Building Briefs – March 7th

Scotland’s largest planned new town, Chapelton, is a step closer to offering a range of new properties and community facilities following the commencement of a mass excavation of rock.

Making way for the next phase, after a combination of digging and blasting, more than 250,000 tonnes of soil and rock will be moved at the development, which is located five miles south of Aberdeen. This phase will offer variety of homes and amenities including a retirement village and commercial centre.

The work follows the occupation of over 100 homes and local facilities including a tearoom, nursery school and hair and beauty salon in the initial phase and is the next step in creating the vibrant new community of over 4,000 homes.

Elsick Development Company is leading the project.

The excavation is being led by local firm James Jamieson Construction, supported by Albion Drilling for the blasting work, and will see the employment of more than twenty workers.

Councillor sees latest progress at Aberdeen’s new Centre of Excellence

Councillor Angela Taylor, education and children service’s convener, paid a visit yesterday to see progress at Aberdeen’s £17 million Centre of Excellence.

The Howes Road building, due to open in August, was officially named Orchard Brae School last week, will be a hub for best practice in supporting pupils from across Aberdeen with Additional Support Needs (ASN).

A special ASN playground and garden for the whole ASN community to access and host events is also planned.

Orchard Brae will provide education and support for up to 150 full-time children and young people aged 3 to 18 years, from across Aberdeen with severe and complex educational and medical needs, and will replace Woodlands School and Hazelwood School. A pre-school additional support service, currently provided in Seaton School, will also be relocated to the new facility.

Work begins on Fife’s first regional indoor football training facility

Construction work has started on a regional indoor football training facility at the Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre in Glenrothes.

The facility, which is funded by Fife Council and sportscotland, will be the first of its kind in Fife.

The facility is being built next to the existing outdoor Synthetic Turf pitches and athletics track. It will be operated by Fife Sports and Leisure Trust on behalf of Fife Council and will be available for casual bookings too.

Royal College of Physicians to improve circulation at Edinburgh HQ

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh have tabled plans for a series of circulation improvements to their historic Queen Street headquarters, including the installation of a new lift access, entrance space and a refurbishment of an existing conference centre.

LDN Architects have been appointed to the project, which will bring the historic body into compliance with 21st century accessibility standards and a more welcoming environment for staff and visitors.

This necessitated a rationalization of the current premises, which straddles several adjoining A-listed buildings, into one cohesive whole internally while retaining as many period details as possible.

Quantity surveyor and principal designer Thomson Gray, structural engineer David Narro Associates and consulting engineer Irons Foulner round off the design team.

Plans for Gorgie Road townhouses emerge

Plans have been prepared for the demolition of two redundant industrial buildings and a three storey office block on Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, to make room for new residential infill.

Designed by Bracewell Stirling Consulting, the scheme will provide 19, three storey townhouses bounded by the B-listed St Aidan’s Parish Church and the Water of Leith.

Kier continues work on £25m Ayr Academy

Kier is continuing work to build the new £25 million Ayr Academy in South Ayrshire.

As part of the project, a series of behind the scenes visits have been taking place with pupils, elected members and senior council officials ahead of the school’s opening this August.

Construction on the new Academy got underway in January last year. Once complete, it will have space for up to 1,000 pupils, and will feature sports pitches, a multi-use hall, two gyms and a fitness/movement room.

The scheme is part of a £94m pipe of works being delivered across the region over the next 18 months.

Trust to pursue second funding bid after Scottish Borders Council agrees support for Trimontium Museum

Following the agreement last week of Scottish Borders Council (SBC) to provide £60,000 of capital funding and around £63,000 of in-kind support, the Trimontium Trust will shortly submit a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) bid to expand and improve their Melrose museum.

The Trust approached Scottish Borders Council for assistance to deliver an estimated £1.9 million project to expand and improve the Trimontium Museum, located in the Ormiston Institute.

The main capital project has been costed at £1.2m, with the other £0.7m being used for displays, interpretation and an ambitious activity plan.

Councillors agreed to support the trust with funding and in-kind support, including architectural services, at a meeting last Thursday.

More than double the existing display space could be created as part of the redevelopment, with plans for improved online presence and further enhanced outreach and learning activities.

Rescheduled A944 works to take place

Substantial works planned to take place on the A944 at South Kingswells have now been rescheduled to take place over the next two weekends (Friday 10 March to Monday 13 March and Friday 17 March to Monday 20 March) as part of the construction works for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project.

The first contraflow, which will provide one lane in each direction of travel on the A944, is planned to be in operation from 8pm on Friday 10 March until 6am on Monday 13 March.

These measures will enable the contractor to complete the westbound (Aberdeen to Westhill) tie-ins to the new road, which means that drivers travelling westbound will be diverted on to the new road and under the new structure at South Kingswells from Monday 13 March.

A further contraflow, again providing one lane in each direction of travel, is also planned to be in operation on the A944 the following weekend from 8pm on Friday 17 March until 6am on Monday 20 March. These measures will enable the contractor to complete the eastbound connections to the new road, which means drivers travelling eastbound will be diverted on to the new road and under the new structure at South Kingswells from Monday 20 March.

The contraflow will enable A944 road users to drive on part of the new roundabout and allow the contractor to continue with the construction of the South Kingswells Junction.