Building Briefs – December 9th

Link completes affordable housing development in Newton Mearns

Link Sroup’s new affordable housing development at Hillfield Brae has been officially opened by East Renfrewshire Council’s convener for housing and maintenance services, Councillor Danny Devlin.

The £2.2 million project to build 24 homes for social rent commenced in February 2014 using £1m of Scottish Government funding.

Built by Mansell Homes, part of the Balfour Beatty Group, the properties consist of two and three-bedroom houses, including one to meet the needs of a wheelchair-user, and all meeting the Link design standards for affordable housing.

Each property has gas central heating and hot water systems, high thermal insulation and double glazing to create warm, comfortable and energy efficient homes that will be easy and economical to run.

This makes a total of 96 new homes for social rent which Link has delivered in East Renfrewshire during the past five years.

Link is currently onsite at Ayr Road, Newton Mearns where eight properties for social rent and six for Intermediate Rent will be available from March 2016. Work will also begin in the coming weeks at Barcapel where 33 homes will be built for social rent.

Temporary closure of Brechin Bridge

Forthcoming work on Brechin’s multi-million pound flood prevention scheme will lead to the temporary closure of Brechin Bridge.

The crossing will be closed from mid-January 2016 for a period of seven weeks as work nears its scheduled completion date in March.

There will be no vehicular access across the bridge during this time.

As a result, it will be necessary to divert traffic via Montrose to get to and from Arbroath.

Angus Council and Morrison Construction will endeavour to minimise the disruption, complete the works and re-open Brechin Bridge as soon as practicable.

Cupar affordable housing project on hold

Plans to build 49 affordable homes in Cupar have been postponed until at least 2017.

The proposal by Thomson Homes in conjunction with Fife Council was planned for parkland adjacent to Tarvit Ponds.

Despite the postponement, David Robertson, team manager for the affordable housing programme and regeneration at Fife Council, said: “We have unmet housing need in Cupar and, subject to funding, there is a possibility of a further phase of new build council housing. That means that this site, along with others, may be reconsidered in the future.”

A78 roundabouts maintenance works

Over £120k of essential maintenance works on the A78 dual carriageway trunk road between Chapelhill and Sharphill Roundabouts, near to Three Towns Bypass, are to begin on Monday.

The resurfacing works by Scotland TranServ, operating on behalf of Transport Scotland, will take place on the southbound carriageway over three night time closures.

Major new development could transform Sauchiehall Centre

A new development could revamp a problem area on one of Glasgow’s busiest streets.

The plans, which were submitted by Sauchie Propco in association with asset managers Quadrant Estates, aim to transform the Sauchiehall Centre by developing two new units on either side.

The former JJB store is amongst those under offer.

American-themed restaurant Ed’s Easy Diner has already been identified to occupy the unit.

The West Campbell Street side will contain a national retailer on the first floor with ground floor access to Bath Street with a separate operator, said to be a national coffee operator, below.

The names of the new occupiers have not been confirmed, although negotiations for the coffee shop site are said to be in an advanced stage.

It is hoped that the work would help to bring new business and provide an attractive point between the shopping areas at the bottom of the street and restaurants to the West.