Building Briefs – January 24th

CALA site manager in race for major UK accolade

An Edinburgh based professional is in the running to scoop one of the UK housebuilding industry’s most prestigious awards.

Neal Toland, former site manager at Ten Brunswick Road in Edinburgh, is one of a handful of nominees vying for glory within the Best Multi-Story Development category at the NHBC Supreme Awards.

The glittering ceremony, which will take place on January 26 at the Park Plaza Westminster in London, consists of winners from different regional awards across the UK and recognises the pinnacle of achievements by site managers.

Thanks to his crucial role in the team behind the overwhelming success of CALA Homes’ Ten Brunswick Road, Neal will represent the sector in Scotland, after winning Best Multi-Storey Development at the NHBC Regional awards.

Organised by home warranty insurance provider NHBC, the “Pride in the Job” competition is dedicated to recognising site managers who achieve the highest standards in housebuilding.

Neal’s shortlisting follows on from success at regional level, where he won Best Multi-Storey Development for Scotland for Ten Brunswick Road at the NHBC Pride in the Job Regional Awards last year.

Edinburgh appoints city lighting contractor

New energy efficient street lights which will save the city millions, increase public safety and lead to fewer lighting faults are a step closer to being rolled out across the Capital after the City of Edinburgh Council appointed a contractor for the project.

Councillors on the finance and resources committee today approved a £15.219 million contract with Amey Highways to replace approximately 54,000 street lights across Edinburgh with energy efficient lamps by the end of 2020.

The move follows a 2014 pilot project to replace 7000 obsolete lanterns with Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. These ‘white light’ technology lamps give off a clearer light and can last for more than 20 years compared to existing lights’ current life span of two to four years.

The crisper light and new technology enhance community safety by making CCTV images clearer and by allowing light levels to be varied.

The council has approximately 65,000 street lights, costing around £3m in energy alone every year. Energy costs continue to rise and the current lanterns are becoming obsolete, making them harder and costlier to maintain.

To pre-empt these increases, £24.5m will be spent on upgrading all the city’s street lights; replacing inefficient lanterns with modern, energy efficient and environmentally friendly ones. This will achieve savings for the taxpayer of £54m over 20 years.

Auchterarder Community Facilities Fund supports public amenity improvements

A report to the next meeting of Perth & Kinross Council’s environment and infrastructure committee will highlight the use, to date, of developer contributions towards the improvement of public amenities in Auchterarder.

Councillors will hear on January 31 that, in line with an agreed development framework for a major expansion of housing in the town, developers are contributing £1,000 per house being sold on the open market to the council, up to a maximum of £600,000, towards an Auchterarder Community Facilities Fund.

The aim of the Fund is to support the delivery of additional facilities for residents, reflecting that the consequent population growth will make further demands on existing provision.

In the first year of the Fund, £155,000 in contributions has been provided, with one funding application for £50,000 assessed and approved under delegated powers by the Executive Director (Environment), following consultation with Auchterarder Community Council, local elected members and the Committee Convener, in line with the fund’s operating procedures.

The £50,000 has provided support to a major project, identified and prioritised by the local core path working group, to upgrade the Provost’s Walk path on the southern boundary of Auchterarder, to make it suitable for both walkers and cyclists.

The funding has been transferred to Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT) towards the delivery of the project, with financial support also provided by Sustrans, TACTRAN, LEADER, Auchterarder Common Good Fund, Auchterarder & District Community Trust, Auchterarder Community Sports Association and PKCT.

The Committee will be asked to agree that an annual report is produced covering contributions to and allocations from the Fund, and that any future funding applications with a value over £50,000 are brought forward for members to consider.

New pedestrian crossing to be installed in Girvan

A new pedestrian crossing is to be installed in Girvan, South Ayrshire.

The crossing will be developed for the junction of Ailsa Street West and Henrietta Street on the A77.

Bad weather during winter halted the start of works, however better weather is now forecast and works will take place on the following dates:

Road resurfacing to begin near Glasgow Airport

Work is to begin on a road resurfacing project near Glasgow Airport.

Scotland TranServ will start repairing 0.8km of the M8 Eastbound from Junction 29 to 28 from 8pm on Friday, 26 January until 6am on Monday, 29 January.