Building Briefs – June 29th

DM Design – specialists in bespoke bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchens - has won the prestigious Best Bedroom Company award for the second year in a row at this year’s Home Improvement Awards.

Established over thirty years ago, DM Design offers over 100,000 room designs across kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, which helped them win this notable award once again.

The company offers award winning designs to the whole of Scotland, with showrooms in Cumbernauld, Aberdeen, Livingston, East Kilbride Shopping Centre, and Dobbies Breahead.

After successful award ceremonies in 2015 and 2016, the Home Improvement Awards were back for 2017 with 1,000 entrants from across the whole of Scotland competing to be nominated within their chosen category, the stakes were high from the outset. Customers voted for the companies that would be finally shortlisted, and DM Design were proud to make the cut.

The finalists gathered at the Marriott Hotel, Glasgow earlier this month.

Speaking about the award and the evening itself, Donald Macleod said: “DM Design is delighted to be awarded the Best Bedroom Company award for the second year running at the Home Improvement Awards 2017. Our team are constantly looking at ways to innovate and move forward into the future of bedroom design.

“By staying ahead of our competition, and making sure our customers always come first, this is what makes awards like this possible. I’d like to thank all of the hard working staff at DM Design, the Home Improvement Awards, the sponsors, and most importantly of all – our customers! I’m already looking forward to next year’s awards ceremony.”

Forfar development plans lodged by hotel chain

National hotel and hospitality chain Marston’s Brewery has submitted plans for a 36-room, two-storey lodge hotel in the Orchardbank Industrial Estate, Forfar.

Muir Construction has been earmarked to lay the foundations in Berrymoss Lane if its bid is successful.

Agents Mackay Planning have put in a bid for a two-storey lodge hotel with car parking and a new access.

Levelling and drainage would cost about £2.2 million. It is understood the council sold the land north of Berrymoss Lane for an undisclosed sum following a private item in chambers in April 2017.

The site has been earmarked by Angus Council as a development zone beside the town’s important link road to the dual carriageway.

Located at the town’s western gateway where Marston’s opened a bar restaurant in 2013,

The site is also already populated by McDonald’s, KFC, printers Astute and the council’s own headquarters.

Martson’s development proposals comprise the erection of a 38-bed lodge with 34 car parking spaces, according to the planning statement.

The development would be accessed from Berrymoss Lane which currently provides access to the existing Marston’s and KFC.

Jedburgh town centre regeneration scheme launched

Following a successful bid for funding earlier this year, the Jedburgh Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) was launched in the town on Tuesday.

The £1.3m project, funded by Historic Environment Scotland’s CARS programme, Scottish Borders Council and private sector contributions, will support town centre conservation and regeneration activity over the next five years.

The Council has been working closely with key community groups in Jedburgh for some time on the proposal, and a bid for CARS funding was approved by Historic Environment Scotland in February.

The significant funds available for Jedburgh CARS will enable a targeted approach for conservation-based building repairs as well as a wide range of training, heritage and education activities.

Six properties have been identified as Priority Repair Projects for CARS funding in the town centre, including the Category A listed Port House building owned by Jedburgh Community Trust.

A traditional building repair grant scheme will also operate in the town with applications for traditional building repairs accepted in a series of rounds.

The Kelso Townscape Heritage Initiative (partly funded by CARS) won a national planning award and delivered improvements to eight priority buildings, along with repairs to over 30 traditional buildings. A £2m streetscape scheme was also completed, along with the gap site development of business space and a school education programme.

The ongoing Selkirk CARS programme is also aimed at delivering enhancements to the town centre, including building repairs and streetscape works, and has included an ongoing skills training programme.

Morgan Sindall apprentices sow the seeds of sustainability

Apprentices from the Scottish construction arm of Morgan Sindall have taken part in a Skills Development Scotland initiative aimed at encouraging young workers to give something back to the communities in which they work.

Entitled The Scottish Apprenticeship Challenge, the programme also aims to foster links between local communities and businesses, while highlighting the positive effect apprenticeships can have at a local and national level.

Six apprentices from a number of local construction sites – including from the landmark £15 million Balloch School Campus in West Dunbartonshire – took part in a day of gardening with environmental group Urban Roots at its headquarters; Toryglen Community Base, in Glasgow.

The Morgan Sindall apprentices put their construction skills to good use, undertaking a range of groundwork around the site, while also creating planters for the base’s community garden and nursery.

Nicola Gooch, community benefits advisor at Morgan Sindall, helped to coordinate the event and explained how beneficial the apprentices found the challenge: “Along with a reputation for delivering projects that improve the built environment, Morgan Sindall is conscious of its responsibility to work sustainably and preserve the natural environment.

“We want our apprentices to experience as many aspects of our business as possible. This event has been a great opportunity for them to apply their developing construction skills, while reinforcing the need to be mindful of the environment and the importance of engaging meaningfully with the local community.”

Emma Iller Project Manager at Urban Roots said: “We are delighted with the contribution that the Morgan Sindall apprentices have made to developing new growing spaces at our community garden and nursery. They have really improved the appearance of the site.”

Morgan Sindall’s participation in the challenge follows the construction and infrastructure company’s Build UK ‘Open Doors’ event, held earlier this year at the £107 million Marischal Square development in Aberdeen city centre.

Ran in partnership with Scottish Government organisation, Developing the Young Workforce, it gave prospective construction workers an invaluable glimpse into the workings of a busy building site.

Local football team scores strip sponsorship from Taylor Wimpey

Taylor Wimpey East Scotland has shown its support for local community football in Penicuik by becoming the main home strip sponsor for Penicuik Youth FC’s 2006 teams – both boys and girls, as well as the 2009 boys’ team.

Penicuik Athletic Youth Football Club Vice-Chairman Shaun Millican said: “We’re thrilled to have received this support from Taylor Wimpey East Scotland and to welcome them to our local community with their development of new homes taking shape in the town.

“Our young teams are now the proud owners of new home strips and we’re delighted to see them looking so smart as they approach every game.”

Karen Armstrong, sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland said: “We’re delighted to be supporting community football in Penicuik in this way, and we hope that our involvement will bring the teams lots of luck in future matches.

“This sponsorship allows us to play our part in becoming part of the local community in Penicuik, and it also gives us the opportunity to underpin our commitment to create a fantastic range of family homes at our Greenlaw Mill development.”