Building Briefs – August 11th

KPMG inspects fit out of new Glasgow office

Senior KPMG management have received a preview of the global professional services firm’s premium new offices in Glasgow, which are being constructed as part of ambitious growth plans in Scotland.

Craig Anderson, current regional chair of KPMG in Scotland, Catherine Burnet, who was recently appointed to lead the firm’s business in Scotland when Craig retires in October, and Phil Charles, senior partner in the company’s Glasgow office, visited St. Vincent Plaza where the company has leased almost 40,000 sq ft.

KPMG is due to move from its existing premises in West George Street in Glasgow to St. Vincent Plaza in the autumn. Around 350 Glasgow based staff will transfer to the new Grade A premises.

International construction services firm ISG is in the process of transforming floors eight to ten of St. Vincent Plaza to create impressive new offices that will provide KPMG staff with a high quality working environment and encourage positive client engagement.

The layout will include meeting rooms, offices, open plan work spaces, break out areas and a high specification dining area with a full commercial kitchen.

The construction of KPMG’s new offices is supporting a number of local contractors including The FES Group, which is head-quartered in Stirling and is one of the UK’s largest independent technical services companies.

Aberdeenshire business park set for £4m expansion

ANM Group has revealed plans to invest £4 million in the infrastructure of a planned business park extension in Aberdeenshire.

The development at Thainstone, near Inverurie, could create hundreds of jobs.

ANM Group said the new business park - with new office buildings and parking - has been in the planning for several years.

If approved, work is due to commence later this year, with the first building due for completion in early 2018.

Contractors invited to £1.13bn City Deal ‘Meet The Buyer’ event

Contractors are being invited to find out more information about the £1.13 billion Glasgow City Region City Deal.

A ‘Meet the Buyer’ event is being hosted by both East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire councils from 9.15am – 12.30pm at Paisley Town Hall on Monday, 29 August.

The exhibition will help SME firms find out how to bid for sub-contracts on the City Deal. The agreement includes 20 major infrastructure projects and is set to create around 15,000 construction jobs.

Contractors will be able to meet project teams, the main contractors and network with other firms, in addition to meeting representatives from the Supplier Development Programme (SDP).

Broomhill regeneration continues with launch of new River Clyde Homes flats

River Clyde Homes has launched newly modernised, super energy-efficient flats in the transformed Broomhill area of Greenock.

The regeneration of Broomhill by River Clyde Homes is one of the biggest projects of its kind ever to take place in Scotland, with £26 million invested in the area.

The community is undergoing a major makeover with the transformation of 666 low-rise and multi-storey flats, with brand new kitchens and bathrooms, eco-friendly heating systems, double glazed windows and hi-tech security features.

Each of the homes also has high tech sensors installed which will make them safer, improve energy efficiency and predict any maintenance issues before they happen. The sensors will allow River Clyde Homes to react more quickly to any potential issues, which will improve their service to residents while also saving money.

The flats will be ready to occupy by late 2016 and those registering early get the benefit of choosing their kitchen from a range of six options.

Portknockie harbour works to start

Work will begin next week on repairs to Portknockie harbour.

Harbour users are being asked to navigate with caution while the work is being carried out and part of the north pier will be closed off to the public.

Other areas may also need to be closed off at short notice.

The work will involve repairs to the north pier and north pier jetty, Macdonald’s pier and the entrance jetty and is expected to be completed by the end of September, although much will depend on weather conditions.

First-time buyer lending up 25 per cent compared to a year ago

First-time buyers across the UK borrowed up to £5.5 billion in June, an increase of 25 per cent from the same period last year and up 28 per cent on the previous month.

The latest data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) showed that the figure equated to 34,300 loans, up 24 per cent month-on-month and 17 per cent year-on-year.

Homeowners borrowed £12.3bn for house purchases in June, up 29 per cent month-on-month and 12 per cent year-on-year, and they took out 68,200 loans, up 26 per cent on May and 8 per cent on June 2015.

A total of £6.9bn was borrowed by people wanting to move home, up 33 per cent on May and up 5 per cent compared to a year ago. This represented 33,900 loans, up 28 per cent month-on-month and up 0.3 per cent on June 2015.

Remortgage activity totalled £5.6bn, up 8 per cent on May and 6 per cent compared to a year ago. This came to 32,400 loans, up 4 per cent month-on-month but down 2 per cent compared to a year ago.

Landlords borrowed £2.9bn, up 12 per cent month-on-month but down 15 per cent year-on-year. This came to 18,300 loans in total, up 8 per cent compared to May and 17 per cent compared to June 2015.

The CML figures also revealed that the second quarter of 2016 saw home-owners borrow £30bn for house purchase, down 2 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 7 per cent year-on-year.

They took out 169,600 loans, up 4 per cent on the first quarter and 3 per cent on the same quarter in 2015.

AWPR bridge beams set for delivery

The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie-Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project is expected to take delivery of ten 28m long beams on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 August.

The beams will enable the contractor to construct a bridge which will carry the (U19C) Leuchlands to Cranbog to Sheilhill Road, which is located between Goval and Blackdog, over the new road.

The deliveries will be transported during daylight for safety reasons, between approximately 9.30am and 3.30pm.

Contractors to begin microsurfacing works in Lerwick

Specialist contractors are to begin road resurfacing works this weekend in Lerwick.

The microsurfacing work will be carried out on a number of streets around the town over a three-week period from Sunday, 14 August.

Shetland Islands Council said the method, which uses the application of liquid emulsion and aggregate mix to the road surface, is more cost effective compared to asphalt/bitmac resurfacing and seals the road surface, preventing water ingress and further deterioration.

Access to each of the affected streets will be prohibited from 8am – 6pm each day.

Council seeks views on East Ayrshire conservation area

East Ayrshire Council is inviting residents to submit their views on Dalmellington’s Conservation Area.

As part of plans to create a new Draft Dalmellington Conservation Appraisal, the public are being encouraged to have their say before the document is finalised and published.

The blueprint will guide future development opportunities and planning applications in the Area.

Argyll and Bute road maintenance project to begin

A £90,000 road maintenance project is to begin in Argyll and Bute.

The council will start resurfacing the A816 between Kintraw Farm and Salachery from Monday, 29 August.

For safety reasons, the road will be closed until the project is completed on Friday, 02 September.

The scheme is part of the local authority’s £27 million investment in the road network over the past four years. The programme has seen a mix of resurfacing work, patching, surface dressing and in-situ surface recycling throughout the region.