Building Briefs – August 24th

West Dunbartonshire Council’s newest apprentices joined the team this week as part of a £1 million investment.

The 24 new recruits arrived at the council offices at Church Street for an induction before they were set to work or training in their various roles.

The group will take on jobs across Greenspace, Business Administration and Construction Crafts and are the first intake of Modern Apprentices since the investment fund was announced in March.

The scheme will see £250,000 spent on apprentices each year for the next four years, with a particular focus on school leavers.

As well as funding council apprenticeships, the Investment Fund can also be used to support jobs in the private sector.

Businesses employing level two or three Modern Apprentices can receive funding when the employee is in their second year.

By encouraging industries including the construction sector to take on modern apprentices, the council aims to help meet the local skills shortage, enhance the local economy and a have positive impact on West Dunbartonshire communities.

The money will also be used to fund assessor and verifier qualifications for existing council staff, enhancing learning and development and avoiding the costs for hiring external providers.

PoLHA’s sheltered housing and Leith Fort developments shortlisted for UK awards

Two developments by Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) have been shortlisted for UK awards.

St Nicholas Court, one of PoLHA’s sheltered housing developments, has been shortlisted in the Best Older People’s Housing Development (under 70 homes) category at this year’s Inside Housing Development Awards.

St Nicholas Court was first developed in 1988 as 31 one and two-bedroom flats with an additional four flats added in 1999. As part of the £1.6 million project, an additional eight one-bedroom flats were completed last year, along with a sun lounge and guest bedroom, as well as landscaping.

The £11.5m Leith Fort development of 94 affordable homes delivered by PoLHA and the City of Edinburgh Council has also been shortlisted for the event in the Best Affordable Housing Development category.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on November 29 at The Brewery in London.

Two Scottish estates to merge operations

One of Scotland’s biggest private landowners is to merge operations on two of its estates.

Buccleuch said that Bowhill and Eskdale & Liddesdale Estates will combine to create Borders Estate from September 1.

There will be no change to ongoing relationships with the residential and farming tenants with both legal agreements and key personnel remaining unchanged under the new Borders Estate umbrella.

Borders Estate will be managed by Edward Morris, who was previously estate manager at Bowhill and has been overseeing operations at Eskdale & Liddesdale since early this year.

The overall footprint of the combined estate will be significantly reduced as Buccleuch progresses its policy of selling land and farms.

Property advisers Savills have been engaged by Buccleuch to look at bringing more agricultural land to the market, either as a portfolio or individual units. Buccleuch has sold 24 farms totalling 32,000 acres across its Scottish estates over the past 20 years. Discussions are currently ongoing with approximately 40 tenants.

New £1.5m footbridge opens in Glasgow

A new £1.5 million footbridge has officially been opened in Glasgow.

The Polmadie Footbridge will reconnect the community to Glasgow Green for the first time in over three years.

Direct access to the Green from Oatlands was lost in May 2015 when a routine inspection revealed that continued use of the previous bridge could lead to its collapse. The 60-year-old bridge was immediately closed and by June 2016 the bridge deck was demolished, with the supporting piers left in place.

Locals campaigned for the pedestrian and cycle bridge to be brought back into use and that led to the decision by Glasgow City Council to provide funding for the restoration. The project was given a further support by Sustrans when they agreed to provide significant financial support.

Residents of the Oatlands area were joined by cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, Michael Matheson MSP, and Councillor Anna Richardson, city convener for sustainability and carbon reduction, to take the first steps across the newly restored River Clyde crossing.

The construction project between Glasgow City Council, Sustrans and the Scottish Government began in January 2018.

George Leslie Limited was the principle contractor for the works.

The 103 metre long bridge has been built upon the original piers with the approach ramp designed and appropriately lit to ensure it is accessible for disabled people. The bridge itself also has in-built lighting to illuminate the deck to create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

Polmadie Footbridge will act as a link to Route 75 of the National Cycle Network from south Glasgow and from NCN 756, which runs from East Kilbride and through Rutherglen.