Building Briefs – July 16th

• Lockdown home reservations increase at Urban Union

To ensure none of its clients found themselves homeless during the coronavirus pandemic which put much of the UK housing market on hold, the company has been using key safes, hosting video demonstrations and conducing handovers via FaceTime in order to continue operations in line with social distancing guidelines.

Urban Union, which is part of Robertson, has also been providing advice to those moving on how to do so responsibly to respect social distancing measures.

Neil McKay, managing director of Urban Union, said: “Coupled with the raising of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax threshold for residential properties, it’s a promising sign for the industry that we have continued to see strong interest from new homebuyers. Despite the economic uncertainty and temporary hold on the property market, the extra time we’ve been spending at home has given many people the opportunity to reflect on what they want from their living spaces.

“Whether it’s extra room to work from home more comfortably or access to an outdoor space, many people will have re-evaluated their priorities when looking for a new place to call home and this has been reflected in the interest we have received over the last few months.” 

• £1m foodstore planned at former Glasgow car showroom site

Grocery chain Farmfoods has submitted a plan to build a new store in south west Glasgow.

The shop, representing an investment of around £1 million, is proposed for 320 Peat Road, between Nitshill and Priesthill.

The site was previously occupied by an Arnold Clark car dealership and workshop.

There would be 50 parking spaces.

• Argyll and Bute Council awarded £315,000 Spaces for People funding

Argyll and Bute Council has been awarded £315,000 funding from the Spaces for People Programme, to deliver temporary infrastructure to make it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips and exercise during COVID-19.

The fund, which is administered by Sustrans and funded by Transport Scotland, will provide more space for active travel in town centres.

There will be a survey for each town centre. To view the full proposals, and take part in the consultation, which is open until July 26, please go to: https://bit.ly/2CjKOen.

Some of the funding will also be used to set up around 15 cycle repair stations in each of the main towns and at key tourist destinations across Argyll and Bute.  These stations will provide basic repair tools, which members of the public can use when needed. These stations are widely found in public spaces elsewhere in Scotland, including university and college campuses, at tourist destinations and on popular cycle routes. 

The cycle repair stations will help promote cycle tourism and the use of bicycles more generally for leisure and commuter users. The stations will are likely to remain once the COVID-19 situation ends.