Building Briefs – June 2nd

New £333m Aberdeen exhibition centre to open in early 2019

The new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre is now due to be completed in spring 2019.

The £333 million AECC in Bucksburn was originally expected to be completed in late 2018 but the project was delayed.

Construction is scheduled to begin in July after Aberdeen City Council buys the land.

The new exhibition centre will replace the existing AECC at Bridge of Don, which is set to become a recycling facility.

Developers say it will bring an extra 31,000 business tourists to the area each year, who they claim will contribute £11m to the economy.

Aberdeen City Council spends around £1.3m subsidising the current AECC every year but says the new development will cost it just £100,000 annually.

Fife Council allocates £5.7m for bridge maintenance

Fife Council has set aside £5.7 million from its capital budget to maintain hundreds of bridges in the region.

Due to a number of structures being below standard, the council has approved its ‘Fife Bridges Works Rolling Programme 2016/17’, which will run until 2025.

With 432 road bridges and 278 retaining walls, 74 per cent of Fife’s bridges have a ‘good/very good’ condition rating.

However, it is has been reported a number of structures now require special measures to ensure that they’re safe.

Priorities for this year include:

• the infilling of the propped A917 Kilrenny Bridge

• replacement of the A913 Burnside Bridge, Newburgh

• concrete repairs and corrosion protection to A91 Guardbridge

Bridge of Don farm to make way for mixed use development

Scotia Homes have submitted plans for a mixed use development at Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, comprising new homes, retail and a nursery.

Drawn up by Michael Gilmour Associates the project will involve the conversion and extension of an existing farmhouse for commercial use with the farmhouse itself replaced by a new retail building.

Work continues on three projects in Outer Hebrides

Contractor MacInnes Brothers (Bros) is progressing with work on three capital projects in the Outer Hebrides.

A £1.6 million development at Ardveenish harbour is nearing completion, while work is continuing on the £1m redevelopment of Vatersay hall and a £900,000 project to build two business units in Castlebay.

Each project is being funded by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, with the scheme at Ardveenish harbour receiving £1.2m from the Comhairle’s Capital Programme 2008-2013 and £283,000 from the Coastal Communities Fund (CCF).

In addition, Highlands and Islands Enterprise provided £125,000 towards the project’s cost. The development is expected to be open in July.

The ‘Vatersay Community Hub’ project was awarded £100,000 by the CNES, various funding from CCF/HIE, and received a substantial sum from the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (SGRCGF) due to being a component project within the Comhairle’s ‘South Uist & Barra Regeneration Programme’.

The business unit project in Castlebay is funded by both the CNES and SGRCGF. Work is just getting underway, however completion is expected by spring 2017.

Reconstruction works for Rob Roy Bridge

Work costing £530,000 to reconstruct the 19th century Rob Roy Bridge in Peterculter is to start at the end of the month, Aberdeen City Council has revealed.

The reconstruction works which are required to safeguard the future structural stability of the bridge are due to start on site on Monday 27 June 2016 and will take 26 weeks to complete.

The original masonry arch is circa 1800 and the arch beam/column north section is circa 1920.

The works involve the demolition of the reinforced concrete section of the bridge, which will be rebuilt to modern standards. During the whole of the contract, there will be traffic lights in operation.

Clyde Valley Housing Association to convert former Coatbridge library

Clyde Valley Housing Association (CVHA) has received planning permission to convert the former Carnegie Library in Coatbridge into residential flats.

With the help of Historic Environment Scotland HES funding, the Association will retain and develop the front part of the building in Academy Street to enhance its original character.

The funding is part of North Lanarkshire Council’s Coatbridge Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) which identified the former library, alongside the C listed vacant terrace at 7-13 Bank Street, the C listed Coia Building at 27-29 Main Street, as priorities for grant assistance.

Grants available for Coatbridge properties

Property owners in Coatbridge town centre within the Blairhill and Dunbeth Conservation Area are being invited to apply for grants for external improvement work.

North Lanarkshire Council was awarded £800,000 from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to support regeneration of the area and has now written to owners with details of the Coatbridge Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) asking for expressions of interest in applying for funding of 50 per cent to 80 per cent of the costs.

A conservation architect will carry out an external inspection of all properties within the project area to identify potential eligible works such as repairs to stonework, chimneys and gutters.

East Dunbartonshire Council invites residents to view LDP documents

East Dunbartonshire Council is inviting residents to find out more information about the regions Local Development Plan (LDP).

Drafts of the Design and Placemaking document, as well as the Developers Contributions document, have now been published. Each document will give further information and detail on policies set out in the proposed LDP.

When approved, each policy will be used to determine planning applications, along with forming part of the LDP.

To access the documents, visit here.