Building Briefs – January 20th

Aberdeenshire Council is to provide mid-market rented housing by establishing Liability Limited Partnership (LLP) with the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT).

The initiative will provide homes to households on modest incomes who are likely to struggle to afford private renting at current market rents but who are also unlikely to be able to access social housing.

Rent levels are expected to be in the region of 100 per cent of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) depending on the location of the property. The current LHA for Aberdeenshire is £156 per week for a 2 bed property.

Phase one of the programme will see 160 units being provided over the next three years with the first of them anticipated to be available in Westhill from Summer this year.

Council confirms talks on plans for film studio in Dundee

Talks have taken place between a consortium and Dundee City Council about the possibility of the city becoming the site for Scotland’s first major film studio.

The consortium, calling itself Studio City Scotland, is said to be made up of local businesspeople, financiers and major figures in film, including Dundee actor Brian Cox and Hollywood producer Barrie Osborne.

A council spokesman confirmed talks had taken place between the two parties.

It is reported that the consortium is in talks with Dundee City Council over a plan to build an energy-efficient studio adjacent to the Claverhouse Industrial Park in the north of the city.

The 138-acre site has been identified for the project.

Skatepark plans could be handed £300k windfall

Plans to build an indoor skatepark in Port Dundas are in line for a £300,000 grant from Glasgow City Council.

On Thursday, councillors will decide whether to award cash to the Loading Bay project in Borron Street.

The skateboard park will be set up in the loading bay of a large industrial warehouse on the canal bank, just yards from Pinkston Watersports Centre which was officially opened in May last year.

Early plans suggested it would cater for skate boarding, BMX biking, scooter and inline skating and would be designed like a street plaza with ramps, rails, ledges, stairs and other features of an urban landscape.

British Gas to cut gas prices by 5 per cent

British Gas has become the second of the Big Six energy suppliers to cut household gas prices, reducing its prices by 5 per cent, following pressure from politicians and regulators to pass on lower costs to households.

The UK’s biggest domestic energy supplier, part of the Centrica group, said the cut would reduce the typical household’s annual energy bill by £37.

The move comes after E.On reduced its standard gas prices by 3.5 per cent last week.

Unlike E.On, which announced a price cut with immediate effect, British Gas said its change would not take effect for more than a month, following the coldest time of the year.

Scottish Power has just announced it is to reduce prices by 4.8 per cent from 20 February.

Plans to set up energy firm to offer cheaper electricity tariffs for Western Isles

A new company could be set up to provide people on the Western Isles with lower cost energy.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has appointed consultants MAR (Scotland) Ltd to look into the plan for the Outer Hebrides Energy Supply Company and a community tariff.

The Comhairle said Western Isles had one of the highest levels of fuel poverty in the UK.

It is intended that the Energy Supply Company will be established as a stand-alone entity over the next couple of months. Along with this, the Comhairle and its partners will shortly be asking for proposals from licensed UK electricity suppliers to partner with the Energy Supply Company to offer a community tariff to residents in the Outer Hebrides, offering competitive electricity prices to island consumers.

In the longer term it is envisaged that the Energy Supply Company could emerge as a licensed supplier in its own right, particularly should opportunities emerge to invest in and access local renewable generation, either from the commercial or community sectors.

Key hurdle cleared by nature site power plan

A hydro power scheme in one of Scotland’s most protected natural sites has cleared a major hurdle.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) is understood to have granted a licence for the run-off water energy project on Den of Airlie nature reserve in Angus.

The reserve is home to vulnerable flora and fauna, including internationally protected river jelly lichen in the River Isla, and campaigners claim the project could do irreparable damage.

Airlie Castle Estate and the John Hogg Group spent four years developing plans for the scheme in the heart of the site of special scientific interest and have promised a sensitive development.

The developers say cash from the scheme will be pumped back into the Den of Airlie to protect the stunning landscape.

Trade body launches bursary programme for building preservation and protection sectors

The Property Care Association (PCA) has unveiled a bursary scheme to support the next generation of professionals in the building preservation and protection sectors.

The new programme is designed to promote and support study, learning and research across the association’s range of specialist activities.

Plans for the bursary were first discussed at the PCA’s annual general meeting, held in March 2014.

Since then the trade body has put together a comprehensive programme, designed to recognise talent in the industry – and share knowledge with a wider audience.

Refurb work for Banff council offices

The third phase of refurbishment work has commenced at the Aberdeenshire Council offices in Banff.

The works commenced in summer 2014 with other offices on Low Street, Carmelite Street and Sefield House being undertaken. The project is now focusing on Banff’s Town House, and is part of the council’s workSPACE programme.

Following the completion of the work, a modern office space will be created to bring together office accommodation and a customer service point. The council services, which have been temporarily relocated during the phase, will return upon the completion of works.

£1.8m North Lanarkshire day care facility opens

A new dedicated day care service for the elderly has opened in Motherwell.

The £1.8m facility, situated on the site of the former Leslie House care home in Merry Street, replaces the Airbles Road day hospital and will provide care and health services for those over the age of 65 and with complex needs.

The building offers social care and health services for older people with complex needs as well as respite for carers. People can use the unit on a short-term or regular basis depending on their individual needs, and enjoy meals and snacks prepared by staff in the modern onsite kitchen facilities.

It will accommodate around 25 people each day, and on-site services include therapeutic supports such as medication reviews, physiotherapy, exercise groups, speech and language support and memory clinics. Social activities including games, arts and crafts, plus the use of a landscaped garden area for mental stimulation and recreation, will also be available.