Building Briefs – December 21st

Springfield Properties is teaming up with Nairn Dunbar Golf Course and Ground Water Dynamics to address the links course’s water retention concerns as part of an early Christmas present for the club.

Neighbouring Springfield’s Meadow Lea development in Nairn, the course has views across the Moray Firth and attracts golfers from all over Scotland.

Historically, the fairways of the 13th and 14th holes have suffered from drainage problems. It has been an issue the club has wanted to address for some time but the right solution hadn’t been identified.

Springfield has come to the rescue donating an innovative engineering solution to make these water-logged areas of the course a thing of the past.

This is the first time the technology, designed in 2011, has been used north of Edinburgh. It’s also been used to prevent water-logging in airport landing strips, farm land, and sports facilities worldwide.

Works started earlier this month, lasting just under two weeks, using the patented technology designed by Ground Water Dynamics.

With works now completed, Nairn Dunbar Golf club reopened the holes earlier this week.

Nairn Dunbar Golf Club manager Robert Kay is optimistic members will be able to see a difference within 5-6 weeks.

Christmas comes early for successful trainees thanks to Hart Builders

Five Dundee based candidates from an original eight who all successfully completed a recent intensive three week Insulation Installer Employability Programme, have received an early Christmas present by being offered full time employment by Hart Builders.

It was originally envisaged four candidates would be employed as insulation installers however Hart were also able to offer an additional labourer’s position.

The employability programme, which was designed to improve the candidates’ chances of employment within the Scottish housing sector, was devised and delivered by Hart Builders in partnership with Dundee City Council’s Community Benefit Programme.

The course was developed to give participants a range of specific skills required to become specialised insulation installers.

Building regulations introduced in 2015 dictate much higher levels of insulation and air tightness in new homes to secure habitation certificates. As a result, highly trained insulation installers have been identified by Hart Builders as a valuable semi-skilled workforce.

With training, the candidates were very quickly able to learn to complete an essential part of the building process and contribute to ensuring all new homes built by Hart are as energy efficient and airtight as possible.

Plan lodged to demolish Glasgow’s Press Bar

Time may be about to be called on the Press Bar in Glasgow with the submission of an application to demolish the premises which was the retreat of journalists for decades.

An application has been lodged with Glasgow City Council and a public notice has been published outlining intent of “complete demolition in a conservation area of existing building and erection of residential development”.

Steele Park central to Viewmount development

The first phase of a £2 million Angus Council housing redevelopment at Viewmount in Forfar is now complete.

Following the demolition of unpopular multi-storey flats, work has focused on refurbishing the Steele Park entrance. This has included a new entrance to Reid Park from Viewmount and a new footpath from Steele Park to the existing footpath at Reid Park.

Parking spaces have also been created for 21 vehicles.

Eleven new two and three-bedroomed attractive, low-rise houses will be built in the new year, replacing the 34 old flats that were demolished.

This new affordable social housing is being built to Scottish Building Standards silver sustainability standard, which measures the energy efficiency of new homes. Four adapted properties for tenants with general and special housing needs are included in this development.

Construction starts in January on the new energy efficient homes, supported by an affordable housing grant of approximately £650,000 from the Scottish Government and the project is due for completion in March 2018.

New Shetland school reaches wind and watertight stage

Construction work on the new Anderson High School has reached a key stage, with the news that both the school building and the halls of residence are now wind and watertight, Shetland Islands Council heard this week.

Good progress has been made on the Staney Hill construction site this summer, meaning that much of the external work on the two buildings is now complete.

The focus for building work will now shift to the completion of the internal works, including drylining and service connections, such as electrical and computer cabling. Fitting out of the teaching, administration and social spaces in the school will also be a priority over the coming months.

Law requiring community involvement in local public services comes into force

A new law which requires local public services to involve communities in their work came into force yesterday.

Part two of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 places new expectations on public services to work together with local communities to make a positive difference on the issues that matter most in local areas.

The legislation means local public sector bodies like councils, NHS boards and Police Scotland must secure the participation of communities through working together in community planning, ensuring services are shaped to meet local needs.

Local government minister Kevin Stewart marked the start of the legislation by visiting Lochee Hub in Dundee. The hub, which opened three months ago, was a response to calls for a community space in the area, and now offers a wide range of health and wellbeing provision, as well as a space for community groups to use.

Aberdeen’s Duthie Park café to re-open in Spring

The café in Duthie Park is to re-open in the Spring after extensive refurbishments and an extension into the Winter Gardens, Aberdeen City Council said today.

The facility is to have a bigger café area with large windows overlooking the park, a verandah with covered area, a large new kitchen and serving area, new toilet facilities, and a spacious new gelato parlour which opens out into Fern House beside the pond in the Winter Gardens.

The improved facility will be called The Park Café, and will have a similar interior to the café at Hazlehead Park, with light blue New England-style tongue-in-groove wall cladding and a clean and fresh look.

Planning permission for the refurbishments to Duthie Park café was granted by the City Council in June 2016.

Christmas comes early as City Building opens new play park

A brand new community play park has opened in Grangemouth after a £150,000 makeover by Loretto Housing and its partner City Building.

The park, at Inchyra Place, now has specially adapted swings for children with disabilities, as well as new play equipment including slides, a roundabout and new climbing frames.

It also boasts a new fence, painted in bright primary colours by City Building apprentices for free as part of the organisation’s community benefits programme.

The fence was tested by local children Melissa Monteith, Caitlyn Forsyth and Rachel Wylie, who used it to practice their handstands.

Five-year-old Jessica Monteith, from Inchyra Place, officially opened the park in a ribbon cutting ceremony with Loretto’s head of housing Dan Blake.