Building Briefs – January 21st

Highlands and Islands Enterprise is to make a £750,000 investment towards the £8 million refurbishment and redevelopment of Rothesay Pavilion.

The project, which is being led by Argyll and Bute Council, will ensure that this significant modernist building is converted into a 21st century arts, cultural, sports and community venue. The Pavilion lies at the heart of the Bute community and has the potential to be a significant catalyst for regeneration and change on the island of Bute, creating jobs, improving the town environment and providing cultural and educational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

The development will create four separate spaces: a main hall capable of seating up to 750 people; a self contained venue with around 250 seats; a flexible exhibition space and a unique glazed top floor with spectacular views for weddings and other events. There will also be a café, shop, office spaces for rent, and a separate building for holiday lets in summer and artist in residence programmes at other times.

St Andrew Square public consultation launched

The Chris Stewart Group, developer behind a £60m plan to regenerate the Register Lanes area of Edinburgh off St Andrew Square, has launched a public consultation into their plans to transform the space.

The work will see a new mixed use district carved out of the Register Lanes and the A-listed former Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters at 42 St Andrew Square retained, including restoration of its art deco banking hall to form a new restaurant with apartments above in a restoration project overseen by Morgan McDonnell Architects.

A formal planning application is due to be submitted by March.

Donaldson’s developers to hold meeting

Developers behind plans to transform the site of the former Donaldson’s School for Deaf Children in Linlithgow into luxury apartments have announced two public meetings to collect views on the project.

Historic property specialist City & Country has teamed up with housebuilder CALA to redevelop the 19th-Century gothic building, with the former school being turned into “the most desirable addresses in Scotland”, while playing fields to the north are being used for new-build accommodation.

The two meetings will be held on February 3 and March 19, with local residents invited to speak to representatives of the firms involved, and give their feedback on detailed plans.

Hotel plan for Glasgow police station

A former police station and district court will be transformed into a new hotel.

Glasgow City council is expected to agree to sell the two-storey landmark B-listed building in Turnbull Street to private developer David Somerville for £410,000.

The traditional red brick and sandstone building, formerly used as the Central Police Station and District Court for Glasgow, closed in 2008.

Perthshire golf course set for facelift

North Inch golf course in Perthshire could undergo a major facelift to capitalise on the success of the Ryder Cup.

A new six-hole course could be created to attract novices and visitors.

The course has changed many times in its long history, with extensions and revisions being made.

The current arrangement of holes was laid out by Old Tom Morris, who also designed Carnoustie, Muirfield and St Andrews New courses.

Now the local authority plans to build the new course around the existing first three holes. That will not interfere with play on the main course, however, as the six-hole version will only be available at quieter times.

The proposal is one of a number of measures to be put before a meeting of the environment committee tomorrow.

Planners backing proposal for 80 new homes near Blairhall

Almost 80 new homes could be built in West Fife if councillors give the green light to a major planning application.

Land Regeneration and Development Ltd, which specialises in land remediation, reclamation and restoration, has applied to Fife Council for planning permission in principle for a residential development to the east of South Avenue in Blairhall.

A masterplan and transport statement has also been submitted to the local authority in support of the application, which indicates the 2.6-hectare site could incorporate up to 77 houses.

Because the site exceeds the two-hectare threshold, as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Regulations (2009), the proposal is classed as a major application.

Members of the west planning committee have been recommended to approve the application when they meet at Dunfermline’s City Chambers on Wednesday, subject to the conclusion of a legal agreement being drawn up stipulating an education contribution of £2,400 per mainstream dwelling unit across the site, an on-site contribution of 25 per cent affordable housing across the site and a funding strategy to provide funding for the remediation of the nearby Comrie Colliery.

Approval would also be subject to a number of other issues, including transportation, design, residential amenity, ecology, drainage and flooding and sustainability.

Bid to save historic almshouse Cowane’s Hospital

A bid has been launched to raise £3m to save a historic Stirling almshouse.

Cowane’s Hospital, which dates back to the 17th century, has fallen into disrepair and needs major work including a new roof.

The Cowane’s Hospital Maintenance Trust has applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £2m to go towards repairing the building and establishing it as a major visitor attraction.

The project has won the backing of Stirling councillors and 15 MSPs.

Final phase of Banff Bridge pier protection works resume this month

The second phase of pier base protection works on Banff Bridge will resume on Monday, January 26 and the work is expected to last five days. Poor weather conditions before Christmas caused the temporary delay.

The works are part of the installation of six three-metre high masonry cutwaters to the upstream face of the intermediate supports (piers).

They are necessary to reduce turbulent flow in the vicinity of the bridge foundations when the River Deveron is in full spate. Four of the cutwaters were installed at the end of October in the first phase of the project.

Work begins on next phase of Smithton & Culloden Flood Alleviation Scheme

Following design by JBA Consulting and tendering for works, The Highland Council has announced that Pat Munro (Alness) Ltd was awarded the contract for the Smithton & Culloden Flood Alleviation Scheme.

The works, which began on Monday, will take approximately 8 weeks to complete and will include measures on the Smithton Burn.

The current phase of works is focusing on the remediation of sections of watercourse where there is a history of erosion leading to blockage of downstream culverts.

There is also the installation of a coarse debris screen on the Smithton Burn, at Woodlands Park. The coarse debris screen will aid in preventing woody debris and large stones from being washed downstream to culverts which have been blocked in the past.

In addition a new security/debris screen is to be installed at Murray Road to reduce the likelihood of blockage within the culvert beneath Smithton Park.

Dundee school estates consultation public meetings

A series of public meetings will held to discuss the major proposals for the Dundee school estate.

These include the potential construction of a new campus to replace the current Longhaugh Primary and Nursery, along with a merger of St Luke’s & St Matthew’s and St Vincent’s primaries.

The consultation process will run until Friday February 27.

Improvements needed at Scotland’s traveller sites

A new report has found that while local authorities have developed successful Gypsy Traveller sites throughout Scotland, more work is still needed.

The research, published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), was commissioned in response to claims from some councils in Scotland who said they were unable to secure land or planning permission to build new permanent or transit sites for travellers.

Without a proper site, the EHRC has said that the travelling community is likely to continue to face hostility. For example, a lack of provision in services has resulted in Gypsy Travellers “pulling in” at the roadside in some locations, while tensions are also evident regarding funding or planning permission for potential sites.

In 2014, there were 59 named sites in 18 local authority areas in Scotland for travellers. The research looked at how councils had developed these sites.