Building Briefs – January 6th

Shettleston HA selects Lovell for £3m Glasgow flats scheme

Shettleston Housing Association has chosen Lovell to build 29 new amenity flats for residents aged 55 and over at a site in Glasgow’s East End.

The £3 million two-storey development in Fernan Street, Shettleston, will create self-contained apartments for social rent. Two of the flats will be for residents who use wheelchairs.

Lovell has just started work on the year-long construction programme which forms part of the ongoing regeneration of the Shettleston area. The new homes are being built on the site of a former care facility.

Designed by Glasgow architects Anderson Bell + Christie, the new development will feature a secure private courtyard, with parking and communal gardens. Kitchens and living spaces of the new apartments will face on to the courtyard space.

The properties are designed to be energy-efficient, incorporating photovoltaic solar panels and heat recovery ventilation systems which allow fresh air into homes without letting heat escape.

Positive year for Hadden Construction

Hadden Construction of Auchterarder said the upturn in housing has not been sufficient to allow the company to make significant further investment in the sector.

Secretary Ronald Horne said the risks facing the company are those for the construction industry generally, but Hadden had delivered a satisfactory performance for the year to March 31, 2014.

The company delivered a pre-tax profit up 28.3 per cent at £408,288 from a turnover which increased by 8.45 per cent to £15,678,321.

After taxation £163,583 was added to the reserves, and the return on capital employed was 14.68 per cent compared to 12.22 per cent the previous year.

Supermarkets sitting on acres of land

Supermarkets are sitting on more than 1,000 acres of land which they are not currently building on, new figures have shown.

Property agent CBRE found that while the pipeline of new grocery stores in the UK is 46.61 million square feet, just 2.8 million sq ft is being built.

This means 43.81 million sq ft of land is lying empty but has a proposal for a new food store or permission granted for one.

First images of Dundee’s Seabraes footbridge revealed

The first images of the Dundee bridge that will connect the Riverside to the city’s West End have been released.

Final visualisation drawings have been released for the Seabraes footbridge, which is currently being fabricated.

Work began at the site in October and is planned for completion in May.

Government praise for Edinburgh planning department

The City of Edinburgh Council’s planning department has been praised by the Scottish Government in an assessment of its annual planning performance framework – a report based on a variety of performance measures.

Of the 13 areas assessed, the Scottish Government has rated nine areas ‘green’, three ‘amber’, and just one ‘red’.

The number of green ratings has increased by four compared to 2012/13, which reflects the significant amount of work undertaken to improve performance. This is ongoing, with further improvements targeted.

The Scottish Government’s chief planner praised the commitment to quality of place and the ‘Open for Business’ approach. They also recognised the department’s role in ‘quality placemaking’.

Work commences on new Inverclyde bridge

Construction work is to commence on a new single-track bridge at Quarrier’s Village in Inverclyde.

The £275,000 project will replace a ‘temporary’ bailey bridge which has been installed at Gotter Water for the last decade.

As a result of the project, which began this week, the council has said Nittingshill Bridge will have to close for up to five months as a new concrete deck is installed.

A diversion will be in place for motorists, while pedestrians will be able to use a nearby footbridge at Craigbet Avenue.

Construction starts on first social housing in Uig for over 40 years

Hebridean Housing Partnership has started work on the first social housing in Uig for over 40 years.

The HHP development will be built by Calmax Construction and comprises four houses which will be built to high levels of energy efficiency, including Air Source Heat Pumps.

Revised Dean Village housing plans submitted

A revised planning application has been submitted by AMA for the residential redevelopment of Belford House, Edinburgh - this time incorporating an Edwardian coach works – after their original application was refused.

Michael Laird Architects propose converting and extending Douglas House to form nine flats alongside office accommodation together with the construction of 40 new build apartments and three townhouses.

Dundee flood defence proposals to be revealed

Proposals for flood protection measures along Dundee’s coastline are set to be revealed next week as part of a major consultation exercise.

Initial plans showing how flood waters could be held back at City Quay and between Discovery Point and Dundee Airport will be on display at a series of open meetings.

A public consultation ‘drop-in’ session/open day will take place on Tuesday (January 13) between 2pm and 5pm at Discovery Point and on the following day between 2pm and 8pm at the Apex Hotel.

£7m Birkwood Castle renovation reaches milestone

The first stage of a £7 million renovation of a Lanarkshire castle and former hospital into a boutique hotel and luxury housing has been completed, the developers of the site have announced.

Run-down and dilapidated buildings on the grounds of Birkwood Castle, said to be one of Scotland’s most breathtaking examples of Victorian gothic architecture, have been cleared in the first phase of redevelopment.

Developer Envestco intend to complete the revamp of the property by April 2016.

Making the castle structurally sound and then fixing the building’s more visible fixtures and fittings will take up the next stage of renovations. The venue, which is aiming for four-star certification, will host weddings, conferences and other events.

The surrounding 86-acre estate, to which the developer and hotel operator recently added a further 38-acre plot, will also get a major housing development by Envestco’s subsidiary Redwood Homes. It will include luxury homes and woodland holiday chalets, with development eventually totalling more than 70 new homes.

The residential development will take around seven years to complete at a cost of around £70m.

Situated in the village of Lesmahagow, Birkwood was built in 1860 as a family home before becoming a hospital for mentally-disabled children. After closing its doors in 2002 it fell into disrepair despite its listed status.

Health checks for historic buildings aim to preserve built heritage

A new scheme that will help property owners lower maintenance bills while preserving the nation’s rich historical housing stock is being piloted in Stirling prior to a possible national roll-out

A new scheme that will help property owners lower maintenance bills while preserving the nation’s rich historical housing stock is being piloted in Stirling prior to a possible national roll-out

Run by Stirling City Heritage Trust on behalf of Historic Scotland, the ­Traditional Buildings Health Check Scheme encourages owners of pre-1919 homes to pay an annual fee of £45 to obtain a detailed condition report on the building plus a “bespoke maintenance guide” and access to expert information on preserving the building.

Subscription to the scheme, which is based on examples from the Netherlands and Flanders, entitles members to regular and affordable building fabric inspections - during which small routine maintenance tasks may also be completed - plus a variety of annual member events.

Window and door upgrade keeps food bank’s vital work on track

A food bank in Kilsyth near Glasgow which works to alleviate hunger in its local community is benefitting from an upgrade to its premises thanks to the supply and installation of new doors and windows by CMS Windows.

The company was so impressed with the work by Kilsyth Community Food Bank that is has also committed to becoming the charity’s official partner and will support the charity with future fund-raising activities.

Kilsyth Community Food Bank has had tremendous success providing its food distribution service to the most needy people in the local community since it was formed in since April 2013, It was keen to improve its premises and most notably replace old windows and unsuitable wooden garage doors that were a relic from the building’s previous use.

CMS – based in nearby Cumbernauld – assisted the charity by removing the draughty old windows and wooden garage doors and replacing them with new PVC-U windows and French doors which provide much needed natural daylight inside the food bank and keep the building warmer.