Building Briefs – April 6th

Taylor Wimpey apprentice bricklayer proves he’s the top level

Taylor Wimpey East Scotland is thrilled with the progress that apprentice bricklayer Jed Smith, aged 22 of Easthouses in Dalkeith, is making as the young apprentice adds a further industry award to his string of wins over the past two years.

This rising star has won first place in the Bricklaying WorldSkills UK National Qualifiers Competition 2016 placing him as number one in Scotland with his award recognised at a ceremony at The City of Glasgow College recently.

WorldSkills UK Competitions bring together apprentices and students from across the country to compete to be the best in their chosen skill.

Designed by industry experts, the competitions assess an individual’s knowledge, practical skills and employability attributes against a set of strict criteria. Competitions enable apprentices and students to develop world-class skills.

This latest award for Jed’s bricklaying skills follows a string of industry accolades over the last two years which includes winning the CITB Senior Brickwork Skillbuild 2016; securing the ‘Best 1st Year Brickwork Apprentice’ following the completion of his first year of training and apprenticeship at Edinburgh College, and first place in the 1st year apprentice bricklayer category at Skillbuild 2015.

He is one of Taylor Wimpey’s rising stars and securing this recognition of his consistency and quality of workmanship sets him apart as one of the best apprentice bricklayers in Scotland.

Currently based at Taylor Wimpey’s Almond Park in Musselburgh, Midlothian bricklayer Jed’s latest success continues to recognise his commitment, dedication and workmanship to both the company’s apprenticeship programme and his college work.

He secured a four year Modern Day Apprenticeship with Taylor Wimpey East Scotland following his participation in the ‘Get into Home Building’ pilot programme that ran at Edinburgh College in August 2014.

Plans for multi-million pound Scottish seabird hub

Plans have been unveiled for a £5.5 million Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick which conservationists say will enhance education and conservation programmes at the centre and across Scotland.

The Seabird Centre has won development funding of £290,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

HLF has also given initial support of £3.5m for the project with £2m to come from fundraising.

It is hoped that the project will transform the existing attraction into a national hub which will showcase marine life and increase appreciation and understanding of Scotland’s marine wildlife and research.

Project director Grace Martin said the Scottish Seabird Centre lets visitors engage with nature in a sustainable way. “As a conservation and education charity, we welcome 4,000 school children a year and lead projects like SOS Puffin.

“But, as with all charities, we must move with the times to remain viable and to achieve our objectives of inspiring people to care for wildlife and the natural environment.

“We have more education requests than we can accommodate and visitor expectations are at an all-time-high,” she said.

“Our vision is to create a centre of national significance of which the local community is proud.”

Brexit hits profits at retirement building firm

Profits at McCarthy & Stone, the retirement home builder with a number of Scottish properties, including developments in Anstruther, St Andrews, Blairgowrie and Perth, have taken a Brexit hit after was stung by a slowdown in the housing market following last year’s referendum.

The group said pre-tax profits slumped 25 per cent to £21.8 million in the six months to February 28, with trading “constrained” by a lower forward order book as a result of the market uncertainty following the EU vote.

Revenue also fell by 5 per cent to £238.2m, although the firm added that sales momentum has increased during the last five weeks, with the forward order book running just 1 per cent behind last year.

CEO Clive Fenton said: “We have made solid progress during this half year despite the headwinds created by the lower forward order book brought into the year and the weighting of expected completions from higher margin new sites into the second half of the year.”

Perth & Kinross Council’s Building Standards Team receive Scottish Parliament recognition

Perth & Kinross Council has been re-appointed as building standards verifier for the Perth and Kinross area for the next six years thanks to the high levels of performance of the Council’s Building Standards Team which has been recognised by the Scottish Parliament.

In a change to the way building standards verifier re-appointments are awarded, Scotland’s 32 local authorities are being appointed for different periods, namely one year, three years and a maximum of six years. It is only the highest performing authorities who are able to show consistency in service delivery against the National Performance Framework which are being awarded the maximum period of appointment.

The principal role of the verifier is to consider and make decisions on building warrant and other associated applications and to consider applications for Completion Certificates through the process of reasonable inquiry. Verifiers must be impartial and their working practices, transparent, competent and consistent in their activity and accountable for their actions.

Verifiers are required to closely comply with the requirements of the Performance Framework which is aimed at improving the quality of service delivery as well as ensuring consistency and predictability of verification activities.

Resurfacing requires evening closures of Peebles roads

Two Peebles town centre roads will be closed for resurfacing improvements over a series of evenings this month.

The High Street will be shut from Monday 17 to the morning of Friday 21 April, while Eastgate will shut from Sunday 23 to the morning of Thursday 27 April, as part of a £135,000 investment in the Tweeddale town.

Both closures will run from 6pm to 2am each day to try to minimise the disruption for local shops and residents.

In advance of the resurfacing works, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) will also be improving the pedestrian crossing point at Northgate.

In addition, SBC will introduce a bus build-out area on the High Street outside The County Hotel, following comments from members of the public, which will have the added benefit of creating additional parking spaces.

The first phase of the closure will see the High Street resurfaced from the pedestrian crossing to TSB bank. Eastgate and Northgate will be open as normal.

The second phase will see the Eastgate shut from the Green Tree Hotel to the pedestrian crossing. Northgate and Tweed Green will become two-way during this closure to allow access to the Gytes, Walkershaugh and Bridgegate.

Work to start on £350,000 A75 Collin Bypass resurfacing

Work is to begin on a £350,000 resurfacing scheme in Dumfries and Galloway.

Contractor DG First and specialist sub-contractor Webfell will begin repairing the A75 eastbound Collin Bypass on April 7.

A 610-metre stretch of trunk road will be improved, with work being carried out to address issues of surface cracks and potholes. The programme will also involve subsequent line marking work.

The scheme will begin at 7pm on Friday until 6am on April 11.