Building Briefs Sept 16

Glasgow City Council is consulting local people and businesses on plans for a new public area to be developed on land in front of Langside Hall.

It is hoped the square could become the heart of the emerging cultural quarter in Shawlands.

In 2012, the council, along with Shawlands and Strathbungo community council and Shawlands business association, launched the Shawlands town centre plan.

The £3.3million programme of improvements has included an outdoor lighting project, the designation of Shawlands Cross as a conservation area, and the first phase of footway and lighting improvements on Kilmarnock Road.

Council bosses say the area earmarked for the new civic square is close to not only Langside Hall but also the Shed.

Other venues in the area include Sweeney’s, an attraction for new songwriters and Glad Cafe, a destination for experimental musicians, art and discussion.

Events at which people can consider the plan and give their opinions are being held in Langside Hall from 10am until 8pm on September 24 and between 10am and 6pm on October 4.

To find out more about the civic square plan visit here.

City centre building of the future starts coming to life

The lights are about to come on at a new multi-million pound office block being built in the centre of Glasgow.

Developers say work on 1 West Regent Street is progressing at a “rapid pace”.

The building is expected to be completed on schedule in six months’ time.

The £60 million development will provide more than 140,000 square feet of Grade A office and retail space. It is the first building of its kind to be constructed in the area for five years.

The 10-storey building will sit on the corner of West Regent Street and West Nile Street close to Buchanan Quarter and next to the old art deco Odeon Cinema.

There will be enough space in the new landmark office block to cater for a workforce of around 1750 staff from all the businesses it houses.

London-based developers Mountgrange Real Estate say that the walls and roof have now been erected. External work on the project is now underway, including fitting cladding.

St Andrews hotel build is ‘weeks away’

The development company behind plans for a £9 million food store and hotel complex in St Andrews is expected to start construction work next month.

Crucible (St Andrews) Limited has announced that an M&S Simply Food store and a 65-bedroom Premier Inn Hotel are expected to open in late June next year.

The development will be built on the site of the former abattoir on Largo Road.

Residents have say on Inverbervie housing masterplan

A consultation over a Mearns site that could see hundreds of new homes built has been held.

Peterkin Homes and Suller & Clark Planning Consultants are in talks to draw up a masterplan for a site in Inverbervie.

Fife Council’s development plan allows for up to 200 houses to be built on the proposed site to Bervie’s south-west.

The number of houses built will be decided on when more detailed plans are drawn up. The development would also include a new distributor road between the A92 and Townhead Road.

Fine for SW Global Resourcing over cherry-picker death

A company has been fined £200,000 over the death of a worker who was thrown from a cherry-picker in East Ayrshire.

Glasgow-based SW Global Resourcing admitted breaching health and safety laws over the death of Leslie Watson.

The 47-year-old was carrying out maintenance work on the Annick Water Viaduct, Stewarton, on 13 April 2010, when the raised platform overturned.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard the accident could have been avoided had adequate precautions been taken.

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) and the Health and Safety Executive found that plinths, put in place to create a level working surface, did not have any end stop or edge protection.

The cherry-picker had gone off the edge of a plinth and overturned.

Mr Watson had died at the scene from his injuries.

Construction supplier takes crown at national awards

Internet Anywhere has won the coveted title of Most Promising Business at the Scottish Chamber of Commerce’s esteemed Business Honours Awards.

The Dundonald based firm, provides satellite dishes which enable construction firms operating in isolated areas to get a telecommunications signal for internet and telephone access when they are unable to receive one from the traditional wired network,

The company deals with a wide selection of clients in the construction sector including CALA, Dawn Construction, Land Engineering and Ross-shire Engineering.

Saughton Park project reaches new stage

The public are invited to help come up with ideas for retaining the heritage of one of Edinburgh’s most historic parks.

On Wednesday an interactive session with Heritage Interpretation Consultant Rachel Hunter will allow people to contribute their thoughts on plans for Saughton Park, which is about to undergo a major restoration project.

Participants will have the opportunity to shape the design plan for the proposed £5.3 million redevelopment of the park, which would see it restored to its former glory.

The outcome of the event will help inform the project’s newly-appointed design team in their plans for the park. The team includes consultants Ironside Farrar Ltd, who were involved in the design of The Helix in Falkirk, the location for the world-famous Kelpies sculptures, alongside Sutherland Hussey Architects and Richard Shorter Architect.

Saughton Park’s future will also be influenced by a Visitor Satisfaction Survey, closing at the end of September, which will inform the project team on who uses the park and how they use it.

HRH The Princess Royal opens Edinburgh housing development

A £3.8 million housing development has been opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal in Edinburgh.

Built through partnership between the Merchant Company of Edinburgh’s Endowments Trust, the City of Edinburgh Council, Dunedin Canmore Housing Association and J.Smart & Co (Contractors) PLC, the development was opened this month by Her Royal Highness, an Old Master and an Honorary Member of The Merchant Company.

The development of 32 flats at Merchants’ Court, Little Road, Liberton, Edinburgh is designed to provide socially rented accommodation. A second phase of a further block of 16 flats is currently under construction and due for completion in 2015.

Construction of the flats began in February 2013 and was funded through a grant of £880,000 from the City of Edinburgh Council and £2.9 million provided by The Merchant Company of Edinburgh’s Endowments Trust.

The development is owned by The Merchant Company and is leased to Dunedin Canmore Housing Association for social rent tenants and is now fully occupied.

Twenty-seven new affordable homes for Tullibody

Kingdom Housing Association is to build 27 new affordable homes in its first development in Tullibody.

Clackmannanshire Council has approved Kingdom’s planning application for the £3 million development at Alloa Road, which will be a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom houses and flats, designed to meet a range of housing needs.

The development will include 7 flats designed to high standards to meet the needs of older people and people with mobility problems.

The site is located on the southern portion of the former Tullis Tannery site and was previously acquired from Clackmannanshire Council.

The project is estimated to cost £3.15m and is partly funded by the Scottish Government. It is hoped that works can start on site by the end of 2014.