Building Briefs – July 4th

• Sidey’s support for social enterprise charity

One such project that Sidey is supporting is LAMH Recycle Ltd, a social enterprise scheme in Motherwell that provides training, volunteering and work opportunities for people facing barriers to employment.

As well as providing a monthly donation of £100 to LAMH, Sidey also gives all old IT equipment to the thriving project for them to refurbish, recycle and resell.

Items that they can benefit from include PC towers, hard drives, laptops, monitors, printers, desk, chairs, filing cabinets, cupboards and bookcases.

Funds raised enable LAMH Recycle Ltd to provide customised training programmes and help to combat the range of issues that can stand in the way of finding employment, such as focused work experience, CV writing and free access to their job search computer suite.

• Algo starts work on new Dundee industrial units

Algo has begun work to deliver new industrial units at Loons Road, Dundee.

Site manager Stephen Matthew will run the site for Algo, who have been contracted by Dundee Industrial Association. The project is expected to last 52 weeks.

The units have been designed by architect, Jon Frullani.

• Edinburgh office market sees 56% rise in grade a take-up in latest quarter

The Edinburgh office market remains in a healthy state following Q2 2019, with 176,549 sq ft of take-up - just 9,210 sq ft short of the previous quarter’s figure, according to CBRE research.

Meanwhile, annual take up at the end of Q2 2019 is up c. 2% on the previous 12 months at 840,640 sq ft, suggesting occupier sentiment remains positive.

However, regears saw a significant increase from 19,335 sq ft in Q1 to 166,035 sq ft in Q2, with engineering giant Aecom renewing its lease on around 17,000 sq ft at the city’s prominent Tanfield development for another 10 years.

Grade A take up throughout the city has also risen significantly from the last quarter to 92,211 sq ft - an increase of 56%. This was mainly due to the 35,608 sq ft taken at South Gyle Business Park’s Broadstone building by Instant Offices and the letting of all seven floors at 80 George Street (c. 44,000 sq ft) to flexible office provider WeWork. Law firm Womble Bond Dickinson finalised its lease on 7,357 sq ft at 2 Semple Street at the end of June, further reducing available Grade A space in the city centre.

At 362,308 sq ft, H1 2019 take-up was down 26% from the same period in 2018, however the 2018 figure (491,885 sq ft), was skewed by the short-term charity letting of 105,000 sq ft at 105 Ferry Road. When removed, take-up figures year on year are almost identical.

• Galashiels primary schools win national competition for mural at Hart Builders site

The hard work of seven primary schools in the Borders has been recognised with their well-deserved win in a national site hoarding competition.

The colourful artwork that surrounds Eildon Housing Association’s development site at Huddersfield Street was one of the winners of the 2019 Ivor Goodsite Hoarding Competition. Ivor Goodsite is the mascot used by the Considerate Constructors Scheme to promote the construction industry with children.

Clovenfords, Burgh, St Peters’, St Margaret’s, Stow, Tweedbank and Langlee Primary schools painted the safety hoarding to the theme of why they love living in the Borders.

Alison Lowrie, Hart Builders and Eildon community benefits officer, presented the schools with their award.

• Scottish Water workers volunteer at Livingston nursery

Four Scottish Water workers have taken advantage of their firm’s community volunteer project to help out at a nursery in Livingston.

Four volunteers from the utility’s Intelligent Control Centre carried out various tasks to improve the outdoor play area, sheds and gardens at Woodlands Early Learning Centre in Deans.

Their jobs included clearing, sanding and painting storage sheds and the youngsters’ much-loved wooden reading room.

They also levelled and filled planters for the children to grow flowers and vegetables as part of their nature learning.

All Scottish Water staff are entitled to two days of leave every year to volunteer and help in the community.