Building Briefs – December 21st

Christmas comes early for Grassmarket Community Project as hub South East delivers £24k

hub South East has presented the Grassmarket Community Project (GCP) in Edinburgh with £24,000 thanks to a Charity Golf Day held earlier this year.

This is the second event organised by the development partner to public sector bodies after previously raising £15,000 for GCP in 2015. The hub’s three Tier One Contractors - BAM, Graham and Morrison Construction were the primary sponsors of this year’s event and were present to meet the charity’s team and members whilst handing over the cheque.

The money raised will be used by GCP to transform a space in its building for one-to-one counselling and support, as well as helping fund the qualified counsellors to provide this much-needed service.

In addition to this, the money will support an outreach service to connect with people that the Project haven’t had contact with for some time. Some of GCPs vulnerable members struggle to even leave the house and this will enable the set up of specific groups to engage people who are the most isolated

New Aberdeen FC stadium decision due to be made next month

The fate of Aberdeen Football Club’s proposed new stadium will be decided next month.

The Dons want to replace Pittodrie with a 20,000-seat ground, training academy and heritage museum at Kingsford.

The club asked Aberdeen City Council to delay a decision on the £50 million proposals just days before it was to be considered by the local authority in October to allow further discussions with the planning service.

Councillors will now make a decision on the plans on Monday, January 29.

Under the proposals, the training centre would be created first so the Dons first team squad can start using it in 2018.

West Calder Library wins SPACES award

West Calder Library, recently refurbished by Clark Contracts, is the proud new recipient of a prestigious SPACES (Society for Public Architecture, Construction, Engineering and Surveying) award.

The library was announced as a joint winner in the Small Refurbishment category alongside Wombwell Chapel from Barnsley at an award dinner on Friday 3rd November at the Forest of Arden Marriot Hotel and Country Club Meriden in Birmingham.

SPACES is a collaborative organisation for those in the building professions working in and for the public sector and is committed to assisting its members in achieving the highest possible standards in the development, design, construction and management of the public sector estate for the mutual benefit of their employers.

West Calder Library has also been selected to feature in SPACES annual yearbook for 2017/18 alongside fellow West Lothian project the Broxburn Library Relocation.

The project allowed the building to be sympathetically restored and keep most of its original grade B listed features, while the new shelving and furniture brings a modern open feel. The flooring is the original flooring that had been hidden beneath carpeting for a long number of years which has now been restored to a beautiful standard.

The clock is also an original feature being in the building since it opened. The space beneath the library, formally the Librarians house, has also been converted to provide modern semi-open plan offices, fit for purpose and location of the Breich Valley Housing Team.

Investment for South Ayrshire Council houses outlined with rent rise capped at 2%

South Ayrshire Council has unveiled a three year plan to improve existing housing properties and land, with a below inflation annual rent increase continued to help manage costs.

Under the plan, £2.3 million will be invested in double glazing replacements to improve energy efficiency at 500 homes; environmental improvements will see improved footpaths, fencing and retaining wall work carried out, including around sheltered housing complexes. The wider programme will also see 162 lock ups, currently in need of significant maintenance, demolished in various locations across South Ayrshire.

To help manage costs rent will rise by a below inflation 2% on the majority of council properties, which works out at roughly £1.60 a week for a 2 bedroom house. Rent on new build properties (which are generally higher) will be frozen until 2020/21, while the rent for one bedroom new builds will be reduced to help match the maximum allowance allowed for people reliant on housing benefit.

Rental rates for lock-ups, garage site rents, garden maintenance, communal heating, and amenity charges have also been capped at 2% from 2018/19 – 2020/21.

As part of its long term maintenance programme South Ayrshire Council has also pledged to replace boilers and kitchens every 15 years (as opposed to 20) with full property modernisation scheduled in for every 30 years.

The full paper ‘Council house rents and housing revenue account (HRA) revenue and capital estimates 2018/19’ can be found here.

Scotland on track for record year of renewable generation

Scotland is on track for a record year of renewable electricity generation, with output in the first three quarters of 2017 19% greater than the same period in 2016, and 10% greater than the same period in 2015 – the previous record year.

New figures published today by the UK government show that Scotland continues to lead the way in renewables, delivering the equivalent of 54% of Scotland’s gross electricity consumption in 2016. Also, renewables accounted for a record 42.9% of total Scottish electricity generation in 2016.

Scotland generated approximately 24% of total UK renewable electricity in 2016 and continued to be a strong net exporter of electricity.

Regulator continues engagement at Thistle amid delayed SHQS works

The Scottish Housing Regulator is to continue its engagement with Thistle Housing Association to gain assurance about its handling and completion of investment works.

According to an updated regulation plan published by the Regulator, Thistle owns 250 homes within larger mixed tenure blocks that need significant investment to bring them up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS). While Thistle planned to bring these properties up to the SHQS by November 2016, the Regulator said there has been “substantial delay and significant difficulties encountered with the project” and the work is now not anticipated to complete until February 2018.

Some defects with window sills have been identified and Thistle is developing a strategy to resolve these.

This Medium level of engagement will be reviewed at the end of March 2018, the Regulator added.

Councillors consider report into Midlothian carbon dioxide incident

A final report on the findings of an Incident Management Team set up by NHS Lothian after elevated carbon dioxide levels (CO2) were found in homes in Gorebridge has been considered by Midlothian Council.

The team was established to investigate ill health cases affecting residents of a recently built development on Newbyres Crescent and Gore Avenue in Gorebridge in 2014.

In the range of recommendations, three requiring action by the council are either underway or complete. The first was to limit public access to the site until the homes were demolished, which finished in early 2016.

The second recommendation is that efforts should be made to ensure there are no ongoing public health threats caused by gas leaks from old mine workings before any redevelopment is underway.

Finally, the third recommendation is to pursue a long term strategy to monitor any houses built on the site to ensure the same issues don’t happen again.

Residents had to be rehoused after elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) from old mine workings were found in some of the properties in 2014.

Costs of the demolition and rebuilding work are estimated to be around £12 million.

Rebuilding the homes will help meet the social housing need in the local area, in the council’s Social Housing Programme.

Prior to redevelopment of the site ground gas monitoring and risk assessment will take place for appropriately designed, installed and verified gas defence systems to be included on the site and within the building structures to avoid any risk of CO2 exposure.

NWH Group gives the gift of Christmas to Children 1st

NWH Group has agreed to partner with Scotland’s national children’s charity Children 1st, kicking off with a toy drive this Christmas as part of the festive #GivetheGift campaign.

NWH is one of more than 30 businesses who took part in the online #GivetheGift campaign, and staff have also committed to donating a gift to a child this Christmas.

NWH Group will continue to support Children 1st throughout the year ahead by involving staff in fundraising initiatives whenever possible and collecting donations at key events on the calendar. Thirty of NWH Group’s staff from depots in Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh have already committed to Tough Mudder in June 2018.