Building Briefs – March 16th

Construction work was formally – and finally - started on the site of the new Elgin High School yesterday with a turf-cutting ceremony.

The long-awaited start on the 1,000 pupil school comes after a roller-coaster year of wrangles over EU accounting rules and cost negotiations.

Yesterday pupils, parents, local councillors and teaching staff watched the first sods being cut by three of the school’s S4 students and three of the area’s primary pupils.

Work on the £28.8 million project to provide a new school and sports block will take 18 months to complete. It is expected that the first pupils will commence lessons at their new desks in October 2017.

Once the building is finished the second phase will commence, that of demolishing the old building and creating a 3G pitch, car park and landscaping works to complete the project. This will conclude in June 2018, with the formal handover the following year allowing for the year-long standard maintenance period.

The project was approved by the Moray Council back in February 2015 and financed through the Scottish Futures Trust and hub North Scotland, an independent procurement organisation.

New £10m community buy-out fund revealed as MSPs debate land reform

A £10 million annual fund to help communities buy the land they live and work on has been announced by the Scottish Government as the Land Reform Bill reaches its final stage of the parliamentary process.

Land reform minister Aileen McLeod announced that the new Scottish Land Fund, which has more than trebled from previous years, will open on April 1 and will continue until 2020.

The minister urged communities to consider whether owning the land they live and work on could mean it could offer greater benefit for local people.

The previous Land Fund awarded £9m over three years to 52 communities throughout Scotland. Of the 500,000 acres of land already in community ownership, over 90,000 acres was purchased with help from the Land Fund.

£5.29m community hub opens in East Dunbartonshire

A new £5.29 million community facility has opened in East Dunbartonshire.

The Lennoxtown Community Hub was unveiled by council leader Rhondda Geekie last week.

The building contains a range of services such as Council Tax, benefits, licensing, housing, general council enquiries, library services, leisure services, arts and events. Healthcare services are also in place in conjunction with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The building was developed in partnership with hub West Scotland.

Town Hall reopens following £3.77m refurb in North Ayrshire

A historic town hall has been reopened following a £3.77 million refurbishment programme in North Ayrshire.

The Saltcoats Town Hall was officially unveiled by first minister Nicola Sturgeon and her mother, Provost Joan Sturgeon, on 14 March.

The building has undergone an extensive redevelopment, allowing it to act as council offices as well as an events and conference centre.

Funding for the project was secured from the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (£1.1m) and £125,000 from Historic Scotland.

In addition, the council committed over £2.5m towards the scheme.

Work begins on £90,000 resurfacing project in West Dunbartonshire

Work is underway on a £90,000 road maintenance programme in West Dunbartonshire.

Scotland TranServ is carrying out resurfacing and road marking replacement works to the A82 at Greenhead Road.

The project began yestderday and is scheduled to be completed on Friday, 18 March.

To facilitate the works, a total closure will be in place at Strowans Well Road, Barnhill Road, Greenhead Road, Strowans Road and Dunbrittan Road.

Kelso racecourse plans £300,000 facelift

A £300,000 facelift is planned at Kelso racecourse to help bring its facilities up to modern standards.

The project would see a new entrance and office constructed at the Scottish Borders track.

Managing director Richard Landale said the works could be completed this summer ahead of their first meeting of the new season in September.

First class visit to Bellway’s Caledonia View

It was child’s play for Bellway when 16 inquisitive school children paid a recent visit to Bellway’s Caledonia View in Cumbernauld.

The Primary 3s from Condorrat Primary toured the development as part of a class topic on houses and homes.

The seven and eight-year-olds saw at first hand how a house is constructed, what the different stages of the build are and how a finished plot looks.

They were also given the chance to get messy and try their hands at building a small wall.