Building Briefs – December 8th
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First-of-its-kind commercial regeneration partnership pays off
A business park regenerated as part of a new public/private funding scheme aimed at creating urban jobs has welcomed three major new tenants.
The Dundyvan Enterprise Park in Coatbridge is the country’s first development backed by the SPRUCE (Scottish Partnership for Regeneration in Urban Centres) fund, set up by the Scottish Government and European Investment Bank with the specific aim of financing regeneration projects across Scotland outside the major cities.
Work to revitalise the site was carried out by a joint venture between Fusion Assets, the arm’s length regeneration company of North Lanarkshire Council, and Glasgow based construction firm CBC.
The success of the scheme has been underlined by 17,000 sq. ft. of new lettings at Dundyvan to Eric Wright Water Plc, Direct Foods and King Communications being completed throughout 2016.
One of the park’s major tenant’s has also recently increased their occupation from 2,000 sq. ft. to approximately 5,000sq ft. as they continue to grow and establish their presence in Scotland.
The deals were confirmed by commercial property advisories GVA and Ryden and mark the most successful year for the park since it opened in October 2013.
130 new GHA homes on track in Castlemilk
One of GHA’s largest developments of new social housing is on track for completion next year.
The Association is building 130 new homes, consisting of a mixture of one- and two-bedroom flats, and two- and three-bedroom houses at Dougrie Drive in Castlemilk.
The £14 million development is GHA’s third largest new-build project this year, following the completion of 151 new homes in Barmulloch, and 141 in Sighthill.
The development, will create a new community in the area, which is close to Castlemilk’s shops, community centres and health centre, and boast views to the Campsie Fells.
It is made up of 74 ‘lifetime’ homes that can adapt to the changing needs of residents, with step-free access, wider door frames, reinforced walls for fixing grab rails and stair lifts, and space for the inclusion of a downstairs shower room.
There is also a two-storey ‘amenity’ block of 56 flats for older customers, which is designed to help residents lead easier, more independent and more sociable lives.
The block includes a common room, laundry, lifts and a communal garden, as well as special features such as wet-floor showers.
The new homes will help rehouse people whose homes have been demolished as part of the regeneration of Glasgow.
The Castlemilk development, built by contractors CCG, has been part funded by a £7.3m grant from the Scottish Government.
The new homes are energy efficient, with an EcoHomes rating of ‘Very Good’, to keep people warm and help them reduce their fuel bills.
They also have ‘Secured by Design’ accreditation - a police initiative which helps cut crime by improving home security.
£300,000 refurbishment for Aberdeen’s historic Glover House
Glover House, the family home of the man dubbed ‘The Scottish Samurai’, is to undergo a £300,000 refurbishment after a decision made by Aberdeen City Council’s finance, policy and resources committee.
A report on the feasibility of additional grant funding from external sources will be considered at the next meeting of the committee.
The £300,000 refurbishment will concentrate on repairing, redecorating and enhancing the former family home of Thomas Blake Glover, in order to create a flexible resource capable of meeting the potential requirement of corporate uses.
It will also provide ad-hoc access to visitors seeking a Glover experience, as part of the wider trail and associated exhibition at the Aberdeen Maritime Museum.
The work will include creating a flexible business/education venture in existing building premises. Possible uses include office, small research including accommodation on site, and events hiring.
The minimum cost of the repair and refurbishment works contained within the Condition Survey Cost report is estimated at £140,000. The additional structural and fit-out improvement work is estimated at about £150,000, which is a total cost of approximately £300,000.
Thomas Blake Glover, dubbed the ‘Scottish Samurai’, was instrumental in the development of Japan as an industrial nation in the late 1800s.
Call to convert care homes to house elderly prisoners
Some Scottish care homes should be converted into specialist prisons for the increasing number of elderly inmates, according to a former Justice Secretary.
Kenny MacAskill said new measures were needed given that the number of over-50s being imprisoned has increased by 61 per cent in the past five years.
The numbers rose from 603 to 993 between 2010/11 and the present. There are also 152 prisoners over 60, a 63 per cent jump on 2011’s figure of 88.
Figures from Scottish Prison Service (SPS) records indicate an increasing number of elderly people being imprisoned, mainly as a result of historical child abuse.
And prisons are also expecting more inmates with disabilities including dementia or mobility and continence issues.
Writing in The Herald, Mr MacAskill said prisons were not equipped for dealing with such inmates and that staff lacked the requisite training.
Great Tapestry of Scotland site decision faces further delay
A decision on the site of a permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland in the Borders faces a further delay.
Scottish Borders Council is considering locations in Tweedbank and Galashiels.
The local authority was expected to decide in November but pushed that back to 15 December for further details.
However, that meeting has now been put back a week as the council is due to receive notification of its financial settlement from the Scottish Government on 15 December.
A number of budget-related reports are due to be considered and the local authority said it was felt “appropriate” to move the meeting to give councillors as much time and information as possible.
The Tweedbank option for the tapestry would see a centre built at the terminus of the Borders Railway while the Galashiels proposal would see the town’s Post Office building brought back into use.
It would also see the former Poundstretcher building demolished and a new build erected, with a connection made between the two.
Dundee’s Harris Academy officially opened
Deputy First Minister and cabinet secretary for education and skills John Swinney MSP officially opened the new £31 million Harris Academy building in Dundee yesterday.
Work started on the new school in 2014, following demolition of the previous 1931 building.
Original features such as the clock tower and the stone entrance portico have been retained and reused prominently in the new building.
The project was led by hub East Central Scotland in partnership with the council, Scottish Futures Trust and Robertson Tayside.
