Building Briefs – January 25th
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Fife College students to give virtual makeover to Muir showhome
The Wemyss showhome at Muir Homes’ Castlefleurie development in Leven is to be given a virtual makeover by Fife College students after the housebuilder offered them the use of the property as the basis for one of their design projects.
Students from the college’s Architecture with Interior Design NC course paid a visit to the Castlefleurie development where they were shown around the site and the four-bedroom villa, which they will use as a living template.
The students have been asked to come up with their own designs for two of the rooms within the showhome, and will create 3D visuals and models of their ideas.
Council announces £5m improvement programme for Glasgow homes
Information on a £5.12 million improvement programme for almost 200 homes in Priesthill was presented to a Glasgow City Council committee yesterday.
The council was asked to intervene after concerns had been raised by residents and elected members about the condition of the homes, known locally as the Barratt Circle, as well as the high incidence of private lets and associated issues such as anti-social behaviour.
The properties - mostly former council inter-war stock at Glenmuir Drive, Househillmuir Road, Linnhead Drive and Ravenscraig Drive - were refurbished by Barratt in the 1980s and marketed for low cost home ownership suitable for first time buyers.
A number of issues, including owners not paying for factoring services, has led to varying levels of disrepair and around 25 of the current homes lying vacant.
Council officers working in partnership with Rosehill Housing Co-operative have liaised with local residents over the past year with a view to finding a solution to these issues. After this dialogue, it was agreed that a programme to consider how the properties could be maintained / factored after improvement works and how the problem of vacant properties and poor landlord practice could be addressed.
The improvements work programme will address the issues identified in three phases:
It is expected that Rosehill Housing Co-operative will become factor for the properties, and the imbalance of tenure (too high a proportion of private landlords) will be addressed through the council’s acquisitions strategy, which will focus on empty properties and problematic private lets.
Bridge of Dee access study moves forward
Councillors have agreed to review plans for new access from the south in the Bridge of Dee about six months after the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) opens to assess changes in traffic patterns.
Aberdeen City Council’s communities, housing and infrastructure committee made the decision yesterday after considering a report on the Bridge of Dee Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) Part 2 Appraisal which included public and other stakeholder engagement.
The committee agreed the recommendation in the report that a review of the concepts under consideration should be carried out at a suitable period after the opening of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to enable any changes in traffic patterns to be accurately assessed.
It also agreed the indicative costs of the options are brought up to date, and that engagement continues with key stakeholders including Aberdeenshire Council and Nestrans.
The options put forward are:
The committee further agreed that officers look into the option of a four-lane bridge instead of a six-lane bridge which is currently an option, and all the options are to be brought before the council’s Budget meeting on 22 February.
Superglass appoints UK sales director
Stirling-based insulation specialist Superglass is strengthening its UK sales team after becoming part of TechnoNICOL International, the multi-national roofing and insulation group.
Andy Murray has been appointed UK sales director, and will be based at TechnoNICOL’s regional headquarters in Stirling’s Thistle Industrial Estate. He will assume responsibility for all aspects of UK sales to distribution, merchants, housebuilders and building contractors.
Andy joins from Kingspan Industrial Insulation, where he was national sales manager for UK and Ireland for the last six years. With more than 15 years’ experience in the construction sector, Andy, who lives in Airdrie, started his career with Tilcon/Tarmac in Uddingston, before moving to Tyrone Brick, where he was a regional sales manager with responsibility for Scotland.
In his new role, Andy will report to Stuart Rowell, regional sales director for Insulation Solutions.
TechnoNICOL, which acquired Stirling-based Superglass in a £8.6m deal last summer, has created a new division to focus on new business opportunities in the US, as well as the domestic market in the UK and Ireland.
Funding for project which predicts elderly falls in homes
A ground breaking new project which aims to develop an effective falls prediction system that can be installed in peoples’ homes has secured almost £100,000 in new funding.
Led by a unique Highland-based partnership between Albyn Housing Society, Robert Gordon University, Carbon Dynamic and NHS Highland, the project will collect data from sensors installed in specially designed ‘FIT Homes’.
The data will then be analysed using state-of-the-art data science algorithms to identify behaviours linked to increased fall risk.
With falls currently costing the NHS over £2 billion and four million bed days each year, it is hoped the resulting system will help residents live well and independently in their homes for longer, prevent hospital admissions and even enable early discharge.
The funding from the Data Lab – the Scottish Innovation Centre charged with generating economic, social and scientific value from big data – will support the development of a ‘test bed’ in the form of inhabited ‘FIT Homes’ at locations across the Highlands.
Built of modular timber construction and co-designed by a variety of stakeholders including patients, clinicians and potential tenants, the ‘FIT Homes’ will contain multiple layers of sensors and smart resident interfaces.
Set to commence this May, the first phase of FIT Homes, which will include 15 new homes and one community space, is planned for Albyn Housing Society’s new site at Dalmore, Alness. A further 32 houses, including homes for veterans, will be built in Inverness and the surrounding area.
The innovative homes are constructed off-site by Carbon Dynamic and delivered to their location for final completion.
