Building Briefs – January 27th

Kier Group CEO visits flagship Scottish developments

Kier Group’s chief executive officer, Haydn Mursell, and finance director, Bev Dew, have just completed a tour of Kier offices and key projects across the country.

Kier, which currently employs over 600 people across Scotland, operates across a range of sectors including defence, education, housing, industrials, power, transport and utilities and has a significant presence throughout Scotland.

During their visit of key construction projects, Haydn and Bev visited three of the new high schools Kier is building in the south west of Scotland on behalf of hub South West Scotland – William McIlvanney Campus, Marr College and Ayr Academy, as well as visiting two of Kier’s prestigious heritage projects; Aberdeen Music Hall and the restoration of the fire damaged Mackintosh Building for the Glasgow School of Art.

Haydn and Bev also took the opportunity to visit Kier Living developments in Scotland including the award winning Hawkhead Village in Paisley. This landmark development, built around the former Hawkhead Hospital, saw Kier sympathetically refurbish a number of dilapidated, listed art deco buildings by noted modernist architect Thomas Tait. These buildings form the centrepiece of a brand new urban village of more than 300 homes.

Haydn said: “It was great to meet the teams working on some of our key projects in Scotland, including those undertaking the restoration, refurbishment and extension of some of Scotland’s world renowned cultural buildings.

“Throughout all our construction and housebuilding projects, it’s clear to see our commitment to providing unique and valuable learning opportunities to young people on a wide range of skills within the industry - combining traditional crafts with modern methods of construction.”

Plans to develop Dundee’s Custom House restated

Apex Hotels has restated plans to develop Custom House in Dundee and refurbish its neighbouring City Quay hotel.

The Dundee projects were confirmed as part of the hotel group’s further growth plans.

Chief executive Angela Vickers said: We are set to develop Custom House on Dundee’s Waterfront next to our existing Apex City Quay.

“It is important for us to continue investing in our existing portfolio and we are planning further bedroom expansion at Apex Temple Court in London, as well as refurbishment totalling £6m across our City of London, Grassmarket and Dundee hotels.”

Discussions are in progress with Dundee City Council’s planning department about Custom House.

CCG to build another 34 homes for Perth & Kinross Council

CCG (Scotland) Ltd has announced plans to begin work on three new social housing projects for Perth & Kinross Council from next month.

To be built in partnership with the local authority, the three new developments are scheduled for completion in Autumn 2017 and see CCG expand its presence across the region.

The plans include an eight-property cottage flat project on Glenearn Road, Perth, 20 cottage flats on Birch Avenue in Scone and six further flats on Nimmo Avenue in Perth which will form the second phase of an earlier development.

The Cambuslang-based construction firm has already started work on a ten-property development on Nimmo Avenue, Perth, as well as an eight-property cottage flat construction on Cairns Crescent in the city, both for Perth & Kinross Council, in October 2016.

All of the properties will be constructed using a Closed Panel Timber Frame System that is manufactured in CCG’s own bespoke ‘Off-Site Manufacturing’ (OSM) facility ensuring enhanced quality, environmental efficiency and a faster speed of build.

Public hearings into Edinburgh tram inquiry to start in September

The inquiry into the Edinburgh trams project will begin public hearings in September.

The sessions for gathering oral evidence will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays of each week from 5 September.

The process is expected to span “several months”.

Lord Hardie is leading the inquiry into the scheme, which went significantly over budget and was delivered years later than originally planned.

The probe was set up in 2014 by the then first minister Alex Salmond.

Evidence will be given by a number of witnesses who will be cited to appear.

It will supplement written statements from witnesses and the millions of documents already recovered during the course of investigations by the inquiry team.

£2m funding to deal with impact of flooding in Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire Council will receive more than £2 million of special financial assistance from the Scottish Government to help deal with the damage caused by last year’s unprecedented storms.

The emergency funding through the Bellwin Scheme, will go towards meeting costs incurred through Storm Frank which caused devastation in the area in December 2015 and January 2016.

The Bellwin Scheme is discretionary funding which exists to give special financial assistance to councils who face an undue financial burden as a result of large-scale emergencies.

This funding comes on top of the £2m that was allocated to Aberdeenshire Council last year to administer funding to ensure that every household, business premises or charity directly affected by flood water received help. Over 1,000 households and businesses received £1,500 grant payments, and 145 businesses received grants of £3,000.

Local authorities in the north east also received more than £10m funding this financial year to take forward priority flood protection schemes in their areas.

aBV to start £1.3m sewer upgrade in Edinburgh

A joint venture between Amey and Black & Veatch (aBV) is to begin a £1.3 million sewer upgrade project in Edinburgh.

The six-month scheme will be carried out at over 40 different locations across the city.

Work is to begin in Cotlands Avenue, Longniddry today.

Further works will also start this weekend at Broomhouse Row, Longstone Street and Redhall Drive. The project involves some traffic disruption while work is underway, however this will vary depending on the location and nature of the works.

Design work progresses on Stonehaven Flood Protection Scheme

Design work is progressing on the £16.5 million Stonehaven Flood Protection Scheme in Aberdeenshire.

The project aims to reduce future flood risk from River Carron on the town, extending from the Red Bridge on Low Wood Road downstream to the sea. Further works are also proposed on the nearby Glasslaw Burn.

However, a consultation on the scheme received 12 objections. While four of these were resolved, the other eight remain outstanding.

Scottish Ministers have notified the council they would not call in the scheme for a Public Inquiry, meaning the local authority will hold a public hearing considering the objections in March.

Following the outcome, an independent Scottish Government Reporter will give his findings and Aberdeenshire Council must then decide how to proceed.

The hearing will be presided by the Report at St James Church Hall in Stonehaven from 28 – 30 March.

A725 road maintenance project to begin

Scotland TranServ is to begin a £120,000 road maintenance project in South Lanarkshire.

The company will start resurfacing the A725 eastbound offslip, and the onslip leading to Douglas Street, Blantyre, from Monday, 30 January.

Works will take place from 8pm – 6am each night until Thursday, 02 February.

Diversions will be in place.