Building Briefs – June 29th

Whiteburn Projects is celebrating after its Parkview development in Dundee has scooped the Renovation of the Year Award (multiple dwellings) in this year’s Scottish Home Awards.

The former Grade B listed Parkview school building sits at the heart of the development, and it was originally designed by James McLaren & Sons and completed in 1896. It has long been one of Dundee’s treasured landmarks with its prominent and elevated south-facing position at the apex of Blackness Road. Fronted by two circular towers, arched stone dormers and tall panelled windows, the views offered across the River Tay to the east, south and west are unsurpassable.

Architects Page\Park have worked sympathetically with the building to retain as many original features as possible – the main entrance hall, the three main staircases, complete with their elegant cast iron balustrades, and also the canopy running around three sides of the private landscaped courtyard, which will create a private shared space for the residents.

Eve McCurrich, development manager for developer Whiteburn Projects, said: “We are creating a truly unique development at Parkview in Dundee, and to see the development taking shape and securing major industry awards is great for the team. We are equally delighted by the reaction and support of our residents, and by seeing them enjoy Parkview becoming their homes.”

The overall Parkview development will create 45 new homes in a mix of mews houses and apartments.

Linlithgow set for new retail development

Mactaggart & Mickel Commercial Property has secured planning permission for its latest retail site, located in Linlithgow.

The development will include a 12,000 sq ft retail unit with car parking facilities and associated services and landscaping. Located on Edinburgh Road, to the east of the commuter town’s bustling High Street, the site of the former petrol filling station had been vacant for a number of years.

The developer, a division of family builder, Mactaggart & Mickel Group, is now in the process of securing a tenant.

The development is the company’s fifth retail site following successful projects at East Craigs, Dalkeith, Airdrie and Greenan in Ayr. Tenants include Tesco, Sainsbury’s, The Co-operative, Lloyds Pharmacy.

Construction work starts on Dyce park and ride

Work has started on a £15.2 million project to create a new 1,000-space park and ride site and dual carriageway link road near Aberdeen International Airport.

Aberdeen City Council is investing in the project off the A96 Aberdeen to Inverurie road in the latest of a series of infrastructure improvements to tackle congestion and reduce journey times.

Council leader Jenny Laing was last week joined by representatives of Lagan Construction Group, which was awarded the contract for the work, for a sod-cutting ceremony on the site.

The Dyce development will provide space for 1,000 vehicles, as well as waiting accommodation and cycle lockers, along with 500m of dual carriageway between the A96 and Dyce Drive at its junction with Argyll Road.

The road element of the scheme will include footpaths and a shared cycle lane and pedestrian walkway, while the dual carriageway will have three lanes going in each direction.

The northern leg of the link road will be built in the first phase of the project, and is due for completion in November.

The second stage of the development, which will involve the southern leg and the connection to a new roundabout on the A96 to link to the new Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), is due for completion by April 2016.

The park and ride site is due to be completed and open to vehicles by August 2016.

It is the latest in a range of park and ride sites planned on Aberdeen’s major commuter corridors.

The project will also improve access to Aberdeen International Airport and relieve pressure on the busy A96, particularly towards the Haudagain roundabout.

Call for bids for £4m empty homes fund

A new fund has been launched which aims to create additional residential accommodation in Scotland’s urban and rural towns.

The Scottish Government’s £4 million Town Centre Empty Homes Fund will finance projects to convert disused commercial premises into residential and to target problematic empty homes that require extensive refurbishment to make them habitable again.

Registered social landlords and developers can apply for funding until 21 August 2015.

The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, which is run by the housing charity Shelter Scotland, works with councils to help bring empty private-sector homes back into use.

Since 2010, the partnership has brought over 900 homes back into use and encouraged 17 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities to appoint dedicated empty homes officers.

Construction work starts on Ayrshire recycling centre

Construction work has begun on the new Recycling Facility at Tarbolton Moss Landfill in Ayrshire.

The 30,000sqft facility was designed by lma architects + planning consultants for Tarbolton Landfill Ltd and shall be operated by Ayrshire Waste Management Ltd.

When complete, the facility will recycle an initial 50,000 tonnes of commercial waster per year utilising the very latest in drive thru and separating technologies. Standing at 12m tall to the eaves, the building allows for the future installation of incineration and gasification plant which enable Ayrshire Waste Management to facilitate the clean disposal of non-biodegradable material and to produce gas energy for onward consumption.

Construction works on the £2 million building are being carried out by Linea Construction and will be completed in the Autumn of this year.

Housing minister charts progress at Arbroath affordable homes development

Minister for housing and welfare, Margaret Burgess, visited Arbroath last week to see how work to develop a derelict site into affordable homes, commercial and community space is moving on in earnest.

The minister was taken on a tour of the Baltic Mill site by Angus Council housing officers.

Phase 1 of the project by local company Dens Road Ltd started in February 2015 and will deliver commercial, retail and community space, including business start-up units. Phase 2 will create 36 affordable housing units for mid-market rent by converting the iconic grade A listed Baltic Mill into apartments and also building new purpose built flats behind. The old original chimney will also be retained as a landmark.

The project will last two years and will be a major element in plans to regenerate central Arbroath. The work will cost around £5 million, with £1.08m funding from Angus Council’s survive and thrive programme and £800,000 from Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

Work starts on new Forfar Community Campus

Robertson Group has started work on a £38 million project to create a new state of the art modern educational and community facility in Forfar.

The Forfar Community Campus project will incorporate the replacement for Forfar Academy, Forfar Swimming Pool and Lochside Leisure Centre. The new facility is being developed by Angus Council in partnership with the hub East Central Scotland.

The new building will welcome pupils and the wider community in February 2017.