Building Briefs – January 13th

Cairngorms National Park Authority is working up plans for an extension to its existing Grantown on Spey headquarters, providing space for an additional 30 staff as well as a new boardroom.

Designed by Moxon Architects to provide a new public facing entrance the scheme will play host to exhibitions and informal meetings whilst offering new connections to the War Memorial.

Affordable housing boost for Borders developers

Scottish Borders Council has approved a new threshold for the provision of affordable homes by developers, aimed at taking a burden off local house builders and encouraging the development of small housing sites.

The move, which has been subject to consultation, was adopted as formal supplementary planning guidance by the council’s Planning and Building Standards Committee at a meeting on Monday 12 January.

Developers building 17 homes or more will be expected to provide on-site affordable housing, with developers of sites with two to sixteen units contributing money towards the provision of affordable housing. Previously, developments of five units or more had to include on-site affordable housing.

The 17-unit threshold has been applied as these will deliver, through the 25 per cent requirement for on-site provision, at least four affordable units, which is a more attractive number of properties for registered social landlords to take on.

For developments of between two and sixteen units a ‘commuted sum’ will be sought. These will be applied to assist with the delivery of affordable housing projects within the same housing market area as the development. The level of sum payable will be assessed in relation to the value independently set by the District Valuer for each area.

Consultation launched on location for new West Lothian school

West Lothian Council has launched a formal consultation on the location of a replacement West Calder High School.

The consultation period runs from Thursday 8 January 2015 to Monday 23 February 2015. Public meetings will be held Monday 19 January at 7pm at West Calder High School and on Tuesday 20 January at 7pm at St Paul’s Primary School.

No decision or change would come into effect until full consultation has taken place with parents/carers, pupils, staff and other interested parties as required by the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

Click here for more information on the consultation and online survey.

Argyll and Bute bids for share of home energy efficiency cash

Argyll and Bute Council has revealed it is bidding for a slice of £60 million Scottish Government grant to make people’s homes warmer in 2015.

The move could mean a minimum of £1,393,112 to help vulnerable households who are living in fuel poverty with energy efficiency improvements such as solid wall, cavity and loft insulation.

The grant is part of the Scottish Government’s £94m energy efficiency budget for 2015 and has a key role in tackling fuel poverty.

Glenrothes housing plans pushed for approval

Plans to construct 11 affordable homes in Glenrothes have been recommended for approval.

Members of Fife Council’s central area planning committee have been advised to give the green light to proposals that would see seven houses and four flats constructed on the site of the former Bankhead House children’s home in Pitteuchar.

Members of the local community have strongly criticised the plans, claiming that there is already a shortage of parking spaces in Tantallon Avenue — the area where the proposed properties would be constructed.

Concerns have also been raised about the loss of adjoining green space, which local children use to play.

However, with a huge shortage of housing throughout Fife, the plans are expected to be given the go-ahead.

A-Plant signs supply chain framework agreement with Balfour Beatty

A-Plant, part of FTSE-100 Ashtead Group plc, has entered into a three-year Framework Agreement with Balfour Beatty supplying an extensive range of rental equipment to the Balfour Beatty Group throughout the UK, with an option to extend for a further two years.

This new arrangement which sees A-Plant working alongside a small number of other Tier 1 suppliers (Speedy, Vp Group and Nationwide Platforms), will build on and further strengthen the long standing relationship between the respective companies.

The contract also sees an expanded A-Plant Support team working alongside Balfour Beatty and other suppliers within Balfour Beatty’s newly established ‘Plant Centre of Excellence’ in Sheffield.

This will allow both parties to improve asset planning and drive productivity across the full range of equipment being provided which includes Plant, Tools, Powered Access Equipment, Generators, Pumps, Lifting and Handling Equipment, Lighting Towers, Falsework and Formwork, Temporary Access Systems and Pipeline Jointing Equipment.

RSPB challenges 4 major windfarm developments

A judicial review has been sought by the RSPB Scotland against the consent granted to four major offshore wind farm projects off the east coast of Scotland.

The wildlife charity has lodged a legal challenge against the consent granted by Scottish Ministers to developments in the Firth of Forth and Firth of Tay last October.

Combining hundreds of turbines the Inch Cape, Neart na Gaoithe and Seagreen Alpha and Bravo projects could provide 2.284 gigawatts of power, enough to power over 1.4m homes every year.

