Building Briefs – January 16th

South Ayrshire homes set for major energy efficiency facelift

South Ayrshire Council is taking forward a programme of works designed to tackle fuel poverty by driving down the cost of annual bills for more than 300 homes.

A total of £1.4 million is being invested to improve energy efficiency by replacing external cladding in buildings in Wallacetoun, Ayr; Woodpark in Prestwick; and at Troon Harbour that are hard to adapt internally. The six month programme of work is being funded by South Ayrshire Council and the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS).

Tenants and residents will benefit from greater insulation at no personal cost, with savings of £200 per year expected to be delivered through improved energy efficiency.

New £2.5m Livingston primary school extension opens

A brand new £2.5 million extension aims to get pupils of a Livingston primary school moving.

West Lothian Council has delivered an ambitious programme of works to extend and improve Toronto Primary in Howden, including a new gym hall and changing areas.

The project also includes a new accessible main entrance for the school and internal access improvements and safe drop-off area out with the school grounds, as well as re-roofing and insulating the existing classrooms.

The extension connects and expands the existing inner street which runs through the school, creating a new main office area and re-routing vehicles and pedestrians to the new entrance area.

The project was managed by the council’s finance & property services, construction & design team working in partnership with other services including education, property management and roads, in conjunction with contractor CCG, Collective Architecture, Scott Bennett Associates, EDP Consulting Engineers and Currie & Brown.

Works continues on Bearsden’s Kilmardinny House

Work is forging ahead on Kilmardinny House as it is transformed into a new venue for East Dunbartonshire - supporting local arts, conferences, weddings and other events.

The £2.73 million project is being delivered in Bearsden by East Dunbartonshire Council in conjunction with East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture Trust, development partner hub West Scotland and contractor Clark Contracts.

The facility is due to open to the public in the spring.

The project includes a new garden pavilion extension, providing a modern, flexible space and enhancing the venue as a centre for local arts, performance and community groups.

It will be able to accommodate a range of activities, including performances, exhibitions, conferences and weddings.

The existing Category A-listed House is being partially refurbished, both inside and out, including a new platform lift, stonework repairs, refurbishment of windows and renewal of radiators.

EDLC Trust has contributed £250,000 towards the project.

Views sought on proposed new primary school for south east Edinburgh

A consultation has started today for a new primary school in south east Edinburgh.

The statutory consultation is taking place due to the significant new housing development proposed within the area because of the Local Development Plan (LDP).

This is the first consultation for a new school as a result of the LDP as school roll projections show that pupils from the new housing will lead to accommodation pressures by 2020.

A site within the ‘Broomhills’ housing development site to the south of Frogston Road East and between Burdiehouse Road and Broomhills Road has been identified for the new school.

The consultation paper outlines the proposed catchment area for the new school which if implemented will lead to changes to the current catchment areas of: Gracemount Primary School, Gilmerton Primary School, Liberton Primary School, Gracemount High School and Liberton High School.

As part of the consultation there will be two public meetings at Gilmerton Primary School (31 January between 6.30pm and 8.30pm) and Gracemount Primary School (9 February between 6.30pm and 8.30pm).

The consultation will end on Friday 3 March and all comments received will be detailed in a report expected to go to the City of Edinburgh Council in June 2017.

APC success for Glasgow surveyor

32 Graduates from Cushman & Wakefield have passed their Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) exams after completing the company’s training scheme.

The successful completion of the exams means they are now qualified chartered surveyors and members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Among the successful candidates is Ross Fergusson who works in Valuation & Advisory in Cushman & Wakefield’s Glasgow office.

Stuart Dorward, head of Scotland, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “Congratulations to Ross on passing his APC, this is a great achievement and testament to his hard work and dedication. His success highlights the importance we place on professional development at Cushman & Wakefield. RICS status is the mark of property professionalism and this qualification is an important step in their career progression.”

Linlithgow’s new look Partnership Centre nearing completion

Linlithgow’s new Partnership Centre is on course to be completed this spring - bringing a host of local services under one roof and breathing new life into one of the town’s most prominent buildings.

