Building Briefs – August 17th

Bam Nuttall has completed work on a £2.25 million rail bridge reconstruction project in North Lanarkshire.

The scheme on Station Road in Shotts was one of 17 projects carried out to increase the height between the railway track and bridges on Shotts line, ahead of the routes electrification by March 2019.

The 11-month programme involved demolishing two adjacent bridge structures and building a new bridge with more height clearance between the rails and bridge for the overhead line electrification cables to run safely underneath.

After demolition work was completed, 2,200 tonnes of material was removed from the site. The new bridge has extended abutments and is formed by portal units installed by lifting 45 pre-cast units – one of which was 47.5 tonnes - into place using a 750 tonne crane.

Before main construction took place, work was carried out to divert and reinstate various utilities which run over the structure, such as water supplies, electricity, gas and broadband to the town.

Dundee council homes set for £1.5m of improvements

Almost £1.5 million of improvements to council houses across Dundee could be on the cards if councillors approve a series of tenders next week.

Work includes roof replacement in Camperdown and Cragiebank, off street parking in Fintry Crescent and window replacement in Happyhillock, Douglas, Linlathen and St Marys.

The neighbourhood services committee will meet on August 21.

Approval for Portgordon icehouse development

An application to build a coffee shop, wellbeing centre and manager’s flat as part of the development of Portgordon ice house was today given the go-ahead by Moray Council.

The proposal, which was recommended for refusal by planning officers, received 48 letters of support and seven objections.

The applicant and supporters addressed a special hearing of Moray Council’s planning & regulatory services committee.

Council increases funding for Union Chain Bridge work

Scottish Borders Council has agreed to increase its financial contribution to a proposed £7.8 million upgrade of a bridge linking Scotland and England.

The Union Chain Bridge - built in 1820 - crosses the River Tweed from Fishwick in Berwickshire to Horncliffe in Northumberland.

It has been on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register since 2013.

The council had already committed £550,000 to the overhaul but has now agreed to contribute £1m.

When it was officially opened nearly 200 years ago, the structure was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world.

However, it has become structurally unsafe and can now only be accessed by one light vehicle at a time.

Northumberland County Council, Scottish Borders Council and the Friends of Union Chain Bridge are working together on the project to safeguard the future of the bridge near Berwick-upon-Tweed.

CNPA seeks views over future development of Aviemore Highland Resort

Residents are being invited to submit their views on how the Aviemore Highland Resort (AHR) site should be developed.

The site covers 40-hectares in the middle of the town and currently has a mix of uses such as visitor accommodation, retail, recreation and housing.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) has prepared a draft Development Brief to guide future development at AHR, providing a land use and development framework to help inform the preparation of more detailed proposals.

A consultation on the Brief has now been launched and residents have until the end of September to respond.

Two drop-in events are taking place where people can find out more information or make comments on the AHR Development Brief.

The events will take place on the Aviemore Village Green from 2.30pm – 7.30pm on Thursday, 17 August and Tuesday, 22 August.

Public consultation on proposed Greenferns development

Aberdeen City Council is holding a public consultation event next week regarding a development framework for a proposed new residential and employment development and as neighbourhood centre at Greenferns, Aberdeen.

Further information on the proposed development framework for Greenferns will be available at a public event being held at Northfield Community Centre on August 22 from 2.00 pm – 8.00pm.

The proposals can also be viewed at the following web site address. The plans will be available from 22 August 2017 onwards. https://consultation.aberdeencity.gov.uk/

Comments on the development framework should be submitted by September 8.

Glasgow Energy Research Centre plans on show

Residents are being invited to view plans for a new energy research centre in Glasgow.

The £9 million Glasgow Geothermal Energy Research Field Site facility will explore the potential of geothermal energy for the benefit of local communities, as well as offering the opportunity for other areas of innovation and research into the subsurface. It will either be built in the Clyde Gateway area in the east end of Glasgow or Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire

The facility is part of the £31m UK Geoenergy Observatories project, which aims to establish new centres for research into the subsurface environment and provide opportunities to research how natural processes can control resource availability, and how natural resources can be used responsibly for present and future generations.

