Building Briefs - March 26th

  • Viewing platform set for Glenrothes’ Riverside Park

Members of Fife Council’s Glenrothes area committee heard this week how plans to make Glenrothes a more attractive place to visit and work in, are taking another step forward.

Building Briefs - March 26th

A viewing platform over Riverside Park is to be built to take advantage of the wonderful view and strengthen links to the town centre. It will provide a point of interest and encourage visitors to appreciate the beauty of the park which can be missed from the road.



In addition, work will go ahead on the first phase of the Riverside Park Improvement Plan 2020-30. This will include path restoration and improvements, visitor information and an increase in the parks outdoor health and learning opportunities.

 

  • Largs railway line to reopen

The Largs railway line will fully reopen for passengers on Saturday following the successful completion of work to repair landslip-damaged tracks near Fairlie.



Building Briefs - March 26th

The line between West Kilbride and Largs has been closed since February 5, when heavy rain caused over 7,000 tonnes of debris to fall onto the line from privately-owned land above the railway.

Engineers have been working around-the-clock to remove debris affecting a 100m stretch of track and have completely rebuilt the slope above the line, using specialist diggers to drop more than 27,000 tonnes of stone to strengthen the area.

Building Briefs - March 26th

The landslip in February

New tracks have now been laid and, once overhead line and signalling repairs are complete, services will be able to resume through the landslip site by the weekend.



 

  • St Andrews Town Hall revamp

A £600,000 project to renovate St Andrews Town Hall will go ahead this summer.

Fife Council has allocated funding for the work on the listed building, which prior to lockdown was a hub for local groups and events, as well as a wedding venue.



The hall has now been behind scaffolding for more than a year after issues including dry rot were discovered during routine maintenance.

More details about the work, which will allow the building to be opened to the community once more, will be discussed by local councillors next month.

It is anticipated the project will start in early summer.

 



  • Cafe plan for empty Glasgow shop approved

The owners of Giffnock’s Bramble cafe have been given permission to open an eaterie in Shawlands.

Glasgow planners have approved a change-of-use application for a vacant shop at 924 Polloksaws Road, at Springhill Gardens, opposite Queens Park.

The site is a corner unit within a C-listed tenement in the Shawlands Cross Conservation Area.



The cafe will have internal and outside seating areas.

 

  • Spaces for People project planned for Dundee’s Stobswell

A pair of ‘pocket parks’ designed in conjunction with the community are among the latest proposed Spaces for People projects in Dundee.



Building Briefs - March 26th

Eliza Street and Craigie Street in Stobswell will be transformed into pedestrian and people-friendly spaces if the proposals are implemented.

The plans were developed through a collaborative co-design process to develop ideas with community representatives in a series of online workshops open to the public.

Stobswell Forum, local residents and traders were all involved with the process which was led by Service Design Academy.



Responding to calls for more greenery, bright colours and places to sit and meet safely, the designs feature seating and planters that provide two metre passing space for pedestrians. The planting has been picked to promote bio-diversity, taking account of the shady site.

As part of the project a visual identity for Stobswell has been developed by designer Louise Kirby which will be applied to the planters and the street. The colours also feature in repainting work at local shops.

The £80,000 project is expected to be completed by the end of May.

 

  • Significants repairs force closure of Livingston’s Lanthorn Centre

The Lanthorn Centre in Livingston will close on April 2 after significant structural issues were identified within the roof structure of the building.

Due to the extent and scale of the remedial works, the building is likely to be closed for approximately two years.

The building was designed by G R M Kennedy and Partners, Edinburgh and funded by the Livingston Development Corporation, Lothian Regional Council, West Lothian District Council, the Congregational Church, and The Roman Catholic Church. The building opened in 1978.

The building is regularly maintained and has been subject to a number of significant planned improvements over the years including, most recently, a new roof covering and insulated wall panels. 

The council commissioned surveys on the condition of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) roof planks in the building, which were carried out by specialist independent engineers. Those surveys have identified significant structural issues with the centre’s RAAC roof planks. RAAC is a lightweight construction material that was commonly used in buildings between the 1960s and 1980s. Issues with RAAC are affecting buildings across the UK and it is no longer in use. It is often referred to as Siporex. The presence of RAAC is not in itself dangerous, but cracking near roof plank supports increases the risk of shear failure, which is the case at The Lanthorn Centre.  The centre therefore has to close and significant remedial works will have to be carried out. 

Services that are delivered from The Lanthorn Centre will have to be relocated to other buildings within the area. The majority of user groups can be relocated within the council’s existing estate within Livingston (or wider West Lothian) and work to identify suitable alternative locations will now be undertaken.

At the Council Executive this afternoon (Tuesday) it was noted that West Lothian Council will work with customers, groups and the centre Management Committee to find alternative locations. 

West Lothian Council’s Head of Finance and Property Services, Donald Forrest, confirmed that a report on potential options for The Lanthorn Centre is being prepared as a priority.

 

  • New report shows more than 69,000 jobs and £60 billion private investment in UK offshore wind by 2026

The Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) has published new research which shows that the number of people working in direct and indirect jobs in the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry is set to rise significantly, from 26,000 currently to over 69,800 by 2026. 

Ben Miller, senior policy manager at Scottish Renewables, said: “This new research from the Offshore Wind Industry Council highlights the incredible opportunities presented by the UK’s world-leading offshore wind sector. 

“As the windiest country in Europe, this research shows that 30% of the UK’s offshore wind workforce is currently based here in Scotland, with this set to increase to over 20,000 jobs in the next few years and grow even more as offshore wind plays an ever more central role in our net-zero economy.

“Many of these highly-skilled jobs are based in coastal and rural areas, bringing investment and opportunities to local communities which otherwise would not exist.

 “As well as delivering local benefits there exists a huge economic opportunity to export these world-leading skills and technologies across the globe as other countries embark on their decarbonisation journeys.”

 

  • Squarestone secures 100% occupancy at Paisley business park

Squarestone Asset Management has secured 100% occupancy at St James Business Park in Paisley following the latest 5,000 sqft letting to Rhino Express.

The park consists of three self-contained pavilions across 30,000 sqft and provides a range of open plan office suites with generous car parking provision.

Other tenants include Atos Origin who occupy 17,000 sqft, Samsung and GMB union.

 

  • Night-time engineering works for Glasgow’s south side

Engineers will soon be working overnight at locations between Kennishead and Crossmyloof to install foundations for electrification masts.

From April 16 until July 4, work will take place to install foundation piles as part of a multi-million-pound investment in upgrading the rail lines from East Kilbride and Barrhead into Glasgow Central.

The work is happening when trains aren’t running to help keep the railway open during the day for key workers, and those making vital journeys.

The multi-million-pound rail electrification project between East Kilbride, Barrhead and Glasgow is a major green investment and is part of Network Rail’s commitment to building a cleaner, greener railway for Scotland.

The project will see the railway lines transformed to accommodate quieter, more environmentally friendly trains, while increasing the frequency of services and reducing delays.

Share icon
Share this article: