Building Briefs – March 22nd

Three quarters of the funds have been secured for Scotland’s first Creation Centre – a project that could radically change the cultural landscape.

The last month has brought pledges of £2.6 million including a £1.006m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £1m from Creative Scotland and £622,000 from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. Glasgow City Council had already promised £1m.

The £4.9m Briggait Creation Centre will be an entirely new cultural offering, providing a dedicated base for dance and a home for the rapidly expanding physical performance sector – including circus, street theatre, flying trapeze and other aerial skills.

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The project, led by Wasps Artists’ Studios, will also complete the regeneration of the Briggait, a beautiful and historic Grade A-listed Victorian and Edwardian market complex in the city’s medieval Merchant City.

Once operational it will be a hub for 600 professional artists, physical performers and dancers. It will be home to five arts organisations – Dance House Glasgow, Conflux, Indepen-dance, Aerial Edge and YDance. Each has diverse skills and expertise and an international network of contacts, and all are currently based within the Briggait.

 

Potential Tay Cities Deal to be explored

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Key players in the push for a Tay Cities Deal are set to gather to give their input over the next few days.

A series of stakeholder meetings with invitees including representatives of local business, higher and further education, the voluntary sector and chambers of commerce have been arranged by the four councils behind the bid.

Angus, Fife, Dundee City and Perth & Kinross councils are keen to build on recent momentum after the area was awarded £63.8 million from the Scottish Government’s Growth Accelerator Model (GAM) for projects at Dundee Waterfront and the development of the V&A.

A city deal will provide additional funding if outcomes agreed with the Scottish and UK Governments are delivered.

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Stakeholders meetings are taking place today in St Andrews, on Tuesday March 29 in Dundee, the following day in Arbroath and with the final session in Perth on Friday April1.

 

Six roofing apprentices complete off-site training at Forster Skills Academy

Forster Roofing’s second tranche of six apprentices have successfully completed the off-site training part of a new Modern Apprenticeship (NVQ) qualification in Roofing, developed specifically for new-build housing.

The apprentices, who come from a range of locations across Scotland, received their certificates of achievement from Forster Roofing construction director, Neil McIvor, last week.

Faced with a reducing level of talent in the industry, Forster last year launched its own in-house Skills Academy that takes training into its own hands.

Pioneered by Maureen Douglas, group HR director, the two year integrated training programme combines on the job structured learning with contextualised off-site training at Forster’s purpose built training centre in Brechin.

In 2015 Forster Roofing took on a total of 12 Modern Apprentices through the newly built Academy. With a further 12 apprentices to be taken on this year, the company is on-track to achieve its target of recruiting 24 apprentices before the end of 2016.

 

Construction output to hit record levels

The output of the construction sector is set to soar to record levels in the year ahead, the latest research is predicting.

According to data from analysts Leading Edge, total output will jump by 3.3 per cent on 2015 to reach an unprecedented figure of £135.3 billion.

This will be well up on the previous peak of £133.7bn, which was achieved during the pre-recession boom of 2007.

All sectors are expected to contribute to the new surge in productivity, the findings suggest, with infrastructure, industrial and private house-building leading the way.

The only exception to the positive picture will be the public housing sector, which is expected to see a shortfall in 2016.

However, the commercial sector is predicted to return to growth this year following a slight dip in productivity in 2015, the research shows.

The trend towards growth is also expected to continue right through to the end of the decade, the findings show.

Construction output is predicted to be 17 per cent higher in 2020 than it was last year.

Infrastructure will once again be one of the strongest performing sectors, with spending on areas such as energy and transport set to increase.

House-building, industrial and commercial are also expected to surge ahead.

 

Icon Fabrications wins Edinburgh Zoo tiger enclosure contract

Icon Fabrications has been awarded a contract by Royal Zoological Society of Scotland to construct a new tiger enclosure and glazed viewing tunnel at Edinburgh Zoo.

The new and improved enclosure will be home to the zoo’s two Sumatran tigers Jambi and Baginda.

The Sumatran tiger is a subspecies of tiger found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and it is estimated that fewer than 400 of these majestic tigers are left in the wild.

The Tiger Tracks development, which will cost in the region of half a million pounds, will feature a spectacular ground level viewing tunnel for visitors, covered pathways, a high level viewing area, feeding post and cubbing den. Tiger Tracks will also boast climbing structures for the tiger pair, heated rocks to relax on, ponds to splash in and a new indoor house.

A new picnic and play area will also be developed to the north of Tiger Tracks, occupying part of the space vacated by last year’s Dinosaurs Return! exhibit. The play park and picnic area are scheduled to open to the public as soon as this Easter.

Work started last week and the new facility is expected to be completed by May 2016.

 

New Glasgow homes plan submitted

Adrian Higson Architecture has lodged plans for the creation of 16 flats in Glasgow.

Drawn up by Bapu Properties, the Sinclair Drive project will also feature a ground floor commercial unit.

 

Jim Clark museum in Duns reaches funding landmark

Plans for a museum celebrating the achievements of two-time Formula One world champion Jim Clark have reached another funding landmark.

Scottish Borders Council has been successful in a first stage bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the project in Duns.

Development funding of more than £50,000 has been awarded to help work up a full bid for about £645,000.

The council has already committed almost £620,000 to the scheme.

Community fundraising aims to bring in a minimum of £300,000 towards the project.

It would see the existing Jim Clark Room in Duns expanded and enhanced to allow cars and trophies to be put on display.

A total project cost of about £1.65 million has been attached to the scheme.

It is hoped the development could be completed by 2018 - the 50th anniversary of Clark’s death at Hockenheim in Germany, aged just 32.

 

Approval for 62m-high wind turbine near Kennoway

Plans for a 62m-high wind turbine near Kennoway have been approved.

Councillors on the Central Fife planning committee agreed that the 500kw structure could stay at Kilmux Farm for 25 years.

Planning officer Kathleen Illingworth said the turbine complied with established policy on size and impact on the landscape and was considered to be acceptable.

 

Dundee flood protection contracts to be discussed

Dundee’s flood defences are set to come under the spotlight as contracts for work to protect the city are readied for publication.

Consultation has already taken place on work between City Quay and Riverside Park with public opinion due to be canvassed on work for Broughty Ferry in the summer.

Public consultation on the £5m City Quay to Riverside Park coastal flood protection measures took place in January 2015 and the scheme was formally notified in January this year. If there are no objections, work could start on the measures in the next financial year.

It is intended to carry out public consultation on the proposed £11m Broughty Ferry coastal flood protection scheme this summer with construction planned for financial years 2017/18 and 2018/19.

The costs for both schemes are likely to be shared, with the Scottish Government shouldering 80 per cent, and Dundee City Council paying the remainder.

The city development committee meets to discuss the issues on March 28.

 

Final stage of £112,000 improvement project to begin in Glasgow

The final stage of a £112,000 road improvement project is due to begin today in Glasgow.

Scotland TranServ will begin replacing a weigh-in, motion sensor along the A77 at Meiklewood.

The equipment captures data about the number and type of vehicles using the route.

To carry out the project safely, there will be two nights of closures on the A77 at multiple locations.

 

First turf cut on new Shetland indoor pitch

Work on a new £1.9 million indoor training pitch at Lerwick’s Clickimin Leisure Complex has begun with a symbolic turf cutting ceremony.

The PVC-covered building will go up over the next nine months after which it will be able to provide all weather training facilities.

sportscotland is stumping up £500,000 towards the venture, with the rest of the cash coming out of the budget for the new Anderson High School.

 

Drone to be used for Dundee mansion roof survey

An aerial survey undertaken by Dundee & Angus College students may help repair damage done to Camperdown House.

The 19th-Century mansion was targeted by thieves at the end of last month, with large quantities of lead stripped from the roof.

Dundee City Council has yet to assess the level of damage and the value of the metal stolen during the raid.

The theft did, however, take place just a few years after the property underwent nearly £1 million worth of work on its roof.

A helping hand is being offered by eight HND building surveying students, who are surveying the building from the air.

The students have already surveyed the exterior of the A-listed building, assessing its condition, and are now undertaking a roofing survey by launching a drone to capture images from above.

The house, in the grounds of Camperdown Park, is currently being marketed by the local authority for lease.

Talks have already taken place over the site being turned into a boutique hotel, one of several potential uses being put forward by the council.

 

Glasgow City Mission receives charitable donation from GAP Hire Solutions

GAP Hire Solutions has presented a donation to the Glasgow City Mission, neighbours to GAP Group’s head office on Carrick Street.

The GAP Giving Charitable Foundation delivers support to various charities across the globe, with the worthy causes nominated by staff. Groups as far spread as Doctors without borders have received the much needed financial support offered by the company, showing the truly international nature of their aid. GAP donates 0.5 per cent of its annual profit to charitable causes, with the final donation figures for the financial year of 2015/16 seeing the total reach £90,000.

Glasgow City Mission works with adults and children who are vulnerable and disadvantaged in Glasgow, people who are often leading chaotic or difficult lives. The centre provides a range of life changing services, making a real impact across Glasgow. From young children to the elderly, thousands of people have been given invaluable assistance thanks to their marvellous work. With a permanent staff team of 9 alongside 180 volunteers, the centre acts as a sanctuary for the most needy in the community.

Amongst their wide ranging services, Glasgow City Mission offers meals to those who need them most, as well as a base for relationships to flourish, and friendships to be built. The centre also helps those from foreign shores, who have arrived in Britain seeking safety, to acclimatise to their new home. The Mission’s work knows no limits, and they were thrilled with the generosity shown by the GAP Giving Charitable Foundation.

The Mission also provides a number of educational programs, with Jobs and Business Glasgow offering IT courses, Literacy and Numeracy classes; and perhaps most poignantly for GAP; assistance in achieving the required CSCS accreditation to work within the construction industry.

The GAP Giving Charitable Foundation will continue in to the new financial year, supporting charities across the globe. The Glasgow City Mission has arranged its “Big Arran Challenge”, where fundraisers can cycle round the island, climb Goatfell at 2,866 feet, or take part in the entire Duathlon. Entry is open now, with the event taking place on Saturday 11th June.

For more information visit here.