The Digital Health and Care Institute, Censis, the Scottish Government and the Highland Council are also supporting the wider FIT Homes project.
Aberdeen district heating network project moves to next stage
A £9.5 million District Heating Network which would provide lower-cost heating for residents in Aberdeen took a step forward at a council committee yesterday.
The Torry project’s Phase One was given the go-ahead by councillors on Aberdeen City Council’s communities, housing and infrastructure committee after they agreed to move to the stakeholder engagement part of the project.
A further recommendation was agreed to appoint a project team, and develop a business case, procurement strategy and project plan to deliver this project subject to the allocation of the estimated Phase 1 Torry District Heating Network project cost in the council’s Capital Plan.
The committee also agreed the estimated Phase 1 Torry District Heating Network project cost will be put forward for consideration in the council’s budget process.
A report before committee said Phase 1 of the District Heating Network would cover 814 homes, largely council-owned with 80 in housing association ownership. The approximate length of Phase 1 heat network is 7.3km.
There are a number of privately owned properties within the Phase 1 area but no assumption has been made that these will connect to the District Heating System. Future connection of private properties represents an opportunity for further enhancement of the Business Case for the District Heating project and the private householders would also benefit from lower heating bills.
In addition, the report said, Torry primary school, swimming pool and community centre would be connected. There has been discussions with Robert Gordon University about potentially using the system in the future.
Plan to demolish Kirkcaldy power station after £1 sale fails
A Kirkcaldy landmark could be demolished after efforts to sell it for £1 failed to attract a buyer.
The Victoria Power Station has been marketed for the past six months after a previous plan to develop the site into a nursing home fell through last year.
The B-listed building was designed for Kirkcaldy Corporation Tramways by architect William Williamson.
Fife councillors backed demolition plans for the building last year, with developers keen to replace it with a nursing home.
However, those plans were pulled and the site was marketed on the proviso that the building’s frontage was incorporated into any new development.
A supporting statement from developers, United Investments Co Ltd, claims that repair of the power station is not economically viable and that efforts to find a developer willing to take on the building have been exhausted.
Planning guidelines approved for Strathaven Conservation Area
South Lanarkshire Council has agreed new planning guidelines for a Conservation Area in Strathaven.
Both the Strathaven Conservation Area Appraisal (CAA) and Conservation Area Management Plan (CAMP) were approved by councillors yesterday.
The documents will provide a more detailed guidance and advice on the area’s special characteristics. In addition, the guidelines will be considered as material consideration in the determination of planning applications in the area.
The changes will help support the ongoing £1.5 million Strathaven Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS). The five-year project provides financial assistance for conservation area based regeneration initiatives.
As well as funding from the council and Historic Environment Scotland (HES), additional cash from a range of other sources has also been pulled together for:
West Lothian Council creates over 30 new apprenticeship places
West Lothian Council has created over 30 new apprenticeship places as part of its Modern Apprenticeship programme.
A total of 34 new apprentices have started their training and will learn new skills in areas such as electrical, joinery, roofing, plastering, plumbing, painting, horticulture, roadworks and more.
Aberdeenshire road maintenance project to begin
A £50,000 road improvement project is to begin in Aberdeenshire.
The major verge and drainage upgrades will commence on the B9025 Aberchirder to Turriff road on Monday, 30 January.
In order to carry out the four-week scheme safely, the B9025 will be closed between 9.30am - 3.30pm from Monday to Friday. Diversions will be in place.
Aberdeen play parks to be replaced or refurbished in next financial year
Aberdeen City Council has agreed to replace or refurbish a total of 17 play parks in the next financial year at a total cost of £590,000.
The play areas targeted for the next financial year are Seaton Gardens South, Kingswood Gardens, Persley Crescent, Callum Park, Orchard Street, Colthill Road, Oldtown Terrace, Ash Hill Road, Seaton Place East, Lee Crescent, Middle Brae, Devenick Place, Sheddocksley Community Centre, Stewart Park, Piries Lane, The Meadows, and Westfield Park.
The move follows on from improvements to other play parks made since 2012/13.
Time running out for housing providers to apply for CGC funding
City Gate Construction’s afternoon tea initiative for housing providers closes for entries next Tuesday (January 31).
Afternoon Tea with CGC is designed to provide a financial helping hand to housing associations and housing co-operatives.
The aim is to encourage them to host afternoon tea events as a way of valuing senior citizen tenants and to fight loneliness and isolation in communities.
Housing providers are being invited to apply for £200 each to fund afternoon tea sessions.
CGC will send the winners “pop-up” brightly coloured cardboard cake stands to make sure the events have an authentic afternoon tea feel.
What CGC is now asking housing providers to do is to email or write to CGC telling the firm their plan for afternoon tea. It doesn’t need to be long – just an outline of how it is intended to make it a success.
Then email it over to afternoontea@citygateglobe.com or if preferred send it by post to “Afternoon Tea with CGC”, City Gate Construction Ltd, 24 MacDowall Street, Paisley PA3 2NB. This email address can also be used if there are any questions.
CGC will then select the best ones as winners.
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