Building Briefs – March 11th

• Clancy Consulting takes 310 St Vincent Street letting

Engineering firm Clancy Consulting have leased the entire ninth floor - 3,800 sq. ft - relocating from the park district, while fund managers MDP Capital LLP have acquired the eighth floor – also 3,800 sq. ft.

These two deals now bring the building to 50% occupancy with only four lower floors now available, reflecting the popularity of office space in this rapidly evolving location at the west end of Glasgow’s city centre. Cisco, the global IT and networking company; international engineering company COWI; Lawrie IP, the independent patent and trademark firm; and tech company OnScale are among 310 St Vincent Street’s existing tenant line-up.

Knight Frank represented Praxis on both deals and Redpath Bruce acted on behalf of MDP Capital LLP.

• Funding secured for Campbeltown improvement works

Funding has been secured from Argyll and Bute Council’s Shopfront Improvement Scheme to carry out improvement works in Campbeltown.

More than 20 shops in the town centre have been awarded grants from the scheme to enable them to make external improvements, with work having recently started at McLean Place in Main Street - one of the first properties to benefit.

As well as helping existing local businesses the scheme has also attracted new ones to the area, with two separate businesses making plans to open a restaurant and a tearoom in the town.

The Campbeltown Shopfront Improvement Scheme, through which all funding has now been committed, follows on from the successful Campbeltown CARS and THI projects, which helped a number of property owners to repair historic buildings in the town centre.

The second round of CARS, a £2.7 million project that started in April 2015, has just come to an end with the final scaffolding at Mafeking Place being removed. The project was funded by the council and Historic Environment Scotland. It was a continuation of the previous Campbeltown CARS and Campbeltown Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) that resulted in over £7million being invested on town centre buildings, including Campbeltown Town Hall, significantly improving the appearance of the area.

• Aberdeen gives green light to Union Street microbrewery

A businessman’s vision for a new gastropub and microbrewery on Aberdeen’s Union Street has now received planning approval.

Alan Massie, who heads the Carlton Rock group, estimates it will take about £1 million to bring his vision for the Gastro Pub Real Ale House to fruition.

The new business will be created within what was formerly a branch of the failed package holiday firm Thomas Cook.

Aberdeen City Council approved planning permission this week.

Officials decided the application had the potential to have “a positive impact on the vibrancy and vitality” of the city.

Planning documents submitted on behalf of Carlton Rock stated: “Despite the recent economic downturn in Aberdeen, together with the recent rise in business rates which has seen many businesses reduce their involvement in the city centre, our applicants are looking to invest and grow a business in a way that positively contributes to the area and that if successful would lead to employment within the local community, including part-time seasonal work for the large younger student workforce within Aberdeen.”

• East Linton waste water works upgrade works

Scottish Water has unveiled plans for a £4 million upgrade of the Waste Water Treatment Works in East Linton.

The utility has applied for planning permission to extend its current works which are located on the edge of the village.

Scottish Water wants to provide the capacity to support the community as it continues to grow and flourish for the coming years. The work will increase capacity at the site by 35% per cent.

The new additions, including a new Primary Settlement Tank, will be constructed next to the existing equipment to ensure the current works continues to operate while the extension is built. A temporary site compound will be built next to the site while the project is ongoing.

If approved, the work will be carried out by Scottish Water’s alliance partner Efficient Service Delivery (ESD).

Work is currently set to start in the summer.

• Plans submitted to expand Aberdeen garden centre

A popular Aberdeen garden centre has submitted plans to transform its site.

Dobbies on the Lang Stracht has applied for planning permission to build seven concession units which would be occupied by other retailers.

They would be located in an expanded outside area at the garden centre.

In addition, they want to build a covered walkway between the existing polytunnels and the new units.

• Over £294,000 for cycling facilities across Scottish schools and campuses

A combined total of £294,814 has been awarded to 51 secondary schools, university and college campuses from the Scottish Government’s active travel budget and delivered through Cycling Scotland’s Cycling Friendly programme.

More than 261,000 people will benefit from the funding which will provide new or improved cycling facilities.

The campus development grants will provide cycle parking, showers and changing facilities, lockers, maps, maintenance equipment and signage. Secondary school grants will provide bikes, maintenance equipment and training to incorporate maintenance into the school curriculum.

A full breakdown of funding is available on the Cycling Scotland website.

• Dunbar car park plan rejected

East Lothian councillors have refused permission to form a long stay car park on green space at Church Street, Dunbar, known locally as Coastguard Cottages.

East Lothian Council was the applicant and the proposal had been recommended for approval by planners. But planning committee members upheld objectors’ concerns about narrow access to the site and the difficulties of access in and out of the car park and up to the High Street for people with disabilities.

Other decisions taken at the March committee meeting were; approval of a slight adjustment to house types and orientation on a section of the wider Letham Mains development, to accommodate more smaller house types, in a bid to meet market demands; and a decision to approve permission for a metal and glass canopy on the old George Hotel building in Haddington. Officers had concerns that the installation was out of keeping with the historic building, which sits in a conservation area. However committee members felt that the applicant had made an effort to ensure that the canopy was as sensitively designed as possible and wouldn’t detract from the attractiveness of the building.

• New temporary street café policy for Glasgow city centre proposed

Glasgow City Council has considered a new temporary street café policy for the city centre.

The draft policy comes from the City Centre Strategy, which has - as a core objective - the aim of attracting people to the city centre by optimising trading hours, improving the visitor experience and linking to other leisure activities.

In recent years, Glasgow city centre has seen growth in the number of restaurants, bars and cafes, adding value to the city centre experience and supporting the area’s retail and other sectors. As a result of this growth, many more outdoor areas - in the form of temporary street cafes - have opened.

The new policy responds to the concerns of local communities and businesses - including the application process being too onerous, cleanliness issues, opening hours not being long enough, and occupation of pavements and other spaces - by proposing a two-year trial of a new process.

This process - whose overall objective is to encourage operators to act as good neighbours, improving the overall experience of street cafes for everyone – features fewer steps required for applicants, changed fee structure to a square metre rate, rather than a flat rate, clarified operating standards and an improved enforcement process.