The building opened for senior pupils in June and opened to all year groups in August.
Building work begins on £32m new West Calder High
Construction work has started on the new £32 million West Calder High School.
The new school, for 1000 pupils, is due to open in 2018 and will include a swimming pool, floodlit 3G sports pitch, and sports facilities for school and community use.
Pupils joined West Lothian Council depute leader Cathy Muldoon and vice-chairman of the education executive, David Dodds, at the site to mark the occasion, along with representatives from West Lothian Council, hub South East Scotland and builders Morrison Construction.
Scottish Renewables calls for public sector to spearhead green energy drive
Scotland’s public sector has the potential to lead the next stage of the country’s green energy evolution, according to industry body Scottish Renewables.
Launching a set of priority recommendations as the Scottish Government drafts its new Energy Strategy, the renewable body said local authorities, NHS Boards, National Park Authorities, enterprise agencies, emergency services and other public organisations could all play a key role in Scotland meeting its future climate change targets – including switching to using more renewable power, heat and transport.
Scottish Renewables’ publication ‘Renewed Ambitions: A Plan for Renewable Energy in Scotland’ contains measures designed to “set a clear vision for the future of our energy sector”.
Among them are:
Work continues on £20.2m Glasgow student accommodation project
Graham Construction is continuing work on a £20.2 million student accommodation project in Glasgow.
The contractor is building the new 330-bed facility at the former A-Listed Elgin Place Congregational Church on Bath Street.
The 12-storey scheme is being delivered on the site of two former nightclubs, which were demolished following a fire 12 years ago.
Recently, 30 civil engineering students from the University of Strathclyde were given a tour of the city-centre project. The visit is part of a mentoring programme being delivered and supported by Graham.
The students heard about the large-scale projects foundations, as well as hearing about design processes and site management including health and safety, environmental planning and how contractors work with the overall supply chain.
The project is scheduled for completion in summer 2017.
Plans to regenerate historic Dunfermline building
A public meeting has been held to gauge the community’s reaction to a buy-out of Dunfermline’s historic but decaying Duracord factory.
The newly formed community group, Friends of Pilmuir Works, organised the event in Carnegie Leisure Centre, symbolically opposite the listed building which is in the hands of administrators.
After hearing from three guest speakers – local historian Hugh Walker, award-winning architect Malcolm Fraser who raised expectations by describing the work he has carried out on older buildings across Scotland, and Karl Doroszenko, who talked of his key role in transforming Kilmarnock town centre – those attending were asked to give their views.
City of Dunfermline area committee chairwoman Helen Law said a bid should be made to lure Fife College to the site, while Labour councillor Billy Pollock suggested a winter sports complex.
Linda Ferris from the group added that there was now a need to organise more meetings, to try to get even more than the hundreds of ideas captured.
House prices and private rents expected to increase
House sales in Scotland will continue a downward trend into 2017 due to a lack of stock while prices are expected to rise over the next three months, surveyors have suggested.
The November RICS Residential Market Survey found that while the number of prospective buyers in the Scottish housing market has increased for the second consecutive month in November, with 21 per cent more surveyors reporting a rise in new buyer enquiries rather than a fall, sales were more or less flat over the month; with 5 per cent more surveyors actually reporting a dip in transaction volumes.
Supply shortages remain a constraining feature in Scotland in November and the growth in demand, albeit only modest, alongside a lack of new instructions, has led to a further increase in prices.
Indeed, as stock continues to dwindle, the headline RICS price balance for Scotland continued to signal rising prices with 26 per cent more respondents seeing a rise, extending a of uninterrupted price growth dating back to 2013.
According to the survey, house prices are expected to rise over the coming three months with 25 per cent more surveyors anticipating an increase (rather than a decline).
In the lettings market, tenant demand continues to outpace supply across most areas and rents are also expected to continue to rise.
Kick-off for new West Lothian sports facility
A new £500,000 changing facility is set to kick-off sporting activities in Uphall Station.
West Lothian Council has delivered a new changing pavilion for the village, with two large changing rooms and a referee’s changing room at Marrfield Park.
The 135 square metre building will allow organised 11-a-side football matches to be played at Marrfield Park for the first time, and is also accessible for wheelchair users with separate changing and showering facilities.
Uphall Station Community Council is set to take a key role in the running of the pavilion, which is now available for local residents to use.
Executive councillor for culture and leisure Dave King joined by representatives from the council’s Active Schools and Community Sport Team, Uphall Station Community Council, and main contractor Clark Contracts to declare the new facility officially open.
Broughty Ferry flood protection scheme
Residents and other interested parties will have a chance next week to see for themselves new flood protection measures proposed for Broughty Ferry.
Dundee City Council is hosting a day-long consultation event on December 13 at the Castle Green Community Centre.
The projected scheme aims to reduce the risk of coastal flooding in Broughty Ferry by constructing improved defences between Douglas Terrace and the castle. A sample panel of the proposed flood protection wall will be on display at the notice board at Castle Pier and comments on the material and colour will also be welcomed.
On the day members of the city council’s design team will be available from 11am to 7pm to help answer questions, explain technical details and the thinking behind the plans at this stage.
Scotland TranServ to begin on A737 road maintenance project
Scotland TranServ is to begin a £185,000 resurfacing project in North Ayrshire.
The company will start repairing the A737 Dalgarven at High Monk Castle Farm, south of Dalry, on Friday, 09 December.
Completion is scheduled for Monday, 12 December.
Works will take place between 8pm – 6am each day on approximately 940 metres of the road, benefitting around 15,000 motorists who use the route.
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