Building Briefs – June 5th

• Campbeltown Grammar officially opened

Although pupils and staff moved into their new school last year, the old school building still had to be demolished to create a large car park, brand new 3G pitch and a sensory garden, complete with raised beds for pupils to cultivate.

With all works now complete, invited guests went along to the new school for the official opening ceremony and to get a tour of the state of the art facility from pupils.

Andrew Jack, pre-construction director for Morrison Construction, said: “It was great to be at Campbeltown Grammar School and hear how pupils and staff have been enjoying the new facilities since moving in during February last year.

“We are delighted to have been part of the delivery of this modern learning campus that will be at the heart of the Kintyre community for years to come.

“Through the construction project, we made a significant and sustainable contribution to the local economy, engaging with the local supply chain and providing numerous local employment and apprenticeship opportunities. We wish everyone at Campbeltown Grammar School well for the future.”

Michael Padzinski, chief executive of hub North Scotland Ltd, added: “The positive collaboration by everyone involved in the Campbeltown Grammar School project has not only delivered an inspiring building for the pupils and staff, but has also provided a 21st century facility which the whole community can enjoy.”

• CMS Trade puts customers first with double appointment

CMS Trade has invested in providing the best customer service to trade installers with the appointment of sisters Lorraine Gray and Yvonne Tracey to handle all areas of pre-sales advice, estimating and post-sales order processing.

The duo add a wealth of experience to the growing team, being the main points of call for customers of CMS Trade, who manufacture both Eurocell and REHAU PVCu windows and doors specifically for trade installers. The company recently opened a new 25,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art factory in East Kilbride, enabling trade installers to fully access the technical expertise and recycling resources of CMS Window Systems. 

Yvonne Tracey is the initial point of contact for CMS Trade customers to provide advice and quotations, ensuring installers have the full picture on the range of windows and doors available.

Lorraine brings a wealth of experience in the window and door industry, most recently gained with another trade supplier. Tasked with looking after the smooth processing and delivery of customer orders, Lorraine will be responsible for everything post-sales to keep orders on track in line with promised lead times and making sure windows and doors are delivered as promised, right first time.

Lorraine will also help installers to access CMS’s free recycling service, which enables customers to dispose of their old post-use windows and doors from previous jobs to help them save money on waste disposal costs.

• Barratt Homes hails success at Homes for Scotland Awards

Barratt Homes is celebrating as its ‘Building without Barriers’ initiative scooped up the award for Company Innovation & Best Practice 2019 at the Homes for Scotland Awards.

Barratt’s initiative, which was launched to focus on diversity, equality and inclusion within the business, was crowned winner for the added value the initiative brings to the organisation. The programme includes a series of actions seeking to address the skills gap, improve representation of women, LGBT+, disabled people and other minorities across the sector.

Alison Condie, managing director for Barratt David Wilson Homes East Scotland, said: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award in recognition of Barratt’s “Building without Barriers” initiative. The programme has been designed to address many issues facing the housebuilding industry, and we want to lead by example and create a working environment that is inclusive, accepting and respectful. Providing equal opportunity to all of our staff is extremely important.

“This includes training and development of the existing workforce, and becoming more diverse to reflect the customer base. This is paramount to attracting new talent and sustaining the housebuilding sector over the coming years and decades.”

The Building without Barriers Initiative has been adopted throughout the business to address the all-encompassing aims and potential benefits to the organisation. As a minimum, all staff at Barratt Homes has undertaken an eLearning module on Diversity and Inclusion and all Board members and middle managers have undertaken a classroom based course. The initiative has also seen the introduction of flexible working and family friendly policies while a ‘Time to Talk’ day has been launched on site offering help and support to those who may be suffering from mental health issues.

In the long-term, Barratt is monitoring and seeking to increase the percentage of female and ethnic minorities employees overall and in senior management roles.

• Initial site proposals on show for new Inverness primary school

The Highland Council is conducting a two-stage pre-application consultation on a planning development proposal for a new primary school at Ness Castle, Inverness. The new school is scheduled to open in August 2021.

