Building Briefs – January 18th

Taylor Wimpey’s Dargavel Village site manager scoops NHBC UK honour

Taylor Wimpey West Scotland is celebrating this week following the announcement that Paul Cunningham, site manager at Dargavel Village North, Bishopton has scooped runner-up in the Large Builder category at this year’s NHBC Pride in the Job 2016 Supreme Awards in London.

Recognised as the ‘Oscars of the Housebuilding Industry’ this award acknowledges Paul as one of the best site managers in the UK for 2016, and follows an incredible three wins of the Scottish regional title in 2016, 2014 and 2012.

Pride in the Job is the only UK-wide awards scheme that recognises the significant contribution of site managers who achieve the highest standards in new home construction. The scheme has been instrumental in raising the build quality of new homes in the UK for over three decades. The regional events take place in the autumn, whilst the Supreme Awards gala final are held in London in January each year.

Award-winning Paul from Kilmarnock started his career with Taylor Wimpey eighteen years ago, as an assistant site manager, and he has worked his way steadily through the ranks to enjoy the last 12 years as a senior site manager with the company.

Winning runner-up in the UK Supreme Awards, the top Scottish Award, two Seal of Excellence Awards and five Pride in the Job Awards completes an incredible achievement in the 2016 Awards for Taylor Wimpey West Scotland.

Scotland TranServ to resume £6.5m M8 gantry refurb

Scotland TranServ is to resume a £6.5 million overhead gantry reinstatement project on the M8 motorway.

The scheme will see work begin to refurbish four gantries on the M8, between Junctions 10 and 11 (westbound), 11 and 12 (westbound), 18 and 15 (eastbound) and 23 and 25 (westbound).

The structures will be installed following extensive refurbishment and maintenance works to the structural steelwork and the upgrading of the lighting technology. Work will commence on Friday, 20 January, with completion scheduled for Saturday, 25 January.

The refurbishment scheme has been ongoing for the last four months. Once completed, the structures will provide a number of long term benefits including energy savings and helping to reduce the increasing demands of routine maintenance.

Erskine Bridge slip road works planned for early February

ScotlandTranServ will carry out carriageway resurfacing works on the A898 trunk road slip roads at the north end of the Erskine Bridge in early February.

The works include resurfacing, the renewal of high friction surfacing, replacing bridge joints and installing detector loops on three of the slip roads. The onslip to the Erskine Bridge from Duntocher will not have any work carried out on it.

ScotlandTranServ intend to carry out the work over a series of nights from Thursday, February 2 to Monday, February 6 and expect to be completed by 6am on Tuesday, February 7.

Demolition work imminent at Tayport’s Abertay Works site

Demolition work on the old Abertay Works building in Tayport is expected to get under way next week.

The Tayport Community Trust (TCT) has confirmed that a £50,000 funding boost means it can now move forward with its major project at the site.

A grant from the SUEZ Communities Trust (formerly SITA Trust) allows the TCT to demolish and reclaim land currently occupied by the building.

The site in question was once a steel fabrication works owned by Howe Steel. The works closed in the early 90s and the site has been derelict ever since.

Contractors are currently on site, with heavy-duty demolition equipment arriving on site by Thursday afternoon. The actual demolition is unlikely to begin before Monday.

Consultation agreed on development briefs for Moray housing sites

Councillors agreed to a six-week period of public consultation on draft development briefs for five sites earmarked for residential development in Moray.

The briefs set out the design standards for future development of the sites and developers will be expected to reflect these standards in any proposals they bring forward.

Moray Council’s planning and regulatory services committee was told that this design-led approach to planning would help to ensure high quality development which identified with the settlement in which each of the sites is located.

The sites are at Clarkly Hill, on the outskirts of Burghead; Manse Road in Hopeman, Braes of Allachie at Aberlour, West Pilmuir Road in Forres and Hamilton Drive in Elgin.

The Hamilton Drive site is owned by the council while the others are in private ownership.

The committee also approved a draft masterplan for land owned by Altyre Estate at Dallas Dhu on the edge of Forres.

The site extends to 22 hectares and has an indicative capacity for 150 houses.

The draft masterplan will go out to public consultation for eight weeks.

Essential utility works to begin on AWPR/B-T project

Essential utility works are to begin on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project.

The scheme will take place in an area north of Milltimber Farm to the junction with the A93 North Deeside Road.

To carry out the work safely, the B979 at Milltimber Brae will close temporarily near the junction of A93 from 8pm on Friday, 27 January until 6am on Monday, 30 January.

Work to begin on Ayr cemetery expansion

Work is to begin on a cemetery expansion project in South Ayrshire.

The 14-week scheme at Ayr Cemetery will see the creation of a new section for burials and the interment of cremated remains. In addition, new roads and footpaths will be built to link these up with the rest of the cemetery.

Phase One of works includes clearing the site and carrying out drainage/earthworks to prepare the area for the new road and footpaths.

Construction vehicles will use the entrance on Forehill Road to access the site, with the bulk of vehicle activity involving bringing materials to the site and the removal of any soil.

Scottish Water to build new manhole in Milngavie

Scottish Water Horizons is to begin work on building a new manhole in Milngavie.

The six-month scheme will be carried out on the site of a former waste water treatment works off of Auchenhowie Road. Work will begin on Monday, 23 January.

Features include installing a new waste water pipe under the Allander Water and the Milngavie railway line and alongside the Craigdhu Burn. The new infrastructure will enable a new housing development to be connected to Scottish Water’s existing network.

To enable the project to be carried out, a section of the Allander walkway will be closed for the duration of the project.