Building Briefs – March 25th

Emerging plans for the development of the Bearsden Community Hub have been revealed to the public.

East Dunbartonshire Council has approved an option for the development of the Hub based on a reconfiguration of the Bearsden Burgh Hall site on Drymen Road.

The £3 million-plus development will include the re-provisioning of the library and Community Archives from Brookwood as well as enhancing the current hall facilities through a full refurbishment. The Community Hub will also contain new public meeting rooms and social work facilities, new public toilets as well as an entire upgrade of the current accommodation. A customer services area will deliver a new, flexible ‘one stop shop’ approach to customer services to make it easier for residents to access and get information about a variety of different council services and make payments for them in just one visit.

An information event has been organised on Thursday 26 March at Bearsden Burgh Hall at 7pm to allow residents an opportunity to find out more about what is planned for the new facility at an early stage in the design process. This follows on from the successful drop-in event held in December and meetings with the Bearsden Hub Champions Group where initial plans for the Community Hub were displayed.

GAP Group agrees multi-million pound dumper order with Terex

GAP Group has concluded and agreed a 2 year supply contract with Terex for site dumpers.

The first tranche of the above agreement has resulted in an order being placed for more than 400 dumpers ranging in size from 1.0t to 9.0t at a capital investment of more than £7.5 million.

Calls for new bridge over River Clyde to link Govan and Partick

Residents in Govan and Partick are calling for a new bridge to be built over the Clyde to reconnect the once inseparable communities.

As part of the Glasgow City Development Plan, Glasgow City Council provided £50,000 funding for a four day brain-storming event called a charrette between March 16 - 19.

A team of designers and engineers met with over 300 local residents at the Riverside Museum and in local schools, asking for views on how to link the two communities.

As well as a new bridge, people also supported the idea of reinstating the ferry services which was brought back for the duration of the charrette.

A77 Glenluie Farm, Kirkoswald resurfacing works

Scotland TranServ on behalf of Transport Scotland is to carry out £127k of resurfacing works on the A77 West of Glenluie Farm, Kirkoswald both north and southbound beginning 27 March 2015.

Builder bids to encourage leavers

Housebuilder Stewart Milne went back to school yesterday to encourage teenagers to consider careers in the construction industry.

The Stewart Milne Group chairman spoke to secondary pupils from St Machar and Northfield Academies in Aberdeen about the current job opportunities in the building sector which is facing a nationwide skills shortage.

The industry currently relies on overseas workers and the Construction Industry Training Board estimate that 182,000 qualified tradespeople will be needed to meet demand across the UK in the next five years.

Five employers – the Stewart Milne Group, Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Galliford Try and Robertson Construction – have joined forces to change the perception of the construction industry among young people.

Stirling Council reaches 700th solar panel milestone

Council housing in Stirling continues to become more environmentally friendly and energy efficient after the 700th installation of solar panels took place this week.

The installation at a block of flats in Stirling’s Mayfield Court is part of an ongoing investment in renewable technology in the housing stock aimed at reducing fuel poverty, improving energy efficiency ratings and reducing the council’s overall carbon footprint.

Overall the 700 installations will generate an estimated two million units of electricity each year, enough to meet the average annual electricity needs of 500 homes.

Use of the panels is also expected to result in an estimated annual saving of just under £300 for each household when it comes to electricity bills.

Lanarkshire window manufacturer joins Scotland’s 150 Living Wage employers

Cumbernauld window manufacturer CMS has become the 150th Scots-based company to achieve Living Wage accreditation.

After implementing the Living Wage earlier this year, 96 of the firm’s 209 full time directly employed staff received a pay increase.

The company already have a strong record on recruitment and youth employment and the Poverty Alliance have confirmed that the scale of the pay rise given is higher than most other firms seeking accreditation.

The move ensures that the Scottish Government’s target, outlined in Programme for Government, to have at least 150 accredited organisations by the end of 2015 has been met months ahead of schedule.

Andy Kerr, managing director of CMS said: “Signing up to the Living Wage benefits us as a business in so many ways. Most importantly, the Living Wage is particularly helpful to our young workers whose role in our long-term business success cannot be understated.

“As our strong growth continues through new commercial, social housing and housebuilding contracts across Scotland, we must continue to invest in today’s young workers who will be the ones taking us forward in five, ten or twenty years from now. That’s why the Living Wage is so important.”

Average monthly rents in Scotland up 1.1 per cent

Average monthly rents in Scotland have risen by 1.1 per cent in the past year, the slowest increase in almost two years, new figures show.

The rise was the smallest annual increase since April 2013, according to the latest Buy-to-Let Index from lettings agent network Your Move.

The average residential rent across Scotland increased only £6 in the year to February, reaching £537 per month last month.

On a monthly basis, Scottish rental prices have climbed 0.2 per cent since January, marking the first monthly rent rise since November 2014.

Meanwhile, the financial health of tenants appears to have declined, with February seeing the highest proportion of late rent since December 2012.

Edinburgh and the Lothians experienced the strongest annual rent growth, with prices climbing 2.5 per cent (equal to £15) in the twelve months to February 2015, closely followed by Glasgow and Clyde, where rents are up 2.3 per cent (£12) year-on-year.

The Highlands and Islands experienced the biggest annual drop in average rents, which fell 1.6 per cent, equivalent to £9 in cash terms.

Meanwhile, monthly rents in the South of Scotland are 1.5 per cent lower than in February 2014.

Councillors approve Glen Ullinish Wind Farm on Skye

A 14-turbine wind farm proposed for Skye has been unanimously approved by Highland councillors.

Crofters have been working with Perth-based Kilmac Construction on the Glen Ullinish Wind Farm.

The development involves installing turbines between Ose and Struan at Allt Dughaill on Skye and could generate enough power for 23,000 properties.

Members of the north planning committee approved the planning application at a meeting Dingwall.

Gap Group on a ‘mission’ to help Glasgow’s homeless

GAP Hire Solutions has donated a four-figure sum to charity Glasgow City Mission as part of the company’s commitment to fundraising.

Glasgow City Mission seeks to help the homeless and those in poverty with its city centre project in Crimea Street. The money raised helped feed 230 men and women on Christmas day.

The charity holds a Night Shelter, open during the winter months to provide emergency accommodation for those who would otherwise sleep rough. It also facilitates a Family Centre in Govan, which supports young children and their families in a number of ways.

GAP has also raised over £1500 for other local charities through staff completing a sponsored hike and cycle on the Isle of Arran and the annual Christmas raffle at Head Office.