Building Briefs – January 28th

Legal & General Capital (LGC) and Dutch pension fund manager PGGM have announced plans to invest £600 million into building over 3,000 purpose built private rental housing across the UK.

In America and Europe, fully fledged institutionally funded and managed rental property markets have developed to increase the supply of homes, lower prices and provide better quality products and service. In the UK the rental market is different, due to the lack of supply of quality homes, and its cottage industry nature. LGC plans to disrupt the status quo of ever increasing rental rises by investing long-term institutional funds into building new homes to rent at scale, and by developing a UK institutional rental market.

Only the sites with planning permission have been revealed but it is understood that Scotland could play host to future developments.

The partnership has been seeded with three Build to Rent development schemes; Bristol (pictured above), Salford and Walthamstow, forecast to deliver over 650 homes. It is also in detailed discussions on the acquisition of numerous sites, all situated in well-connected urban locations where there is strong demand.

Work set to continue on Rothesay regeneration initiative following HLF support

Argyll and Bute Council has secured initial support for a £2 million Townscape Heritage (TH) bid from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a new regeneration initiative in Rothesay, following on from the successful work over the past few years.

This scheme aims to make improvements to historic buildings along Rothesay’s front, Victoria Street, creating a better connection between the newly refurbished town centre and the pavilion.

Dunedin Canmore to build more affordable homes for older people

Dunedin Canmore is to build 31 new homes in East Lothian for the over 55s.

The development, in Musselburgh, is part of a drive to help older people live independently in their homes for longer.

Work is due to start in April and comes after Phase 1 at Eskmills which saw 31 flats built, also for over 55s.

The amenity flats, for social rent, will have lift access and a facility to connect to the council’s telecare emergency call system. Residents will also have use of a laundry drying room and resident parking.

Dunedin Canmore, part of Wheatley Group, provides 6000 homes for social and mid-market rent in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife.

The development, being part-funded by a £1.26 million Scottish Government grant, is in Musselburgh town centre, close to all major amenities including the Musselburgh to Edinburgh rail link.

First Aberdeen householders awarded flooding grants

The first grants have been awarded by Aberdeen City Council to householders in the city who were affected by the recent flooding.

The funding, which is available to all local authorities in Scotland to administer, provides a £1,500 grant to residents who meet the criteria.

Flood prevention schemes already in place include:

The flood prevention scheme priorities for Aberdeen City Council include:

The total cost of implementing these city-wide schemes will run to tens of millions of pounds with implementation phased over a number of years.

New superschool campus to be named after author William McIlvanney

The site of a new £45 million superschool campus in East Ayrshire is to be named after Scots author William McIlvanney.

The local council has decided to name the site at Sutherland Drive in Kilmarnock the William McIlvanney Campus, which will host a primary and secondary school.

McIlvanney, author of the Laidlaw trilogy and numerous other Glasgow-based works such as Docherty, The Big Man and The Kiln died at his home in the city on December 5.

The new primary school will be named the James Hamilton Primary School and Early Childhood Centre.

Borders biggest wind farm planned near border with England

Plans are being drawn up for the biggest wind farm ever to be built in the Scottish Borders.

The development would stretch along the area immediately north of the Scotland-England border - either as one site or three separate areas.

Partnership for Renewables hopes to put up 90 turbines on land stretching from near the Carter Bar to Newcastleton.

Initial talks have already taken place between the energy firm and Scottish Borders Council.

An official scoping request was submitted to the local authority last week.

Partnership for Renewables has identified Wauchope Forest and nearby Newcastleton Forest for the three-pronged development - two of 20 turbines and one of 50.

Essential M74 repairs to begin

Essential repairs to the M74 northbound Millbank between Junction 12 and 11, are being carried-out by Scotland TranServ, as part of Transport Scotland’s ongoing maintenance programme.

The works will be carried out overnight between 2000hrs and 0600hrs and will require a total closure of the northbound carriageway on Friday 29 January.