Building Briefs – June 1st

Councillors welcome second phase of council homes in Cowdenbeath

Work is progressing well on another phase of council housing at Leuchatsbeath in Cowdenbeath.

A second contract with Bellway Homes was agreed earlier this year and Fife Council is purchasing a further 22 homes at the developer’s Birchwood site for social rent, in addition to the 49 council homes already built and occupied.

Cllr Judy Hamilton, executive spokesperson for housing & building services, visited the development to see how things are progressing.

The £2.7 million development will be completed in phases with all 22 homes due for completion by the end of 2016.

Edinburgh school reopenings delayed until August

Two Edinburgh schools closed over safety fears will not reopen later in the month as planned.

Edinburgh Schools Partnership said further works were required on Royal High and Drummond Community High before pupils could return.

Both schools were expected to reopen on 20 June.

Remedial works will now be completed during the summer holidays and should be ready for pupils returning in August, the City of Edinburgh Council said.

Trump Turnberry resort reopens after £200m renovation

A golf resort bought by billionaire Donald Trump has reopened following a £200m renovation.

Trump, who is the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party in the 2016 US presidential elections, purchased Turnberry in 2014.

The main hotel building at the South Ayrshire resort, which has been under construction since September last year, has been updated with the remodelling of all 103 guest rooms, bars and restaurants.

The Turnberry Lighthouse has been fully restored and converted into a £3500 a night two-bedroom presidential suite offering “breathtaking” views and a “uniquely exclusive” guest experience.

It is the second Scottish golf resort the tycoon has launched following the opening of Trump International Golf Links Scotland in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, in 2012.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at the property on June 24.

Stuart Donaldson MP visits Kier Construction’s Aberdeen office

Stuart Donaldson MP paid a visit to Kier Construction’s office in Aberdeen yesterday.

The representative for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine met with Sean O’Callaghan, area operations director for Scotland.

Kier Construction in Scotland employs 200 staff in Scotland and the north east of England – including around 38 in the north of Scotland.

Stuart Donaldson said: “I was delighted to visit Kier Construction Scotland’s Aberdeen office for the first time today as the new MP for the area. I’m very impressed by the commitment this industry leader shows in using local knowledge, local contractors and providing training opportunities for every one of their projects, which in turn helps to boost the local economy.

“I was also interested to hear about a number of new initiatives that Kier have put in place to address the current skills gap and to encourage young people to start thinking of a career in this diverse and very important industry.”

Sean O’Callaghan added: “I was pleased to welcome Mr Donaldson, the new MP for this constituency, to our Aberdeen office and introduce him to some of the thirty eight Kier employees who are based in the north of Scotland. It was a great opportunity to highlight our expertise across the wide variety of sectors in which we operate and to demonstrate how we’re supporting local economies through our supply chain and focus on addressing the skills gap.”

Borders village expansion plans approved

Plans which could increase the size of a Berwickshire village by about half have been approved by councillors.

Scottish Borders Council wants flooding, drainage and road safety concerns addressed in Swinton before houses are actually built.

Ladykirk Estate was granted permission in principle for 25 homes and a village hall.

A total of 15 letters of objection were received but councillors gave the scheme the green light with conditions.

Work begins on AWPR/B-T Stonehaven junction

Work is underway on a new junction as part of the multi-million AWPR/B-T project.

Around 200,000m3 of earth will be removed between the A90 and the Dundee to Aberdeen railway line in order to build the new Stonehaven Junction.

For safety reasons, temporary traffic signals will be installed on the B979 Netherley Road to the north and south of the Dundee to Aberdeen railway line, and on the A90 northbound slip road/B979 Netherly Road junction for around two months.

Craigmillar town centre regeneration commences with construction of Lidl store

The regeneration of Craigmillar Town Centre in East Edinburgh began last week with works commencing on a Lidl supermarket at Niddrie Mains Road.

The store was granted planning permission in September 2015 and works will be carried out by construction firm Clark Contracts to build the sustainable 1407m² store on the 1.5 acre site, which will create up to 25 new jobs when opened.

The new store, which has seen a total investment of £6.5 million by the national supermarket chain, will boast state of the art facilities including a bakery, 12 tills and 93 parking spaces.

The supermarket first revealed last May that it wanted to re-locate the Craigmillar store as part of its ongoing ambitions within the UK. It is hoped that construction will be completed within 10 months, with the doors opening to customers in March 2017.

Due to be completed over the next six years, the redevelopment of Craigmillar Town Centre being carried out by The EDI Group Ltd will see the area transformed by a new retail centre, as well as a public square and community play park complemented by a new secondary school and further housing.

£11m LED lighting programme begins in Renfrewshire

An £11 million lighting investment programme is underway in Renfrewshire.

Around 29,000 streetlights are being fitted with energy-efficient LED lamps across the region, with the first phase of works beginning in Paisley.

Lighting contractors began the installation process in the Foxbar and Glenburn areas.

It is estimated the new lights will save £750,000 a year due to their low electricity consumption, reduced maintenance costs and a reduction in carbon tax payments.

The programme is due to be completed by May 2017.

Approval granted for £1m Aberdeen redevelopment project

Aberdeen City Council has granted approval for a £1 million community redevelopment project.

The existing media hub in Woodside is set to be extended following a successful bid to the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF).

The local authority will work alongside Station House Media Unit (SHMU) to expand the facility, turning Station House into a “cutting edge, internationally acclaimed centre for community media”.

Features include fit for purpose radio studios to accommodate the organisations community radio station, a TV studio for live broadcasting, a music recording studio, a digital editing facility and a digital learning centre.

In addition, office space will be built as well as multi-purpose community/social space.

Public votes for new name for £7.3m Edinburgh health centre

A £7.3 million health centre in Edinburgh is scaling new heights following a public vote to rename it.

Firrhill Partnership Centre will now be known as Allermuir Health Centre after one of the famous hills of the Pentlands which is visible from the site.

Work on the centre started earlier this month and it will open to patients in summer 2017.

It will provide new and improved space for a range of community health services as well as better accommodation for the Craiglockhart and Firrhill Medical Practices.

Over 30 names were suggested by local people and the top three were then shortlisted. Around 100 people then voted on their favourite with Allermuir coming out on top.

Scotland TranServ to begin £314,000 resurfacing project

A £314,000 resurfacing project is to begin in Inverclyde, Scotland TranServ has announced.

The contractor will carry out almost 1km of resurfacing to improve the westbound A8 between Woodhall Roundabout and Newark Roundabout.

The project is due to begin on Friday, 10 June.

For safety reasons, a total closure of the westbound carriageway will be in place from 8pm on Friday until 6am on Monday, 13 June.

£35,000 beginners skate park opens in East Dunbartonshire

Concreate Skateparks has built a new £35,000 beginners skate park in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire.

The facility was developed alongside the council’s Streetscene Technical Support team at Luggie Park.

The park, which is specifically tailored for beginners, features quarter pipes at various heights, mini-ramps, flatbanks, rail/ledge and manual pad along with a mini-jump box and small driveway.

The project was partly funded by a £15,000 grant from sportscotland.