Building Briefs – March 27th

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey is helping its production staff across the UK to further their careers thanks to a new training programme.

The Production Academy is a structured learning and development programme, aligned to job levels and career paths, which has been specifically designed to enhance the skills of the company’s site management teams who have responsibility for managing housing developments across the UK.

The first enrolment of approximately 100 employees started the scheme in August 2016 and the second group, comprising a further 60 employees, were enrolled in February and March of this year.

Employees completing the initiative will gain a Taylor Wimpey Production Diploma (TWPD), a recognised qualification made up of an enhanced National Vocation Qualification (NVQ) supplemented by complementary and key training modules. As they progress their careers, employees can re-enter the Academy at the next level and work towards enhancing their qualifications.

Taylor Wimpey has selected the NHBC (National House Building Council) – an accredited provider in conjunction with Edexcel – as the training provider and assessor for the enhanced NVQ.

The full TWPD will take between eight to 12 months to complete and it’s hoped that the first employees will gain their diplomas in the summer.

Ceremony marks beginning of Inverurie Health and Social Care Hub

A special ceremony has taken place to formally mark the beginning of construction on Inverurie Health and Social Care Hub.

The first turf on the state of the art, £14.6 million health facility was cut by patient representatives Margaret Harrow and Bert Hosie alongside NHS Grampian chairman Professor Stephen Logan, in what is being described as a ‘landmark’ moment for health care in the area.

NHS Grampian said the surgery will feature 38 consulting rooms, almost double that of the current GP Practice, and initially serve more than 21,000 patients - making it the largest single health centre of its kind in the country.

Inverurie, already labelled one of Scotland’s fastest growing town, is predicted to continue developing and the new facility is designed to accommodate an estimated 30,000 patients by 2023.

At almost 4,000 m2, the 2-storey building will include GP and community health facilities, a public dental surgery and a community maternity unit. It will also have diagnostic and treatment services such as X-ray and cardiology and provide outpatient facilities for a range of other specialities.

hub North Scotland is delivering the project along with contractors Morrison Construction and Robertson FM.

Dumfries Peter Pan house works set to begin

Work is set to begin to establish a Scottish centre for children’s literature in the Dumfries house which helped to inspire the Peter Pan story.

Author JM Barrie played in the “enchanted land” at Moat Brae on the banks of the River Nith as a boy.

The Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust has announced that it has reached its £5 million target for the renovation project.

Plans submitted to transform Glasgow office space into cafe

Plans to transform a vacant office into a cafe in Glasgow’s East End have been submitted to the council.

The office which was once used by Working Links to help lone parents find work could be turned into a cafe which sells hot food if the plans are approved. The space is situated in the Parkhead end of Duke Street, and is next door to the Job Centre Plus.

Those behind the proposal, REIT Sco Ltd have applied for a change of use as the premises was previously used as an office.

The plans are expected to be considered on May19.

Land Reform Act consultation launched

A consultation has been launched on the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016.

The draft guidance contains best practices for land owners and land managers when they take decisions that impact on their local community.

Land reform secretary Roseanna Cunningham said the document “promotes fairness about decision-making, helping ensure positive engagement is the norm – with communities informed and involved in the decisions that have the greatest impact on their lives”.

To view the consultation, visit here.

Urban Union joins Considerate Constructors Scheme as a client partner

Regeneration company Urban Union has become a client partner of the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

As a client partner of the Scheme, the Scotland-based developer has made a commitment to improving the image of construction by recommending Scheme registration to all construction sites they control.

Urban Union will also be expected to encourage compliance with all aspects of the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice on all of their registered sites and companies.

DM Hall appointments boost West Commercial Property Team

Two new experienced commercial surveyors have been appointed to reinforce the West Commercial team at Chartered Surveyors DM Hall.

Mary McGoldrick, an honours graduate in Property Management and Valuation from Glasgow Caledonian University, who joins the DM Hall commercial property valuation team began her professional career with Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board where she was involved in maintaining the Valuation Roll and Council Tax List as well as negotiating business rate appeals and appearing as an expert witness.

In 2015 she moved into the private sector with Christie & Co, where she focused on the valuation of specialist trade related properties including hotels, pubs, restaurants, healthcare and medical businesses.

Mary will be covering a wide geographical area of Scotland and will be engaged in the valuation of all types of commercial property including retail, office and industrial as well as those in the licensed trade and healthcare sector.

Alister Gibson, who will specialise in commercial agency, comes to DM Hall from the National Capital Markets department of Colliers International. He is also an honours graduate in Property Management and Valuation from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Pupils building better futures with Barratt Homes

Edinburgh high school pupils have been learning about roles in construction thanks to a new initiative with Barratt Homes.

Pupils from Portobello High School were joined by the housebuilder last week to take part in an interactive session which sought to demonstrate the range of skills involved in managing a property development site.

The activity, based on a board game, saw groups of pupils act as project managers, working together to make decisions on which land to buy, the customers they were building for, as well as building materials and trades required for a successful development.

As well as showcasing the vast range of careers connected to house building, the session was useful in helping to develop skills in teamwork and budget management. As part of the activity, each decision the group makes has an impact on the teams’ costs and income.

The activity is part of the developer’s ‘Building Better Futures’ campaign, which sees Scotland’s largest property developer work with community groups, schools and colleges in the areas in which it currently operates.

The campaign aims to support community development and champions construction as a career through its role as a community partner.

The game was created as a result of activity that a cohort of employees from the Graduate Programme were tasked to design and deliver and is only the third time it has been trialled in Scotland.

Leading the activity was Land Buyer Rachel Wong, together with Customer Service Inspections Manager Eric Morrison and Sales Advisor Martin Kerr. The group will be carrying out a series of outreach activities across the Lothians, Borders and Fife throughout 2017.