Building Briefs – February 6th

Springfield hands over Edinburgh homes to Muirhouse

Edinburgh based Muirhouse Housing Association Limited has accepted the handover of 12 cottage flats from Springfield Properties Plc, providing vital homes for local families in need of social housing and mid market rents in the north of the capital.

The homes, which are part of a £15.3 million investment in the overall development at Muirhouse, are being funded by a £5.7m funding package from Bank of Scotland alongside over £3m of grant funding from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

The second phase of the development which will provide 64 flats for local families, split between 28 units for social rent and 36 units for mid-market rent, will be completed in July 2015. This is a continuation of the initial phase which completed in 2014 and takes the number of affordable homes built in the development in up to 120 properties in an area which was regarded as one of Edinburgh’s most deprived areas.

Public consultation into Perth & Kinross Local Development Plan

Perth & Kinross Council is calling for local residents, communities and businesses to contribute to a public consultation for the next edition of the Perth & Kinross Local Development Plan.

The public consultation, which is open now and lasts until 5pm on Tuesday 31 March 2015, provides an opportunity for people to identify land-use issues within their area, and any other issues that may have arisen as a result of the current Local Development Plan. Suggestions of potential sites for development are also welcomed.

Submission forms can be downloaded from the council’s website or obtained by emailing developmentplan@pkc.gov.uk.

The Local Development Plan guides the development and use of land in the area. It addresses a wide range of policy issues, including housing, shopping, business, industry, transport, recreation, built and natural heritage, and ensures that there is an adequate supply of land for various uses. The Local Development Plan is reviewed every five years to ensure that an up to date plan is in place. The current Perth & Kinross Local Development Plan was adopted in February 2014 and the next plan is due to be adopted towards the end of 2018.

Every submission made during the public consultation will be assessed and considered for inclusion in the council’s Main Issues Report, which will be published in autumn 2015. The report looks at changes that have occurred since the current plan was adopted, and ideas for future development. This period of public consultation and the Main Issues Report form part of the council’s preparations to create the next edition of the Local Development Plan.

Aldi sizes up former Hawick mill site

Supermarket firm Aldi has submitted plans to build a new £5 million store on a former mill site in the Borders.

It says 30 full-time jobs could be created with the Commercial Road development.

It expressed an interest in the former Wilton Mills site last year but there were access problems.

A separate application to demolish two remaining listed buildings has now been tabled to Scottish Borders Council to allow the project to proceed.

The firm has already carried out a consultation exercise in Hawick on the plans.

It found that 92 per cent of visitors to the public exhibition were supportive of a new store being built.

New Inverclyde skate park approved

A new skate park has been approved for Inverclyde.

The facility will be located at Battery Park and will be a replacement for the existing park.

The project will cost £174,000 and will see the current facilities replaced with new features including ramps, quarter pipes, banks, rails, kickers, kerbs and raised tables.

Wheelscape, the specialist skate park designers, will be responsible for the design of the park and work is scheduled to commence on site over the next month.

Carnoustie flats development begins

Work is under way on a flat development in a fire-ravaged building in Carnoustie High Street.

A fire in 2013 badly damaged the building at 18 High Street. It was subsequently purchased by Angus Council for £25,000 after it was judged to be an eyesore in its current state.

A debate between councillors followed about whether it should be made into flats or retail premises.

A decision was taken to convert the building into affordable housing to take advantage of a £200,000 government grant.

Work has now begun clearing the interior of the building of burnt materials.

Planned Aberdeen development could house up to 700 students

A new student accommodation complex on the site of a popular retail store may have as many as 700 bedrooms.

Unite Group, the firm behind the plans, lodged a proposal of application notice to demolish Matalan on Aberdeen’s Constitution Street back in November.

The company has now said the development could have 700 bedrooms, making it one of the biggest of its kind in Aberdeen.

The project is also expected to have about 70 underground parking spaces.

A pre-application consultation meeting was held at the Beach Ballroom, and the firm said it is to meet Aberdeen City Council’s design review panel to firm up the plans next week.

Design and planning manager for Unite, Asif Uz Zaman, said he expects a full planning application to be lodged by the end of March.

Plans for 300 Aberdeen homes at Royal Cornhill Hospital site

More than 300 homes could be built on the site of the former Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen.

Plans for the proposed development are due to come before city councillors at a meeting next week.

Councillors are being asked to pass plans to demolish part of the site to build 89 new houses and 198 flats. The proposals include 36 flat conversions.

Several objections have been made, with concerns over traffic congestion, parking and over-development.

Stewart Milne Homes, Barratt North Scotland and NHS Grampian are behind the proposals.