Building Briefs – August 20th

• Bank of Scotland Inverness building up for sale

The property occupies a prime retail position on Eastgate at the High Street and Inglis Street junction directly opposite the Eastgate Shopping Centre.

An attractive ‘B’ listed stone and slate building set over three floors, the property has a corporate fit-out. The ground floor provides a general banking hall and the two upper floors offer office accommodation for back room banking staff and staff ancillary facilities.

All three floors are serviced by a lift and two staircases. The 7,900 sq ft building has been completely redeveloped behind the existing façade.

Neil Calder, partner in the Inverness office of Shepherd Chartered Surveyors, said: “This attractive property is let to Bank of Scotland, a tenant with a 5A1 covenant, to 2029 on a rebased rent of £150,000 per annum, which reflects an overall Zone A rate of £60 per sq ft. We anticipate keen interest in this rare opportunity to acquire a prime retail investment in Inverness.”

• Boultenstone Bridge set to be refurbished

Boultenstone Bridge on the A97 will be closed for four weeks whilst refurbishment works are carried out.

The work coincides with surface dressing preparation works from Logie Coldstone to Tillypronie and from Tillypronie to Tom Dubh. That work includes strengthening the edges of the road and drainage works, both of which are partly funded by the Scottish Timber Transport Team and are part of the roads’ maintenance programme for Marr.

The bridge will be strengthened to make it more suitable for modern traffic, particularly haulage vehicles. Once the work complete the bridge will require less maintenance in the future saving money and reducing the impact of maintenance works on the travelling public.

During the works, the road will be closed completely from Logie Coldstone to the Boultenstone Bridge.  Access will be provided for emergency service and residential vehicles, but this may be subject to delay until the road is cleared to allow vehicles to travel through the works safely.

Unfortunately, vehicles will be unable to cross the bridge itself whilst the works are being carried out.

Site notices will be put up soon advising of the closure and an alternative route via the A97 – A944 – A980 – B9119 – A97 and vice versa.

• Plans to transform shipping containers into outdoor nursery

A planning application has been submitted to Fife Council to create a new outdoor nursery from three shipping containers.

It would be based at Fordell Firs National Scout Activity Centre in Dunfermline.

The units would replace the former scout radio hut on a 1700 square meter area of the Scout Association site.

The proposed site is located to the east of Dunfermline and south of Crossgates, adjacent to the B981.

The proposed development hopes to offer a base for young children to explore the outdoor environment with a play area, toilets, kitchen and office space within the containers.

The nursery will incorporate Scouting groups such as the Hedgehog Club for children aged three to five, and offer other Scout-related activities such as bushcraft, building shelters and exploring nature.

The nursery will initially operate at a capacity of 30 children per session, but the business hopes that this could rise to 40 in due course.

• Plans to expand wind farm in Moray submitted to Scottish Government

A developer has submitted plans to the Scottish Government to expand one of the largest wind farms in Moray.

Statkraft is proposing to add nine 490ft turbines to the 29 already operational at the Berry Burn site, about eight miles south of Forres.

Advances in technology since the development was built six years ago mean the new turbines are expected to generate the same amount of electricity as those already running.

The expansion proposals have been scaled back from the original 10 turbines put forward following discussions with consultees and community representatives over the last 18 months.

Changes mean the nearest tower will now sit more than four miles away from Dallas and the development avoids an area of deep peat.

A wind farm of the planned size would ordinarily be decided by Moray Council officials.

However, documents have been submitted directly to Scottish Government ministers for consideration as the plans need to be considered in combination with the existing development.

Statkraft estimates the additional turbines will generate enough electricity to power 35,500 homes for a year.

If approved, the additional turbines will lead to an extra £189,000 of community funding for groups to support projects in the area.

Statkraft says it will work with Moray Chamber of Commerce to make sure local suppliers make the biggest benefits from the work.

• Footway widening set to ease physical distancing in Partick

Work starts this week on Dumbarton Road in Partick to temporarily widen footways as part of Spaces for People, which is providing extra space for physical distancing to protect public health and suppress a resurgence of COVID-19.

To accommodate footway widening, the south side of Dumbarton Road will be narrowed by 2 metres from the east kerbline of Vine Street, eastwards for an estimated distance of 24 metres; narrowed by 2 metres immediately east of the above noted double yellow lines, eastwards to the west kerbline of Anderson Street - for an estimated distance of 30 metres – and narrowed by 2 metres from the west kerbline of Keith Street, westwards - for an estimated distance of 36 metres.

All parking bays will be suspended in the affected areas, with extra space for people made available by repurposing the immediate road space usually occupied by parked vehicles.