Led by The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the British Geological Survey (BGS), the £31m project aims to provide infrastructure for future research opportunities. A second research centre will be established in England.

The Glasgow site will create an opportunity for research in relation to the geothermal energy potential of the warm waters in the large expanse of disused coal mines under Glasgow.

The proposed field site would consist of a number of boreholes at various depths, which will create the opportunity to research the area’s geology and underground water systems. Measurements would be taken from boreholes, such as temperature, water movement and water chemistry, and the data will be monitored and assessed in the coming years.

Residents can view plans for the facility at the Legacy Hub in Dalmarnock between 2pm - 8pm on September 5.

Landbank money released to enable Highland affordable housing schemes

The Highland Council has approved the use of Landbank funding to assist in the development of affordable housing in the region.

The local authority holds a Landbank Fund which is used to enable affordable housing to be delivered either through loans and grants to partner housing organisations, or directly to part fund the provision of new council housing. The fund was originally set up using a £5 million grant from the then Scottish Executive and £5m from housing land sales.

The Landbank is supplemented each year through income from council tax monies from second and holiday homes. It is a condition of both the original grant from the Scottish Government and the council tax income that the funds must be used to provide additional affordable housing directly or indirectly.

Members of the council’s places committee agreed the use of £13,000 from the Landbank Fund to provide a loan to Cromarty Community Council to assist in the purchase of the former Townlands Barn, which is one of the oldest buildings in Cromarty.

Members also agreed the use of £20,000 of Landbank Funding to provide a grant to Albyn Housing Society to assist in the development of affordable housing in Ardgay.

The site of the former Lady Ross Hotel in Ardgay is under redevelopment to provide a Village Square, community business Hub and affordable housing. The affordable housing will be developed by Albyn Housing Society and will be available for rent. The grant of £20,000 is to assist in meeting part of the cost of the development.

Work starts at Fife Housing Group’s development in Crombie

Construction at the second phase of Fife Housing Group’s building project in Crombie is now underway following the success of phase one.

The venture, which has been jointly funded by Fife Housing Group, the Scottish Government and Fife Council, will see an investment of £2.7 million to develop 19 new two and three bedroom homes, with completion expected early next year.

Fife Housing Group colleagues were recently joined by representatives from primary contractor Esh Border Construction at a symbolic sod cutting ceremony to celebrate construction beginning at the site.

The award of this building contract comes after Livingston-based Esh Border Construction secured a raft of new framework partnerships, the collective value of which could mean over £100m to the construction specialist across the next few years.

House prices in Scotland rise by nearly 3%

House prices in Scotland are rising by nearly 3%, according to new figures.

Average values north of the Border increased by 2.9% over the year to June to stand at £144,000, data released by the Office for National Statistics, Land Registry and other bodies has shown.

The rate of increase across the UK is 4.9%, with house prices around £10,000 higher on average than a year ago.

Students eye international job market after Queensferry Crossing placements

Two Abertay University students are weighing up international opportunities after completing fully-paid work placements on one of the biggest civil engineering projects in Scotland’s history.

Greg Robertson, 21, and Ross Smith, 20, who have been pals since their early school days in Monifieth, have just finished extended industry placements on the Queensferry Crossing, where they received around £1,000 per month while learning how to apply their engineering skills.

Abertay is the only University in Scotland to offer a guaranteed work placement for every Civil Engineering student, and the pair now have more than seven months’ experience with Transport Scotland, Jacobs and Arup between them.

Now going into fourth year, both students plan to complete their degrees and then take on a Masters, with Greg already eyeing opportunities with Jacobs in the likes of Australia and New Zealand.

Greg, from Dundee, worked with Transport Scotland from January until the end of April and then Jacobs until August after his paid placement on the £1.35bn bridge was extended for the summer.

He was based on the Fife side of the bridge and split his time 50/50 between the office, where he would update drawings using AutoCAD software, and site work such as surveying using satellite technology.

Ross, from Dundee, did his placement with Transport Scotland and Arup and was based on the deck section of the 1.7-mile crossing, which is the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world.