Building Briefs – December 13th

• Aberdeen Crematorium chapels and reception area re-open after improvement works

The works, which cost around £1 million, included replacing the existing entrance and reception area, new disabled toilets, a new digital media system which will allow images and music during services, and a complete redecoration of both chapels.

The works also included a bright and welcoming new reception area, a new area for the book of remembrance, refurbishment of toilets, refurbishment of both entrance and departure halls as well as external improvements, new flooring and seating in both chapels, new lighting, refurbishment of catafalques and lecterns in both chapels and the repair of the ventilation system in the chapels.

• Facelift planned for Buchanan Bus Station

SPT has appointed a contractor to give Glasgow’s Buchanan Bus Station a much-needed facelift in the New Year.

The station was last refurbished in 2015, but the ground floor concourse area has remained relatively unchanged over the years.

Changes will include a single storey purpose built structure to house the left luggage lockers and security scanner, new retail units, upgraded toilets and better ticket facilities.

If given the go-ahead, work is expected to commence in January 2019 at the cost of around £578,988.

• Local MP congratulates Mactaggart & Mickel’s award-winning site manager

Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock MP Bill Grant has paid a visit to Mactaggart & Mickel’s development at Doonfoot in Ayrshire to congratulate the housebuilder’s multi award-winning site manager.

Stuart Gillespie was a Regional winner for Scotland at the 2018 NHBC Pride in the Job Awards – for the sixth year in a row.

Bill Grant said: “I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Stuart and his team.  It was clear during my tour of the development that they have delivered stylish new homes for the people of Ayrshire.”

Ed Monaghan, managing director at Mactaggart & Mickel Homes, said: “Stuart is an absolute credit to Mactaggart & Mickel and we are very proud of what he has achieved.”

Stuart Gillespie added:  “I was delighted to meet Mr Grant and to show him around Greenan Views.”

Stuart, who started with Mactaggart & Mickel as an apprentice three decades ago, has been awarded nine Regional titles in total, and this latest accolade is his 33rd Pride in the Job Award overall.

• Tim Hortons brews three new Scottish locations thanks to HSBC backing

The first Tim Hortons franchise company in the UK, Pizza Cake, is set to open three new Drive Thru Tim Hortons restaurants in Scotland after securing a multi-million pound funding package from HSBC UK.

The three new franchises will provide 100 new jobs to central Scotland to support the management, baking and customer service needs at the restaurants.

The HSBC UK funding, which consists of new finance and a debt refinance, will be used by Pizza Cake to secure prime locations and fund fit-out costs for the Tim Hortons restaurants. The first restaurant is set to open on December 14 at Unit 2, 44 Tryst Road, Stenhousemuir with plans to open two additional locations in 2019.

• Repair work completed on storm damaged Polhollick Footbridge

Repair work on Polhollick Footbridge at Ballater’s popular Seven Bridges Walk has been completed.

B-listed Polhollick Suspension Footbridge over the River Dee was extensively damaged during Storm Frank almost three years ago and is part of the Seven Bridges walking route. 

The area’s infrastructure was hit hard by severe weather and flooding during the storm, with 288 bridges requiring essential repairs.

Priority was given to bridges carrying motorised transport, before attention turned to damaged footbridges. Of those, Polhollick and Cambus O’May bridges near Ballater in Royal Deeside were among the worst hit.

Both were affected by extremely high river levels and were struck by trees and other debris being swept downriver.

Over the last few months Aberdeenshire Council’s Bridges Section has been working with contractor Moray Blast of Mosstodloch to carry out the essential repairs required to bring Polhollick Bridge back into a serviceable condition.

This work has now been successfully completed and the bridge reopened.

Now only the B-listed Cambus O’May Suspension Footbridge Bridge, downstream of Ballater, remains to be repaired from those bridges which sustained damage during Storm Frank.

Although it is more severely damaged than Polhollick, it is hoped the lessons learned will allow repair plans to be put forward for consideration by Historic Environment Scotland early in 2019.

• M-Pact staff help Women’s Aid make Christmas merrier for Lothian families

Christmas will be just a little bit brighter for some of the most vulnerable families in Scotland this year thanks to the big-hearted employees and management of an Edinburgh building services company.

The 65 staff at M-PACT – including managers, office staff, site staff and apprentices – have collected a cornucopia of gifts which will be handed out by the company’s charity partner Women’s Aid East and Mid Lothian.

In the run-up to the festive season, M-PACT’s festive elves have gathered together virtual sack loads of toys, gift boxes, chocolates, household items, cosmetics and games to bring a real sparkle to Christmas morning.

Each of the 26 key workers at Women’s Aid will identify five of the most vulnerable families on their client lists and unwrap an unexpected Christmas bonus for them, courtesy of the M-PACT staff’s generosity.

M-PACT has previously supported Women’s Aid in Edinburgh and decided this year to keep it local and give something back to the community.  It is now committed to supporting Women’s Aid each Christmas in this way.