Building Briefs – January 11th

Work has started on a new £5m extension at Carnoustie Golf Links.

The community facility will include a bar and restaurant, locker rooms and caddy facilities, as well as a new pro shop.

A total of seven golf simulator bays, featuring some of the world’s most famous courses, will also be installed in the building.

The extension, which is due to open in March, is expected to bring an additional 20 jobs to the area.

The 147th Open will be held on the championship course in July.

The extension development is being supported with a funding package from Royal Bank of Scotland.

Industrial units to be built on derelict Dundee land

Dozens of industrial units are set to be built on a derelict area of land in Dundee, in a move expected to support fledgling start-up businesses.

Dundee Industrial Association (DIA) submitted the application to build 34 units at Loons Road, in the city’s Lawside area, last August, via local firm Jon Frullani Architect Ltd.

The units, intended for “light industrial use”, have now been given the go-ahead by city planning officers. However, they have ordered that detailed contamination assessments are carried out on the site before any prospective tenants move in.

In addition, DIA must ensure electric car charging points are included in any car parking facilities, and that a one-way system is introduced within the site for the purposes of public safety, running from Loons Road to Balfield Road.

The council’s planning department said the plan satisfied local development policy and it could find “no material considerations” to justify refusing permission.

Former Shetland homes converted into new flats

Shetland Islands Council has completed work to convert four family sized homes into new one-bedroom flats in Firth.

The Leaside flats have been converted from two family sized houses to help to meet local demand for smaller properties.

The flats at 24a, 24b, 25a and 25b will be formally opened at 12pm on January 12, before being allocated to new tenants.

Glasgow pet emergency hospital expansion approved

An emergency hospital for pets is to expand allowing it to treat more animals at its site in the west of Glasgow.

Work on adding two new floors is expected to be finished this summer and will result in 10 new jobs being created.

Bosses of the Vets Now hospital on North Street say it treated 5000 out-of-hours emergency cases last year and is now at capacity.

The expansion will result in a custom-built intensive care unit, an entire floor dedicated to emergency and critical care, a specialist oncology treatment area and more theatres to meet demand.

There will also be the opportunity to introduce a service which allows vets to use minimally invasive medical procedures to treat small animals.

Events arranged to help local contractors contract for Moray Council

Local contractors keen to undertake work for Moray Council should come along to one of two information events being held next week.

The council is developing contracts for building maintenance to maintain and improve our buildings, which will include planned maintenance and reactive repairs.

Called Framework Agreements, they will cover all categories of trades and specialist work required to supplement the council’s own maintenance teams.

The tenders will published on the Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) website www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

Representatives from the council’s housing, property and procurement teams will be on hand to explain the tendering process for these frameworks and answer any queries.

Booking a place can be done via the Eventbrite website and search for Trades Framework Moray Council. Free entry.

Wednesday, 17 Jan 2018 at 6.00pm Elgin Town Hall, Supper Room, 1 Trinity Place, Elgin.

Thursday, 18 Jan 2018 at 6.00pm Mosstodloch Building Services depot, (DLO) Meeting Room, 1 Mosstodloch Industrial Estate, Mosstodloch.

Moray community centre to undergo £600,000 refurb

Work is to begin on a £600,000 ground floor refurbishment project at Buckie’s Lady Cathcart Community Centre in Moray.

The scheme will include a new heating system being installed along with modern early learning and childcare facilities.

The investment is part of the Scottish Government’s expansion of early learning provision currently being rolled out across Scotland.

Work will get underway at the end of February with completion scheduled in time for the August 2018 term.

Lowood Bridge repair programme to get underway

A major repair and strengthening programme to safeguard the future of the historic Lowood Bridge in the Borders begins this month.

The B-listed bridge will be closed to all traffic and pedestrians from Wednesday 31 January for around 20 weeks to allow the repairs to be carried out safely.

Once the £640,000 works are completed, which is expected to be in June 2018, Lowood Bridge’s 26 tonne weight limit affecting heavy vehicles will be removed.

Improvements to the Galafoot Bridge on the A6091 road by trunk road operator Amey will take place later in 2018, to avoid a clash with the Lowood Bridge works.

Strathpeffer sewer renewal works to begin

Contractor amey-Black and Veatch (aBV) is to begin carrying out sewer renewal works at a village in the Highlands.

aBV will carry out the first section of the scheme, which involves rebuilding a manhole beneath the A834 at the bottom of Garden House Brae in Strathpeffer, between the Square and the primary school.

To carry out the project safely, a short section of the A834 will be closed to traffic for up to three weeks from Monday, 22 January. Diversions will be in place.

Contractor to carry out finishing works at Greens of Crynoch

Finishing works are to be carried out on the C5K Lochton to Nigg Road at Greens of Crynoch in Aberdeen.

The scheme, which forms part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project, will see work carried out to complete a new bridge to take the AWPR above the local road, as well as to complete the verges at the sides of the road.

To carry out the project, a section of the C5K Lochton to Nigg Road will close for around 10 weeks from 6am on Monday, 15 January. Diversions will be in place.

Hawick Flood Protection Scheme update

A series of minor works will be carried out across Hawick in preparation for the town’s flood protection scheme.

The trial hole works will take place at several locations in the coming months in order to identify where public utilities are in the ground ahead of the advanced works for the scheme.

The advanced works will involve moving affected cables and pipes outwith the construction zone of the new flood defences.

Most of the works will take place on footpaths but some sections of road will be cordoned off, with temporary traffic lights to be used at Buccleuch Street and Commercial Road as and when required for the safety of staff and the general public. All efforts will be made to keep any traffic management to a minimum.

It is expected that most of the trial excavations will take two to three days to complete, although works at Duke Street and Commercial Road will take longer. There are around 50 trial excavations to be undertaken over the length of the town and it is expected that these investigations will not be completed until mid-April 2018.

The dates and locations for the works in January and February are:

Further information will be provided to the community as the investigations develop for the works in March and April.