West Lothian Council is creating the new £4 million Partnership Centre at the town’s County Buildings that will see the existing building fully refurbished to allow a range of different uses to be accommodated. County Buildings is located on Linlithgow High Street, near The Cross and is well situated to provide local services.

A number of facilities will be relocated in the completed building including; Linlithgow Library, Customer Information Services, Local History Library, Family History Society, Annet House, St Michael’s Day Centre for the elderly.

There will also be accommodation for Police Scotland who will be relocating from the nearby police station.

The presence of asbestos in the building meant that building work was delayed whilst a major programme of removal was undertaken to safely remove the asbestos. That work has been completed, as have structural floor strengthening works. The window refurbishment programme is progressing well and internal works are continuing. The new centre is on course to be completed this spring with the new facility opened shortly afterwards.

Funding secured for Western Isles community renewable schemes

Community Energy Scotland (CES) has secured more than £28,000 to continue progressing energy efficiency and renewable energy schemes in the Western Isles.

The Western Isles Development Trust (WIDT) will support the organisation over a two-year period to assist community groups in developing projects, as well as obtaining support from funders, including WIDT.

WIDT is currently inviting applications from community groups for funding for projects with a focus on alleviating fuel poverty and promoting renewable energy.

So far, more than £75,000 has been invested, with beneficiaries including Cothrom Limited, the West Harris Trust and the Hebrides Energy Community Interest Company, Stornoway.

Scottish Borders Council gives Wilton Lodge Park Regeneration project update

A series of new facilities will be opened in the first half of 2017 as part of the Wilton Lodge Park’s Regeneration project, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) has revealed.

The £3.64 million scheme, being funded by SBC and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), will see the majority of the new infrastructure completed by May, almost one year ahead of the overall project completion date of April 2018.

A new bridge is expected to be installed in February, however, some drainage and design issues have led to completion of the café being delayed, with the facility expected to now be ready by May. Tendering for the lease of the café is set to begin in February.

Work in the playpark was accelerated last year, and favourable weather could see the it finished ahead of schedule in February.

Once the playpark is complete, the council will look to remove the old playpark and install additional parking for the 3G pitch and Wilton Lodge Park.

Landscape works at the fountain continue to progress well and the council is in the process of procuring the refurbishment of the fountain itself.

The footpath/cycleway works will continue until the end of March. These works will see improvements to the surface of footway/cycleway, lighting and signage thanks to an additional £100,000 of funding from Sustrans as well as match funding from SBC and HLF, while a further £20,000 from Smarter Choices, Smarter Placed fund will be used to promote cycling to further enhance Wilton Lodge Park.

Plans lodged for 12-turbine wind farm project

Plans have been lodged for a 12-turbine wind farm development on uplands to the south of Hawick.

Energiekontor UK had originally been looking at building 15 turbines as part of the Pines Burn project.

It has scaled down its proposals following a series of public exhibitions in the area.

Consultation opens for East Dunbartonshire’s draft Local Housing Strategy

The people of East Dunbartonshire are being invited to have their say on the area’s new draft Housing Strategy.

East Dunbartonshire Council’s draft strategy, which will cover the period 2017-2022, has been produced in partnership with tenants, residents, registered social landlords, elected members, service providers and other statutory bodies.

The document, and a related survey, are available in the consultation section of the council’s website and completed questionnaires are due back by Monday 30 January 2017.

Tile manufacturer firm’s fundraising goes through the roof

Generous staff at Lochmaben roof tile manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles have raised an impressive £12,000 – smashing its £10,000 target and enabling local charity Dumfries & Galloway Blood Bikes (DGBB) to buy a much-needed new bike.

Located in Dumfries, Moffat and Stranraer, South West Scotland, DGBB is a charity that delivers essential blood samples and urgent medical supplies to support the NHS, between three hospitals and other healthcare sites in the area.

The charity was set up in 2015 and now has seven bikes, it’s financed solely by charitable donations and doesn’t receive any government funding. Since it was launched the charity has completed almost 1000 urgent runs, to help save lives.

Russell Roof Tiles raised the cash through fundraising activities such as the Twin Peaks Challenge, a 1500m run, bowling and a 20km bike ride.

During 2016 almost every one of the 50 members of staff in Lochmaben took part in at least one activity.