People living in the catchment area for the proposed new school are invited to the drop-in sessions which will take place on Tuesday 11th June at Inverness Royal Academy from 10.00 to 14.00 and at Holm Primary School from 15.00 to 19.30.
As part of the first stage, general concepts for the proposed development, along with site location and site constraints information, will be on display at the drop-in sessions where members of the public can make comments on the proposal.

Comments received from this consultation may be incorporated into the design development. Further drop-in sessions will be held at a later date where site plans and building layouts will be displayed for public review and comment prior to submitting a planning application.

The display information from the sessions will be published on The Highland Council website in due course along with a form that can be used to submit feedback.

• Fife gives green light for Abbot House renovation

Fife Council has granted planning and listed building consent for renovation work on Dunfermline’s oldest house.

Work at Abbot House aims to breathe new life into the former heritage centre, which has been closed for nearly four years

While awaiting planning permission, the project team has been working to ensure the tendering process could begin as soon as building plans were approved.

All plans have been discussed in conjunction with Historic Environment Scotland and will require heritage-approved contractors for some elements of the work given the historic significance of the building – one of the few left standing after the Great Fire of Dunfermline in 1624.

The plan is to complete the project in phases to hasten its opening.

First will be the opening of a welcome hub in the east wing of Abbot House to tell its story and provide an insight into renovation plans.

There will also be an artisan pop-up shop to provide a taster of the local products which will be available through the centre’s shop when it opens.

Use of the east wing will allow limited access to Abbot House while the renovation works begin both externally and in the main part of the building.

The first phase of the renovation will take in the entire ground floor and kitchen on the first floor, including the cafe, retail area, bakery and internal and external toilets.

It will also include the replacement of the 1960s external stair, incorporating a platform lift for disabled access to the first floor.

The target opening date for this will be this winter due to delays in the planning approval being granted.

Phase two of the project aims to follow immediately after the ground floor has opened, providing a high-quality restaurant, whisky snug, events space and additional accessible toilets.

Once contractors are appointed and building warrants granted the work can start with grant funding already secured, in the main, thanks to Historic Environment Scotland, Fife Environment Trust, Fife Council, Architectural Heritage Fund and Carnegie Dunfermline Trust.

• 100 miles of new paths celebrated across Scotland

More than 100 miles of new and improved paths will be created across Scotland as part of a scheme to boost outdoor access.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is celebrating the construction of hundreds of routes through Improving Public Access (IPA), part of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme. 

By the end of this year, an equivalent distance to the whole of the West Highland Way from Milngavie to Fort William will have been funded by the scheme.

The paths will make it easier for people to enjoy the countryside with opportunities for all including walkers, wheelchair users, cyclists, horse riders and buggy users.

The new and improved paths will connect towns and villages and provide a great variety of ways to explore the outdoors in coastal areas, along riverbanks, to viewpoints and around farmland.

• National hockey teams scoop new sponsorship with BOHO

Property brand BOHO has been unveiled as the new official sponsor of Scotland’s national hockey teams.

The four-year partnership with Scottish Hockey will see the Scottish National Teams supported by BOHO for the long-term.

Ahead of a huge summer of international hockey, which includes action on home turf as Scotland hosts Women’s EuroHockey Championships II in Glasgow from August 4-10, the new deal comes at an important time for Scottish Hockey as it looks to build and support its teams for international competitions now and in the future.

Scottish-based property company Structured House Group, which owns BOHO, is the new operator of Scotway House – a £40 million GDV development along the Clydeside. BOHO said it chose to support Scottish Hockey as it found synergy between the brand and the national teams.

Craig Inglis, CEO of Structured House Group and BOHO founder, said: “BOHO places community at the centre of our ethos and by supporting Scottish Hockey, a proud sport for life, we found a synergy with our own brand and its vision. Structured House Group set up BOHO to look after each of our spaces and places - from our rental apartments to student residences and hotels - our buildings celebrate all kinds of living as you journey through life. It is with immense pride that we are the official sponsors of Scottish Hockey and to support it through the next chapter as it develops.”