Building Briefs – June 26th

Excited children, staff and invited guests have celebrated the official opening of the new £725,000 Auchinleck Early Childhood Centre.

Construction work by Clark Contracts began last August on the single storey building which accommodates the early childhood centre complete with a playroom and an outdoor play area for children aged 2 to 3 which has a mix of surfaces.

The centre has been designed to be extremely energy efficient, with LED lighting that can’t be left on by mistake and an energy efficient boiler. The building also exceeds current Building Standards requirements for insulation, and benefits from secure video door entry to keep the children and staff safe.

Children from the Early Childhood Centre performed a variety of songs including ‘Reach for the Stars’ before the centre was officially opened by Alan Brown MP.

Councillor Douglas Reid, leader of the council, said: “This new Early Childhood Centre in Auchinleck is part of our ambitious ten year capital investment programme which will see tens of millions of pounds invested in our schools. We are building for the future by providing our young people with the very best learning environments and I am so pleased with how the Centre has turned out, and how happy the children and staff are with their new building.”

Perth & Kinross Council receives Grant funding from the Forestry Commission Scotland

Perth & Kinross Council has been awarded grant funding of £1,478,000 by the Forestry Commission Scotland following a successful bid to the Commission’s Strategic Timber Transport Fund.

The grant, which will be supplemented by £633,819 of Council funding will allow the local authority to upgrade and improve the suitability of four narrow roads in the local area which are being used to extract timber.

The roads set for improvement were not made to withstand the volume of traffic now using them to transport timber from local forests. Once complete, the project to improve these roads will minimise disruption to both local communities and the forestry industry.

Two of the roads set for improvement serve forests across the Loch Rannoch area and two serve the forests in the Ochil Hills between Dunning and Milnathort. These roads are:

B846 between Rannoch Station and Tummel Bridge;

B847 from Balmore on the north side of Loch Rannoch to the A9 at Calvine;

U29 between Path of Condie and Dunning;

U214 between Meikle Seggie and Ballingall.

Leader of Perth & Kinross Council, Councillor Ian Campbell said: “As a Highland councillor, I am well aware of the poor condition of roads and the need for urgent repairs and I’m delighted that we have secured this level of funding to improve our residents’ roads.

“The areas that will be affected by these works are popular tourist destinations, providing access to Highland Perthshire and the Ochil Hills respectively. They also serve a number of small, remote rural communities.

Plans for the roads include:

The construction of 9.1 miles of carriageway and edge strengthening works;

Fourteen embankment supports;

The Construction of 92 passing places.

The conditions of the grant funding require the works to be completed by the end of March 2018. This will lead to some disruption to the travelling public including road closures for a short period in the interests of public safety. It is anticipated that works will commence in August 2017 and last through the winter months.

Although the road closures are planned to take effect from September 2017 until January 2018, roads will not be closed for these entire periods and access will be maintained to properties together with well sign-posted diversion routes.

Construction plans are currently being developed to synchronise works in the individual areas with the aim of reducing the periods the closures are in force for.

The plans will be made available on completion to support discussions aimed at progressing the project with local elected members, local residents, public transport providers and community and business groups.

Permission to demolish Aberdeen shops granted to clear way for new £6m community hub

A building warrant has been issued to demolish the Tillydrone Shopping Centre on Aberdeen’s Hayton Road, paving the way for the development of a state-of-the-art community hub on the site.

The cost of razing the site are estimated at £116,000 with work to clear the site expected to start in two months.

An application detailing proposals for the new multi-million pound facility to be built was formally lodged with Aberdeen City Council in April, and include plans for a library, creche, IT area, cafe, retail space and a business start-up unit.

Aberdeen City Council has pledged £4.1m towards the complex, while a further £1.9m grant has been received from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. The centre is expected to open in 2019 and groups which use the shopping centre are set to move out by August this year.

There will also be on-site council services for housing tenants, as well as a training kitchen and laundry area.

Councillor Ross Grant, spokesman for regeneration and member for Tillydrone, Seaton and Old Aberdeen, today said he was delighted with the investment in the community

He said: “The upcoming demolition of the Tillydrone Shopping Centre marks the first major transformational phase in regenerating Tillydrone, and makes way for £6 million of investment in a state-of-the-art community hub and new retail facilities.”

Highland care home plan submitted

Plans to erect a 40-bed care home off Ness Road, Fortrose have been submitted to Highland Council.

The planning application has been filed by CRGP Architects on behalf of the Parklands Group.

The planned facility will serve the wider Black Isle community and has been conceived to provide each resident with a minimum bedroom footprint of 19sq/m together with ensuite facilities.

Designed to offer a homely environment the scheme prioritises natural light and views and connects to the wider landscape via a sensory garden and walks.

Student halls plan for derelict Dundee jute mill

Plans that would likely see a historic Dundee jute mill demolished and replaced with student accommodation are to be put on public display.

Queen Victoria Works, located on the city’s brook street, was built in 1828, but lain derelict since closing in the 1980s.

The plans for the site involve the creation of up to 250 rooms for students.

The plans are out for public consultation, with an open exhibition arranged at Verdant Works on Thursday July 13, from 12.15pm to 6.45pm.

The mill, once home to Tay Spinners before its closure, is Category B-listed by Historic Scotland.

The buildings are in poor condition and likely to face demolition if council bosses approve the plans.

Architects James Paul Associates submitted a notice of the proposed application on behalf of Scot Properties Ltd.

Angus Paul, director with James Paul Associates, said the public will play a major part in the site’s future.

He said: “At this stage we’re still putting together the final plans so it’s still early days.

“Our proposal is to demolish some if not all of the buildings at the site.

“We’re still at pre-planning stage but we envisage up to 250 rooms being created for students in a three-storey building.”

He added: “These would be self-contained with a small kitchen, shower, bedroom, sofa and things like that.”

Concerns have been raised by residents and councillors in the West End over the safety of the site.

The mill has also been regularly accessed by people despite its dilapidated condition.