groups and charities over the next 12 months in the region with the sports association kick-starting the programme.

Inverclyde Cricket Club was chosen by Persimmon Homes West Scotland to help re-establish the junior section of the club opening up access to the game and providing coaching to school age children, many of whom have limited opportunities and would not otherwise have the chance to experience cricket.

The volunteer-run club has a long history in the community and has worked tirelessly to raise funds to help deliver the three-year project.