Building Briefs – August 19th

Scotland Office minister visits Guardbridge biomass project

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland Lord Dunlop visited the £25 million green energy centre under construction at Guardbridge yesterday.

A state-of-the-art biomass facility, using only wood from sustainable local sources, will be built on the site of a former paper mill at Guardbridge and will pump hot water from the plant four miles underground to heat and cool laboratories and student residences in St Andrews.

The green energy centre which is being delivered by St Andrews University will help to regenerate north east Fife by creating more than 225 jobs in the construction phase.

The University has developed the Guardbridge Guarantee as part of the project. This ensures that the project supports apprenticeship and graduate training, creating and sustaining jobs while working with the local community to promote environment and energy projects and local business.

During his visit Lord Dunlop met senior representatives from the University and contractors.

The green energy centre is a key part of the University’s drive to become the UK’s first carbon-neutral university for energy.

The project is funded with a £10m grant from the Scottish Funding Council, £11m loan comes from the Scottish Partnership for Regeneration in Urban Centres (SPRUCE) Fund and £4m coming from the University itself.

Dundee to discuss progress on £17m Sports Performance Centre

A progress report on development of a Regional Performance Centre for Sport in Dundee’s Caird Park will be considered by councillors on Monday August 24.

The council has identified £12 million in its Capital Plan 2016-21 for the centre, and this funding will be combined with a grant of £5m from sportscotland for a £17m facility that will include:

Councillors will hear that recent feedback has indicated that this has been agreed in principle and that a stage two application will be welcomed.

Both professional football clubs in the city have been involved with the project. While Dundee United FC wishes to continue with current training facilities in St Andrews at this time, Dundee FC wishes to pursue an option to use land next to the centre. This would be developed separately and fully funded from prudential borrowing based on a long-term rental by Dundee FC.

The report contains an outline construction programme which would see the project completed in December 2017. A project board would be established to oversee delivery.

Green light for ‘low cost’ flats on Aberdeen hotel site

Plans to demolish a former Aberdeen hotel and build affordable housing have been granted conditional approval.

Members of Aberdeen City Council’s planning development management committee agreed to grant detailed planning permission for the Cloverleaf Hotel site in Bucksburn, subject to a legal agreement with the developer.

Stewart Milne Homes tabled proposals for 68 flats with parking on the Kepplehills Road site following consultation with the local community.

The application was referred to the committee as more than five letters of representation were submitted to the planning authority, including an objection from Bucksburn and Newhills Community Council.

The developer proposed to build the flats in two blocks. The first would contain 35 properties in a mix of two and three storey sections. The second stage would consist of 32 flats in two smaller blocks, one with three floors and another with four.

The main road access point would be provided from Kepplehills Road.

The proposals also included 55 parking spaces (three disabled), five motorcycle spots and 70 bicycle bays. Bin stores and an area of amenity space would be provided within a central court yard to the rear of the development.

Pedestrian access would be from two points on Sclattie Park and three points to Kepplehills Road, in addition to the main access from Kepplehills Road.

Councillors unanimously agreed the recommendation from planning officers to agree a willingness to approve subject to the legal agreement to ensure the development is solely restricted to affordable housing.

Developer contributions towards primary and secondary education, the core path network, open space and the Strategic Transport Fund will also have to be agreed.

Dundee council tenants set for more energy efficiency improvements

More Dundee residents look set to join the thousands who have already benefitted from energy efficiency measures to their homes if a bid for additional cash is successful.

Almost 1,000 homes will share in £5 million of work under Dundee City Council’s programme of external wall insulation in the coming months, with a bid for more Home Energy Efficiency Programme Scotland (HEEPS) money for owner occupied properties also in the pipeline.

A total of 834 tenanted homes will have the cladding fitted this year if councillors back the £5,351,302 project costs. Of that £3,017,682 will come from Dundee City Council with the rest paid for through HEEPS grants.

A further bid for £100,000 to the Scottish Government to help with external wall insulation work on 33 cottages in Mid Craigie could be approved later this month after a submission by the council was made in July.

Meanwhile around 200 sheltered tenants could benefit from refurbished communal facilities if £24,600 worth of work is approved.

A new kitchen in each of Tullideph and Brington sheltered housing complexes are to be considered by councillors next week.

If the tender is approved, the work will be carried out by the council’s environment department construction services division.

In the past decade more than £150m has been spent on kitchen upgrades as part of the council’s successful drive to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

The housing committee meets on Monday August 24 to discuss the projects.

Angus Council cuts energy bills and carbon emissions

Angus Council has reported a near £180,000 reduction for its year-on-year spending on energy supplies for council buildings and street lighting.

Factors that helped reach the saving of £178,382 included the introduction of energy efficient light fittings and other energy conservation projects, as well as reduced energy consumption by street lights and a milder than expected winter.

A Communities Committee meeting in Forfar heard there was a 5.8 per cent reduction in energy consumption in 2014-15 compared to the previous year and also a 5.5 per cent reduction carbon emissions over the same period.

There was also an underspend of £248,020 in relation to water and drainage expenditure for 2014/15. The overall spend was nearly 20 per cent less than in the previous 12 months.

This was because of lower than expected water and drainage costs and a urinal control installation project at all council buildings, including offices, schools and leisure centres, which helped to reduce overall water consumption by 57,314 cubic metres.

Dundee Aldi store given green light

Dundee city councillors have gone against planning officers recommendations and approved a new Aldi supermarket.

The Charleston store is expected to bring much needed jobs and investment to the area.

The decision to grant the development of the new store on a site in Myrekirk Road split the city council’s administration at their first meeting back following the summer recess.

The recommendation to refuse the application had been on the basis that it failed to meet a number of employment and retailing policies.

Cupar community invited to view consortium’s future plans

The Cupar North Consortium will host two public exhibitions to reveal the proposed masterplan for the development at Cupar North prior to submitting its planning application at the end of September 2015.

The events will take place on Wednesday 26th August (5pm – 8.30pm) at Elmwood College and Thursday 27th August (3pm- 8.30pm) at the Corn Exchange.

The developers, comprising Persimmon Homes, Headon Developments and VICO Properties, along with their appointed specialist consultants will attend the masterplan exhibition, which has been informed through feedback from the local community.

Following the exhibitions the proposed Cupar North masterplan, including summaries of the technical work and responses to community comments, will be accessible by visiting www.cuparnorth.co.uk.