Building Briefs – April 28th

Work has started on a new social housing development in the Tamfourhill area of Falkirk.

Weslo Housing Management Ltd is working with construction and manufacturing company CCG on the Carrick Place development, which will offer sixteen 1 and 2 bedroom cottage flats and four 3 bedroom semi-detached homes for social rent.

The homes are being built at CCG’s art offsite manufacturing facility in Cambuslang and will be transported to site for final assembly, a method which reduces build time, improves environmental efficiency and minimises waste.

The approach has been used in a range of projects across Scotland including The Schoolhouse, a 66 home development in Edinburgh and The Observatory, a 19 bespoke flat development in Glasgow, the winner of the Development of the Year 2015 at the Herald Property Awards.

The new development will be completed by the end of 2016.

BHS collapse forces rethink of Dundee cinema plans

The collapse of BHS has forced a “re-evaluation” of multi-million pound redevelopment plans for the Wellgate Centre in Dundee.

The presence of such “anchor stores” was seen as key to underpinning ambitious plans to transform part of the centre into a cinema.

BHS is in desperate trouble nationally and administrators are working to find a buyer to keep the chain open.

Peter Aitken, manager of the Wellgate, said: “The centre owners are working with a number of parties to develop a strategy for Wellgate and the proposed redevelopment incorporating cinema and food hall is still an active proposal.

“In light of the BHS speculation some time ago, our architects and consultants have been working on re-evaluating future development and general options for the centre over the past few weeks.”

Construction industry engages third sector enterprises

Leading construction industry organisations recently held an exhibition and workshop to provide third sector enterprises with guidance and advice on how to identify and deliver tender opportunities within the industry’s supply chain.

Lanarkshire business, CSI Scotland, which is a social enterprise business providing landscaping services to the sector, hosted the event at its Lanark based offices.

It was attended by around 30 businesses providing services such as catering, training and painting.

Exhibitors included BAM Construction, Morgan Sindall, Robertson, Sir Robert McAlpine, CCI Scotland, Senscot, Ready for Business, hub West Scotland and Haven Products.

Andrew Clark, a senior surveyor with BAM Construction, said, “It was a very engaging morning of presentations and networking and the exhibitors enjoyed it just as much as the delegates. We are keen to develop links with social enterprise companies who can deliver to the construction sector and this event helped forge introductions and spark discussions so hopefully it will lead to business opportunities for those who attended.”

Third sector companies looking to engage with the construction sector should contact Alan Johnston, Senscot on 0141 332 8084.

Demolition work to begin in Alexandria

The first phase of the Mitchell Way redevelopment plans in Alexandria will get underway on Tuesday 3 May when demolition works to remove vacant units begin.

It is expected to take nine weeks to clear the properties at 30-40 Mitchell Way, which will then allow the next stage of the development to proceed.

During the demolition period, the car park behind the current shops will remain open, although there may be temporary changes to how vehicles enter and leave the car park.

Redevelopment plans for Mitchell Way, in Alexandria, were approved by councillors in March, which once completed will include a new Lidl outlet and a three-storey development of homes and retail units.

The Lidl store will also have a car park with 145 spaces, which is to be created in the area of land being cleared by the demolition work.

As part of the demolition contract, a second phase of work will get under way once the Mitchell Way units are removed. This will include the demolition of the former medical centre and other vacant units on Bank Street.

Shepherd co-sponsors RICS Scotland annual dinner

Shepherd Chartered Surveyors is co-sponsoring this year’s Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Scotland annual dinner for the second year in succession.

Taking place on Thursday 2nd June at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow, and hosted by broadcaster Grant Stott, the annual dinner provides an ideal opportunity to reflect on last year’s achievements with colleagues and to network with fellow industry professionals.

Workers gather throughout Scotland to mark Workers Memorial Day

Over lunchtime today trade unionists will gather to remember those who have lost their lives as a result of injury at work or occupational diseases such as mesothelioma and commit to fight for safer and healthier workplaces across the world.

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary, said: “HSE statistics show that 20 Scottish workers left home to go to work and did not return home in the last year, across the United Kingdom 192 families lost loved ones through work related injury.

“This is only the tip of the iceberg however, many more lose their lives as a result of occupational disease, we do not know how many die in work related road traffic accidents and unfortunately the pressures of work can and have resulted in workers contemplating suicide.

“The STUC believes that health and safety should be at the heart of the Scottish Government’s fair work agenda and remain disappointed the Smith Commission did not recommend devolution of a range of powers over workers protection to provide more opportunity to create safer and healthier workplaces and hold irresponsible employers to account.

“Our health and safety system is under attack by an ideological Government intent on undermining the importance of health and safety and on International Workers Memorial we commit to the fight for strong laws, strong enforcement and string trade unions and to combat the Government’s continued attack on the health and safety of workers across the UK.

Details of events taking place throughout Scotland can be found here.

New chairman for Moray Housing Partnership

Moray Housing Partnership has refreshed its governance and oversight with the appointment of a new chair and two new committee members.

Les Allan, a vastly experience housing professional, has been appointed as chair to lead the committee of management. Mr Allan, from Portsoy, was previously an area manager with Aberdeenshire Council and head of housing for North Aberdeenshire where he managed a stock of 13,000 council houses.

In a career spanning many years, he led an options appraisal allowing tenants the choice of having the council or a housing association as a landlord, helped develop a 30 year business plan and led community and planning engagement across Marr encouraging partnership working between communities and agencies.

Mr Allan is joined on the committee of management by two other new members. Moray Councillor Patsy Gowans and Stephen Christie, chair of the Moray Tenants Forum, also take up roles on the committee. Both are based in Elgin and bring the total number on the committee to nine.

Work underway on £90,000 Aberdeen park project

Construction work is underway to turn a flooded park grassland area into a nature reserve in Aberdeen.

The city council is investing £90,000 to redevelop Seaton Park.

In recent years, parts of the park’s green space, including playing fields, have been devastated by flooding.

The programme of major works will see the creation of a man-made wetland, along with repairing drainage, adding paths, installing signage and planting.

The council will lead the project in partnership with community group Friends of Seaton Parks.

Consultation to begin on new East Lothian secondary school

A consultation is due to take place discussing the possibility of building another secondary school in East Lothian.

The new facility will be built in Wallyford to provide additional capacity for the Musselburgh area.

A formal consultation will be undertaken in line with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

The discussion follows an assessment of potential sites for future secondary schools in the Musselburgh area, which came after a Strategic Development Plan for South East Scotland (SDP) was approved in June 2013.

The SDP requires sufficient housing land is available to deliver 10,050 homes during 2009-2024, with 6,250 of those homes capable of being delivered in the period to 2019.

Three alternative solutions have been identified for providing the additional capacity:

• Option A – a new secondary school serving part of the Musselburgh area.

• Option B – a new S4-S6 senior phase school for Musselburgh Grammar School on a separate site.

• Option C – a new enlarged S1-S6 Musselburgh Grammar School on a new site.

Capital project costs for the recommended option are estimated to be around £35 million which will be partially offset by developer’s contributions.

New outdoor cycle speedway opens in Fife

A new outdoor cycle speedway has opened at Queen Anne High School in Fife.

Work on the track, which is the third cycle speedway facility in Scotland, got underway in March 2016.

Features of the project included feasibility studies, consultations and technical drawings.

The scheme was delivered through a working partnership between the council’s Locality team, the Education Directorate, the School Board, the Parent Teacher Association and the project funders.