Building Briefs – August 23rd

Six options revealed for A9/A96 Inverness road scheme

Locals and road users have the opportunity to see Transport Scotland’s plans for a new link road between Inshes and Smithton in Inverness.

A series of six different options for the new single carriageway linking the two important trunk roads to the east of Inverness can be viewed at public exhibitions today in Inshes church, tomorrow in Smithton church or online.

Thainstone Mart expansion plans to be discussed

The proposed £4 million expansion of an Aberdeenshire mart is to be discussed by councillors.

ANM Group has said the new business park at Thainstone, near Inverurie, could create hundreds of jobs.

However objections have been raised to the project, with concerns over the potential visual impact on the landscape and possible traffic congestion.

The plans will come before the Garioch area committee.

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

Work starts on West Lothian council homes

Work has begun on a number of new West Lothian Council homes in East Calder.

The project at Raw Holdings includes the construction of twelve cottage flats, one two-bedroom house and two bungalows. The homes are expected be completed by next spring.

The council is building 1,000 new council homes across the nine council ward areas to help satisfy the demand for affordable housing in West Lothian and enhance communities.

The council also said work is due to begin on the redevelopment of at the Xcite Broxburn leisure facilities.

The development will see a totally new changing village layout, including new décor, cubicles and access to the pools, sauna and steam room.

During the refurb the SpaceBugs soft play area will also be refreshed with new kit, décor and upgrades to the internal structure.

The works have been scheduled to follow the end of the busy school holiday period with the building closing until September 5.

Housing minister kick starts Ardrossan regeneration

Minister for local government & housing, Kevin Stewart MSP, carried out an official ground breaking at Ardrossan Harbour last week where Cunninghame Housing Association plans to build 70 new homes.

The landmark event marked the regeneration of the empty brownfield site on Montgomerie Street which Cunninghame purchased from Clydeport in March 2007.

A total of 70 houses and flats, all for rent will be delivered on the site comprising a mixture of 2 and 3 bedroom general needs, amenity and wheelchair flats and houses with £5 million allocated in grant towards this project by the Scottish Government.

The work will be on site for a 16 month period with overall completion scheduled for December 2017.

Main contractor Ashleigh Scotland Ltd is working closely with the Association to deliver a programme of community benefits with three new apprentices all from Ayrshire being recruited as a result of this project.

In addition the strategic partnership has created three week work experience placements at Ashleigh for students from local schools and one to one mentoring of a local young person over a 12 month period. The contractor has a meeting arranged with Ardrossan Academy after the school holidays and a young person will be selected to be mentored by Ashleigh. It might be someone who has expressed an interest in trades/construction and they will have the opportunity to visit sites, talk to site managers, and discuss their own employment pathway and receive advice on same.

Other community benefits include primary school engagement visits by the contractor and competitions for local school children. Ashleigh has also pledged to support/sponsor a local sports Association or community group and ensure the vast majority of the contractors supply chain are Ayrshire based.

New East Dunbartonshire primary school opens

The new Lenzie Meadow Primary School has opened its doors ahead of the new school term.

Built by main contractor Lend Lease on the site of the old Lenzie Moss Primary School, the £11.5 million building consists of a primary school and nursery class. It will welcome 568 pupils from both primary schools, plus 58 pre-school children in the nursery.

Lenzie Meadow Interim Parent Council worked alongside council officers to ensure the school meets the needs of pupils and parents within the community.

The school was designed by architects Holmes Miller and delivered in partnership with hub West Scotland.

Road closure to be lifted in Fife

Fife Council has announced that works will begin later next month to repair a collapsed wall in High Street.

Following a recent agreement with the land owner to allow works to commence, this will also enable the re-opening of the road leading to Edington Place. This road is currently closed in the interest of public safety.

A contract for the work is now out to tender. Once it is awarded, it is expected to take around eight weeks to complete. Parking restrictions will be in place at certain times throughout the works.

Survey into social landlords’ views and experience of district heating

Researchers on a project jointly managed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy and Changeworks are calling on social landlords to give their views and experiences of district heating.

On the face of it, there is a good fit between district heating and blocks of homes owned by housing associations and local councils - not least because manage homes in concentrated clusters easily served by a heat network, and, as ‘landlord’, the housing association or council can benefit from economies of scale. And of course district heating can also help social landlords deliver energy efficient homes, tackle fuel poverty, reduce carbon emissions and improve energy security.

For this reason, social housing could be a shot in the arm for the district heating sector.

Click here to go to the survey.

The organisations are just as keen to hear from social landlords in the process of planning a scheme, or even those who have never considered district heating at all, as they are interested in those who have a fully operational (or decommissioned) district heating scheme.

The anonymous survey will collect quantitative data on why schemes were installed, successes and barriers, costs, social/economic impacts etc.

Only one response per organisation is being sought. The survey will close on Friday 26 August 2016, and one filler-in will win a £50 Marks & Spencer voucher.

Further funding for Hermitage Park

A further £300,000 has been made available for Argyll and Bute Council’s Hermitage Park project.

The additional monies, from the Sustrans Community Links programme, means that work can now progress on the £3 million scheme which will see the area’s only urban park restored and developed.

The project will see the replacement of the main path network, but the layout will remain much the same, with the same key entry/exit points at the north, south, east and west of the park. Work to the path network will include a new lighting system, three metre wide tarmacadam and red chip paths, with concrete edging to increase life expectancy, and covered bike stands at the various access point and at the new pavilion café.

The Sustrans Community Links Programme provides grant funding for the creation of infrastructure that enables more people to cycle and walk for everyday journeys. Funded by Transport Scotland, it has funded more than 500 projects since its formation in 2010.

Latest phase of CSGN funding opens

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has announced that applications have opened for the latest phase of Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) funding.

Green projects throughout Central Scotland can bid for a share of £400,000 to enhance woodlands and green infrastructure, increase active travel and encourage community growing.

The CSGN aims to transform the central belt into a place where the environment adds value to the economy and enriches the quality of people’s lives.

Aberdeen community landmark restored to pole position

A community landmark has been restored to its pole position following a makeover for its tenth anniversary.

Seaton’s Totem Pole, a colourful wild-west themed structure, was restored after concerns were expressed it was falling into disrepair.

Construction firm, Robertson, managed the excavation and re-planting of the popular pole to the delight of the Seaton community through Aberdeen City Council’s community engagement team in partnership with Scottish Business In The Community.

Before being replanted, a traditional blessing ceremony was held for the community by Kenny Grieves who had the inspiration for the project 10 years ago.

The ceremony involved blessing the ground where the Totem Pole sits and also dusting the pole with a piece of wood.

The community led project was initiated in 2006 by Aberdeen City Council in partnership with Aberdeen Green Space and created through community activities engaging local residents and after-school groups.

The pole was designed by residents and pupils of Seaton School and features carvings which represent their community, including a seagull, a multi-story block and a football.

The week-long project included a range of other community activities such as ceilidhs, gala days and concerts.

Robertson managed all stages of the refurbishment project and also engaged the support of Whytes Cranes, courtesy of Laurence Whyte, who provided the heavy equipment needed for the safe removal and replacement of the pole.

A team from Robertson also undertook the remedial works in preparation for its repaint. This involved, removing the old paint, rotten wood from its base and making a foundation for the pole.