Building Briefs – March 18th

• Views sought on West Edinburgh active travel improvements

A major consultation asks for feedback on recommendations to transform pedestrian and cycling infrastructure as part of the West Edinburgh Link project (formerly named the West Edinburgh Active Travel Network).

West Edinburgh Link aims to transform cycling and walking to and within one of Scotland’s key business parks, connecting South Gyle and Edinburgh Park via high quality walking and cycling infrastructure and investment in better public spaces. Improvements, which include proposals to create more than 4km of segregated cycle tracks, will link with local neighbourhoods to the north and the south such as East Craigs, Sighthill and Wester Hailes, as well as Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College.

Concept designs created by design consultants AECOM, to be exhibited as part of the consultation, envision a well-connected, people-friendly environment and build on responses to initial engagement with people working in the area, when the majority of participants (88%) said they support cycling and walking improvements.

West Edinburgh Link was awarded funding in 2017 as part of Places for Everyone, a Scottish Government-funded programme delivered by Sustrans Scotland to create safer, more attractive and healthier places by increasing the number of everyday trips made by walking, cycling and other modes of active travel. A separate scheme to create a direct cycle link between the Meadows and George Street was also awarded funding through Places for Everyone.

• Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan review

The Highland Council is raising awareness of the opportunity to help shape future growth and development across the Inner Moray Firth area, and is encouraging anyone living, working, investing and being educated in the area to get involved.

The council has announced its intention to review the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan.

This will involve looking at development activity since the current plan was published in 2015 and listening to people’s views on where future development could be directed. 

While background information is being gathered over the next few weeks and months, the council wants to make people aware of how and when they can contribute.

The council will be writing to Community Councils and other interested parties with information about when and how they can get involved and opportunities for briefings with the Development Plans Team.

To get the latest news you can also register for the council’s Development Plans Consultation Portal here. 

• Moray pupils engineer success on A96 dualling programme

Around 90 pupils and 16 teachers from 12 Moray primary schools attended an event on Thursday 14 March in Moray College UHI to celebrate the success of Transport Scotland’s schools engagement programme on the A96 Dualling Hardmuir to Fochabers scheme.

The event let local school children present their projects to a judging panel from Transport Scotland and its design consultancy Mott MacDonald Sweco (MMS).

In the second year of the programme, training has been delivered by specialist educational supplier Primary Engineer to over 75 primary and 20 secondary school teachers. Engineers from MMS have assisted with presentations, Q&A sessions and class projects.

Transport Scotland and MMS teamed up with Primary Engineer, a not for profit organisation which has national programmes that enable teachers to embed engineering into their curriculum teaching curriculum.

The organisation works with schools and professional engineers around the UK to give pupils the opportunity to work on projects to gain a new perspective on careers in the profession – highlighting just how important engineering is to the world in which we all live. 

• Scottish universities compete in national structural engineering competition

The University of Strathclyde has been crowned winners of the Scottish leg of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Student Model Competition, held at Abertay University.

Teams were challenged to conceptualise and build a scaled down model of a viewing platform and deck that could theoretically be positioned near V&A Dundee Museum of Design.

V&A Dundee project manager John Tavendale was on hand to deliver an opening presentation to the university groups, which included teams from Abertay, Dundee, Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian, Heriot Watt, Edinburgh Napier, Strathclyde and the University of the West of Scotland.

The event is open to all students studying civil engineering at Scottish universities, with judges testing each structure to destruction and the winners judged by a combination of factors including weight of load carried and geometry.

Following a six-hour programme of design, building and testing, the Strathclyde team were named winners by an independent panel from IStructE - the professional body for qualifications and standards in structural engineering.

Heriot Watt took second, University of West of Scotland came in third and Abertay scooped the design prize.

• Buccleuch Property announces new charity partner for 2019

Property investment and development company Buccleuch Property has unveiled children’s charity Seamab as its fundraising partner for the 2019 Buccleuch Property Challenge. Seamab provides care and education for children in Scotland that have experienced significant trauma in their lives and need intensive and specialist support.

Taking place on Friday 6th September at Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfriesshire, the six hour corporate adventure challenge will see around 70 teams from across the property industry compete against each other for the trophy, whilst at the same time raising funds for Seamab.

Now in its 13th year, the Challenge has raised over £130,000 since it was established, helping a variety of charities, such as Projekt 42, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, Ovarian Cancer Action and Childline.

Providing the ultimate team building day, as well as being a test of fitness, stamina and mental capacity, the Challenge invites teams of three to compete in a range of outdoor pursuits, covering running, mountain biking, kayaking and orienteering.

Based in Kinross, Seamab provides care and education for children from all over Scotland aged five and older who have experienced significant trauma, abuse and loss. Children at Seamab have a wide range of needs and many challenging behaviours, from aggression and violence to self-harm and poor emotional health.

For more information on the Buccleuch Property Challenge, or to enter a team, visit www.buccleuchproperty.com.