Building Briefs – August 12th

Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership has been awarded a Heritage Lottery grant of £4.5 million, to take forward proposals to create The Seven Lochs Wetland Park, a wetland area of national significance in the central belt, which protects and enhances biodiversity, while promoting health and wellbeing and economic regeneration.

The park covers lochs, parks, nature reserves and woods between Glasgow and North Lanarkshire, and covers an area of 19 sq km between Riddire in Glasgow and Coatbridge in North Lanarkshire.

It includes two sites of Special Scientific Interest, five local nature reserves, Drumpellier Country Park, archaeological sites and is surrounded by various historic buildings such as Provan Hall in Easterhouse.

The park project, which will initially cost £6.8m, aims to create gateways to the park at Hogganfield Loch, Provan Hall, Drumpellier Country Park and Glenboig Life Centre.

The project also includes the development of walking and cycling routes linking the gateway sites and improvements to paths, signage, interpretation and management across the whole park.

Collective Architecture were appointed to carry out a detail masterplanning and visioning exercise by GCVGNP in late 2010, which resulted in the completion of final study document in March 2013.

In addition, the practice were commissioned to carry out a further body of work related to Green Network and Green Infrastructure Planning.

Active travel route in Glasgow’s Southside wins funding

Plans for Scotland’s most ambitious street improvement project, ‘The South City Way’, have won the Community Links PLUS (CLP), a ‘streetscape’ design competition hosted by Sustrans Scotland and the Scottish Government.

The new street redesign project, which has been awarded £3,250,000 in funding from Sustrans and the Scottish Government which Glasgow City Council will match with a further £3,250,000.

The route, set to become an exemplar in designing streets for people, will stretch from Glasgow’s South Side all the way into the heart of the city, going from Victoria Road to Stockwell Street junction near Merchant city.

In total, the project will improve the public spaces along 3km of new segregated cycleway, strengthening Glasgow’s existing network of city cycle-paths.

Glasgow City Council is now set to begin work on the new project which is expected to be completed around Summer 2018.

Student housing plan for former Elgin care home

ThreeSixty Architecture has submitted plan for a 40 bed student accommodation project in Elgin for the University of the Highlands and Islands.

The scheme is being brought forward on behalf of developer Cityheart and will be situated on the site of the derelict Bishopmill House care home.

It is hoped to have the new homes ready for occupancy in time for the start of term in August 2017.

GHA to consult on £4.3m district heating scheme

GHA is to hold a series of community events to share information on an innovative £4.3 million district heating scheme in the south side of Glasgow.

The new energy centre in Hillpark Drive Pollokshaws, will provide 350 homes with heating and hot water and save hundreds of GHA tenants money on their fuel bills.

The events over the coming months will see GHA staff talk with residents about how they will benefit when the new scheme is in place in just under two years.

Taking heat out of the air, the district heating system uses innovative technology unseen on this scale elsewhere in the UK.

GHA will also install solar panels, which will feed into the energy centre, on one block of homes, helping to make this a leading example of energy-efficient housing in Scotland.

The new district heating system aims to reduce fuel poverty in the area, and will also benefit the environment by reducing carbon emissions.

The project has been made possible thanks to a £2.5m grant from the Scottish Government’s Local Energy Challenge Fund, as well as investment from GHA – part of Wheatley Group – and funding from Glasgow City Council.

Public encouraged to have say on vision and priorities for Borders housing

A consultation has been launched on a draft Local Housing Strategy for the Scottish Borders.

Developed by Scottish Borders Council (SBC), in conjunction with a range of partners including local Registered Social Landlords, the Strategy sets out a vision for housing and housing-related services from 2017 to 2022.

All Scottish local authorities are required to prepare a Local Housing Strategy every five years, setting out a vision for the supply, quality and availability of housing in their local area. It also sets out a range of actions the council and partners will take to make sure this vision becomes a reality.

The draft Local Housing Strategy is subject to public consultation until the end of October.

Following the consultation period the Local Housing Strategy will be finalised, taking into account the consultation responses, and submitted for formal approval to Scottish Ministers in November.

A number of consultation events will take place during the public consultation period.

Council seeks views on future development in Kirriemuir

Angus Council is inviting residents to submit their opinions on the future development of Kirrieuir.

A design charrette will take place on Thursday, 08 September, to develop a long-term vision for the town centre’s future.

The ‘Kirrie Talks’ exhibition has been developed by the council and facilitated by a team of experts in town planning, architecture, property development and community regeneration.

It will provide a detailed view of the town’s existing and possible future services, including housing, retail, leisure and tourism.

A pre-charrette animation has been organised for 24 and 25 August, while two further design charrettes will take place on 13 and 14 September.

Work to begin on South Ayrshire road maintenance project

Scotland TranServ is to begin a road maintenance project in South Ayrshire.

The company will carry out over £60,000 of resurfacing works this weekend on the A77 at Dalrymple Street in Girvan.

The three-day project involves a total road closure between Stumpy Corner and Wesley Street from 6am on Saturday, 13 August to 6am on Monday, 15 August. Duncan Street and Wesley Road will also be closed. Diversions will be in place.