Consent was given under strict conditions to mitigate any potential environmental impact, and backing was given by environmental groups including Friends of the Earth Scotland.

However the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland objected to the plans and raised fears over the proximity of seabird colonies.

Large colonies of gannet, kittiwake, puffin and razorbill breed along the coastlines near the wind farm sites, including the 110,000 gannet colony at the Bass Rock and puffin breeding grounds at the Isle of May.

The matter is now set to be decided at the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh after the charity submitted its legal challenge on January 9.

Final phase of Borders railway track-laying gets underway

Works to complete the final phase of rail installation for the new Borders Railway route re-started yesterday following a break over the Christmas and New Year period.

It is expected that the rail installation machine will reach its final destination at Tweedbank station in early February.

Around 34 miles of track, including three double track sections, have been laid since the rail installation machine started its journey down the route last year after transport minister Keith Brown and Network Rail CEO Mark Carne got the track-laying activity officially underway at the new Shawfair station on 9 October.

Macdonald Hotels to appeal St Andrews decision

Macdonald Hotels are to appeal against Fife Council’s refusal of the proposed £5 million-plus extension at their landmark Rusacks Hotel in St Andrews.

The distinctive frontage of the Rusacks Hotel overlooking the 18th hole of the Old Course faced change as Macdonald sought permission for a six-storey extension of 43 bedrooms.

The project was turned down by the council’s North East planning committee after being recommended for conditional approval by planners.

Refusal was on grounds of its impact on a conservation area, negative impact on residential amenity and reduction of parking.

A spokesman for Macdonald Hotels said: “We will most likely appeal against this decision once we have received details of the reasons for refusal.”

Edinburgh Picture House superpub plans take step forward

A bid to convert one of Edinburgh’s most iconic music venues into a huge superpub has taken a major step forward after it emerged planning officials support the project.

The Picture House on Lothian Road is set to be transformed into a huge JD Wetherspoon bar after officials backed a change of use application for the venue.

Campaigners are trying to rescue one of the city’s few live music venues.

Plans for Leith student housing

More student accommodation is on the cards for Edinburgh with submission of plans for a 240 bed scheme on the site of disused industrial units at Bothwell Street, Leith, by DPI Ltd.

The project is designed by McLaren Murdoch & Murdoch chartered architects.

Restoration of Glasgow finally set to start

A long-awaited multi million pound restoration of a Glasgow bridge could finally get underway this year - nearly two years late.

Glasgow City Council announced in 2013 that it intended to refurbish the Albert Bridge, linking Saltmarket and Crown Street, after it fell into disrepair, with cracks, broken parts and shabby paintwork.

But problems with a contractor falling into administration and difficulties in finding suitably specialist workers to restore the 1871 bridge meant the project - which was originally intended to be completed by April 2014 - was hit by a series of delays.

Now it has been confirmed that the council had agreed to retender the refurbishment contract.

A council spokesman said: “These works had to be retendered. The new tender for the bridge is due back this month with a proposed start date of March 2015 and completion date of March 2016.”

Hotel proposal for fire-damaged Dundee building

The property at the centre of an administrative battle between Dundee City Council and its owner could become a new hotel.

Plans have been lodged to turn the fire-damaged 28 Roseangle into a 21-bedroom hotel.

Developers are also hoping to add a two-storey rear extension to the C-listed building, which is owned by John Cape from Tayport.

Barratt Homes recruits West Scotland apprentices

Barratt Homes has recruited four new apprentices to its apprenticeship programme in the West of Scotland, after winning the National Apprenticeship Awards 2014 – Macro Employer of the Year.

Gary Owens and Stuart Taylor have joined the Barratt Academy as apprentice joiners, whilst Andrew Graham and Martin Herman have joined as apprentice bricklayers.

The four-year academy programme, which aims to produce tradesmen with skills and knowledge above and beyond the requirements of a standard apprenticeship, will allow each individual to achieve the Level 3 National Vocational Qualification whilst working on Barratt Homes’ developments across the west Scotland division. The apprentices will also attend South Lanarkshire College on a day-release basis.

Earlier this year, in light of encouraging growth within the homebuilding industry, Barratt PLC announced that it would be taking on an extra 1,100 apprentices nationally over three years, a figure the company is already well on the way to achieving.