Top students recognised by Clark Contracts

Four top performing students have won awards sponsored by construction company Clark Contracts.

The future leaders of Scotland’s building and construction sector were recognised at the Annual Prize Giving of the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Scott Gordon, from Johnstone won the Alan Calder Memorial Prize, a special award for quantity surveying students set up by Clark Contracts in 2008, in memory of a former colleague. The prize, including a cheque for £200, is awarded annually to the top final year Quantity Surveying student (part time) at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Clark Contracts also sponsors awards relating to Level 3 Construction Technology, a core module at GCU. Gerard Boylan of Cumbernauld was the Winner of the Best Level 3 Technology student in Construction Management and the Overall Winner of the Best Level 3 Technology Award.

The other awards were the Best Level 3 Technology Student for Building Surveying, won by Mark Richardson from Kilmarnock, and the Best Level 3 Technology Student for Quantity Surveying, won by SeanHeraghty, Glasgow.

Gordon Cunningham, Managing Director, Clark Contracts said: “These awards recognise the dedication and hard work required by students to gain top marks in their studies. We are proud to continue to support Glasgow Caledonian University through these annual sponsorships and also by providing work placements for Quantity Surveying and Construction Management students.”

Dunblane School wins permission in principle

Stirling Council has granted planning permission in principle for the creation of a new Queen Victoria School, Dunblane.

The MoD funded boarding school is pressing ahead with a phased redevelopment and modernisation spearheaded by Holmes Miller Architects in collaboration with Horner + MacLennan landscape architects.

The plan, submitted by Holmes Miller, will see the existing estate and grounds rationalised with the addition of a new teaching block, accommodation, a pipes and drums centre, dance hall, stores and dining kitchen.

The brick clad teaching block will be given a serrated roofline to tie-in with surrounding architecture with large glazed panels to the north offering views over neighbouring playing fields. As part of this work a number of surplus unlisted buildings will be demolished.

Kilmac appointed as deal struck for £1.4m in Perth cultural quarter work

Boss at Perth and Kinross Council have struck a £1.46 million deal to create a “cultural quarter” on the edge of Perth city centre.

The local authority has awarded the contract for the Mill Street work to local firm Kilmac Construction and said the scheme, , which gets underway this week, aims to re-energise the Mill Street area and attract more private investment.

P&K Council first revealed its plan to overhaul the corridor between Perth Concert Hall and Pullar House in 2014.

The project will tie in with the highly-anticipated relaunch of Perth Theatre, scheduled for late next year.

The job will involve upgrading the road, as well as installing new pavements, drainage and electrical works.

Street furniture will also be added and vennels linking the area with the High Street will also be upgraded.

Three other companies submitted tenders for the work, which is the first of a two-phase project.

The second stage, which will be the subject of a later contract, will focus on the construction of the new look Perth Theatre.

A council spokeswoman said work should be completed by the end of February, next year.

Phase one involves improvements to the plaza area outside Perth Concert Hall, between the east side of the Premier Inn building to the junction with George Street. It is anticipated these works will be completed by October 28.

The second phase will begin afterwards and will focus from the east side of the Premier Inn down to the west end of Boots. Traffic in Mill Street will be controlled by a one way system or traffic light control during this stage of the work.

“Apart from short closures required for road surfacing, access will be maintained throughout the street,” said the council’s spokeswoman. “Diversion signage will be in place throughout the works.”

Proposals backed for new leading Inverness for golf course

Planners have given their unanimous support for a second championship golf course between Inverness and Nairn.

In a move that is hoped will provide a boost for golfing tourism in the Highlands and Inverness, the Palmer Tribute course at the Castle Stuart Golf Links between Inverness and Nairn is to create 30 jobs during the initial 14-month construction period, with 10 posts retained for a further year.

The development is being built in collaboration with golf course management firm the Arnold Palmer Group.

Detailed plans to develop the course adjacent to the existing links, which hosts next week’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, were lodged with Highland Council in October.

An additional 20 jobs will be created on site, including greenkeepers, clubhouse staff and a marketing, sales and admin team.

The council’s south planning applications committee approved the proposal, with committee chairman Jimmy Gray saying it was an extremely welcome development.

Stuart McColm, general manager at Castle Stuart Golf Links, said: “We are extremely pleased the committee has approved plans for a second world-class course at Castle Stuart Golf Links.

“This decision will allow preparations to continue towards construction getting under way later this year.

“The new course will provide a huge economic boost for Inverness, the Highlands and Scotland. It will strengthen the Highlands’ position as a leading golfing destination and, along with new transport links, help visitors regard it as a gateway for visitors to the Home of Golf.”

New site is sought as plans for Inverness jail ‘paused’

Prison bosses to examine the possibility of a different site for a proposed new jail on the outskirts of Inverness.

The Scottish Prison Service said it was “pausing” the consultation process on a proposed new facility at Milton of Leys, although the new prison could yet return to the area.

The SPS is planning to replace the 112-year-old Inverness Prison (Porterfield), one of the smallest and oldest jails in Scotland.

But those living in Milton of Leys have argued it would be a blot on the landscape and too close to the local primary school.

An SPS statement said it was “pausing the planning consultation process on the proposed prison site at Milton of Leys to ascertain if a viable alternative option is available” for the location of the new prison. It added: “SPS will progress an assessment of an alternative option which has been brought forward by the Milton of Leys site owner and which had not previously been available as a potential prison site.”

But the SPS warned that should this option not be viable, it would have “a commitment to progress the planning application on the Milton of Leys site”.