Building Briefs – April 5th

Diamond Drilling specialist’s Queen Street work recognised at prestigious Las Vegas gathering

A Diamond Drilling specialist has been singled out for special recognition at a prestigious Stateside awards ceremony following its successful delivery of major tunnel upgrade work in Glasgow.

Corecut completed the £1.25 million infrastructural work at Queen Street Station - the largest Diamond Drilling project undertaken in Scotland to date - on budget and ahead of schedule.

The company’s contribution has now been recognised as an industry exemplar and a winner at the fourth annual Concrete Openings Awards, which celebrates innovation and excellence across the industry.

The prestigious gathering was held recently at the Las Vegas Convention Center as part of the World of Concrete trade show.

The panel of judges considered each of the 16 shortlisted jobs based on their pre-planning, use of innovation, degree of difficulty and quality requirements – and Corecut scored highest in the Roads, Bridges & Airports category.

The award was presented by Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association (CSDA) President Kevin Baron to Corecut managing director Finlay Crocker, who then joined World of Concrete attendees, industry media and CSDA members to celebrate.

Holyrood seeking views on City Region Deals

A Holyrood committee has called for the public to submit their views on City and Region Deals, as it begins its research into the economic growth deals.

The local government and communities committee is looking for a variety of opinions from organisations and members of the public on the purpose of City and Region Deals, whether they are working for communities and how they are being run.

There are currently three active City Region Deals in Scotland, including Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness, which aim to grow regional economies, boost jobs and build collaborative partnerships.

City Region Deals are also underway in Edinburgh and Stirling, while a joint proposal is being considered in Perth and Dundee.

Date set for developer contribution legal battle

A date has been set for a landmark legal battle between the Queen’s cousin and north-east councils over millions of pounds worth of developer contributions for an Aberdeenshire housing development.

Last year Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire authorities were dealt a major blow when the Duke of Fife – whose company is behind the Chapelton of Elsick scheme near Newtonhill – challenged an £8 million developer contribution demand.

His firm, the Elsick Development Company (EDC), had been asked to hand over the cash for the north-east’s strategic transport fund as part of its planning consent – but Court of Session judges reduced the bill to just £287,000.

Earlier this year both councils appealed to the Supreme Court to intervene.

The court has now agreed to hear the appeal on June 13, and a decision may be received as early as late July.

CALA looks to find a home for £15k community bursary

CALA Homes (West) has launched a £15,000 community bursary initiative in a bid to help charities and organisations across the West of Scotland.

The homebuilder is inviting charities, community groups and organisations to apply for a share of the bursary. The fund will help fund a project which makes a vital difference in and around the local community.

The fund has been split into three regions with Lanarkshire, Glasgow and East Dunbartonshire each receiving a £5,000 allocation from the total funds.

For further information and to download an application form please visit www.cala.co.uk/bursary or request an application form by emailing west.bursary@cala.co.uk. All applications must be submitted by June 9.

Applicants must state the amount they would like to secure and what the money will be used for to be in with a chance of receiving funding. Applications will be judged by a panel from CALA Homes (West) and a local representative.

Successful applicants will be announced from July 2017 onwards.

Modern Apprentice opportunities target gender inequality

Over 300 modern apprenticeship opportunities were on offer to aspiring female STEM and construction professionals at a recruitment event held recently at City of Glasgow College.

Hosted in partnership with EQUATE Scotland and Skills Development Scotland, the inaugural event was part of the college’s on-going commitment to addressing the under representation of women in these areas.

Employers from a range of organisations including BAE Systems, Graham Construction, CITB, Scottish Water, Interserve, GE, GTG, Plexus, TELL and CompanyNet attended and offered advice and guidance, and took part in discussions with students from colleges and schools across Glasgow.

The event was part of a larger ongoing project which aims to encourage women into modern apprenticeships and further planned activities include one to one support for young women modern apprentices, a mentoring blueprint to increase retention of women MAs across Scotland, and helping ensure employers have an inclusive workplace for young women.

Kier to start sewer repairs project in Fife

Kier Construction is to start work on a sewer repairs project in Fife.

The project is being carried out on behalf of Scottish Water on Main Street in Leuchars.

The one-week scheme will get underway on April 10.

Keyline staff to embark on charity cycle ride across Scotland

Energetic employees from materials supplier Keyline will be jumping into the saddle to raise vital funds for charity by cycling from Dumfries to Inverness.

The team will pedal the 300-mile route over four days this summer in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.

A group of 20 cyclists – formed of Keyline’s staff, along with its suppliers and customers – will set out on May 31 from the company’s branch in Dumfries, when they will travel 80 miles to Broxburn. The following day the team will bike another 70 miles to Balloch, before heading to Fort William on June 2 (85 miles). The final leg will see them arrive at Keyline’s site in Inverness on June 3, after another 65-mile slog! The group will also be joined by additional participants taking part in individual legs of the trek.

The fundraiser was dreamt up by Keyline employees: Frazer MacBean, regional operations manager; Gary Miller, branch manager; and Darren Fullarton, key account manager, who aim to raise in excess of £10,000.

Keyline’s partnership with Prostate Cancer UK began in 2010, initially pledging to raise £25,000 in that one year alone. However, through the fantastic efforts of staff and customers, together with the support from the team at Prostate Cancer UK, the partnership has helped to raise more than £1.2 million. As part of this, Keyline has hosted an annual charity car rally and the 2017 event, from Northampton to Le Mans via Santander, will take place at the end of June.