Building Briefs – May 17th

£45k boost for Scottish charities thanks to CALA Homes

CALA Homes has unveiled the community groups, charities and local organisations across Scotland which will receive a share of its 2018 community bursary pot which totals £45,000.

The national bursary, now into its second year, was created in order to work closely with local communities throughout Scotland to help boost the vital work they are carrying out.

The homebuilder invited local charities, community groups and organisations to apply for a share of the bursary across the West, East and North of Scotland, enabling them to provide a range of services and equipment for the local community.

In the West of Scotland, 15 recipients across Lanarkshire, Glasgow and Renfrewshire shared a pot of £15,000, benefiting a broad range of organisations and community groups which helps make a real difference in and around the local communities it is currently building.

Successful applicants included Birth, Baby and Beyond, Little Monsters and Give the Dog a Bone in Glasgow; Ponies Help Children, East Kilbride Quirky Quilters and ESTEEEM in Lanarkshire and Erskine Reid McEwan Activity Centre, Forever Young and Kibble in Renfrewshire.

Across Midlothian and East Lothian, the bursary pot increased to £20,000 with more than 200 applications looking to receive a sum to help build on their success.

A total of 26 recipients will share the funds to make vital changes in the community whilst having a positive impact on the lives of locals.

East Lothian Young Carers, Gullane After School Club and West Barns Bowling Club, will benefit from the bursary in East Lothian, whilst, Penicuik Community First Responders, Food Facts Friends Project and Dalkeith Midlothian Kinship Carers SCIO given a boost in Midlothian.

CALA Homes (North) announced 11 applicants which will receive a share of the £10,000 community bursary.

Successful applicants include Home-Start Aberdeen which provides volunteer-led home-visiting support to vulnerable families. The group will receive £900 towards covering volunteer costs of running its Big Hopes Big Future project.

Supporting Children in Learning for Life (SCILL) has been granted more than £1,500, enabling it to hire Banchory Swimming Pool for weekly children’s swimming lessons during term time for one year.

More North Lanarkshire council homes open doors to tenants

North Lanarkshire Council has marked another successful site completion in its ambitious house building programme with the official opening of new council homes at Nursery Court, Kildrum.

Provost of North Lanarkshire, Councillor Jean Jones, unveiled the plaque officially opening the site, which is home to sixteen new houses, a mix of one and two bedroom cottage flats (eight of each). The site was completed by developer Lovell Partnerships Ltd.

The development is the 20th housing development delivered by the local authority as part of its NL Homes programme, which will deliver 5,000 new homes by 2035.

All the council homes are built with energy efficiency in mind to help minimise running costs for our tenants.

They meet Housing for Varying Needs standards and are Secured by Design accredited, which involves Police Scotland architectural liaison officers having input into the layout and design to ensure we build safe and secure environments.

Councillor Allan Graham, convener of enterprise and housing, welcomed tenants, partners and elected members to the official opening.

Attending were local elected members, Councillors Claire Barclay, Gillian Fannan and Tom Johnston; Des Murray, assistant chief executive; Pamela Humphries, housing development manager and Bob Brownlie, area housing manager, all from Enterprise and Housing Resources, North Lanarkshire Council and representatives from developers Lovell Partnerships Ltd.

The Scottish Government contributes towards the development costs at each site.

Regeneration capital grant fund open for applications

The joint COSLA and Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) is once again open for applications.

Delivered in partnership with the Scottish Government, the fund supports locally developed regeneration projects that involve local communities, help to support and create jobs and build sustainable communities.

First stage applications for projects that can start in 2019/20 are now being requested and should be submitted by email to: rcgf@gov.scot by 5pm on 29th June 2018.

The template application form, further guidance and indicative timescale can be found on the Scottish Government website.

Roadworks to begin on A90 Stonehaven southbound slip road

Roadworks are to be carried out on a new Stonehaven southbound slip road on the A90 near Aberdeen.

The route, which carries traffic onto the A90 from the B979 Netherley Road, will be shut for around two weeks to enable works on verges and street lighting to be carried out.

The work is being carried out as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project.

The slip road will close overnight for around two weeks from Saturday, 19 May. It is anticipated the route will shut from around 8pm each night and re-open by 6am the following morning. Diversions will be in place.

Kier to start water infrastructure upgrade in Strathspey

Kier is to begin carrying out essential water infrastructure upgrades on the A95 in Strathspey.

The contractor will start work to replace two manhole covers on the route at Cromdale on Tuesday, 22 May.

To carry out the works, the road will be closed adjacent to Cromdale Park between 9.30am and 3.30pm. Local diversions will be in place via the B9102.

Work to start on A890 Stromeferry bypass rock stabilisation

Work is to start on the next phase of rock stabilisation work at the A890 Stromeferry Bypass in the Highlands.

The council has confirmed essential stabilisation works on a 72-metre section of rock face close to the west of the avalanche shelter will get underway on 03 September.

The 12-week scheme will see the route being shut to vehicles over 7.5 tonnes during this time. Diversions and traffic management will be in place.

Step-free access to be created at Stirling station

Plans have been submitted to create new step-free access at Stirling station.

Network Rail is aiming to covert the existing lattice footbridge into a fully accessible structure between platforms six and nine at the station.

This method will allow heritage elements of the footbridge to be retained, as well as making the station more accessible and creating space beneath the bridge as part of the Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa (SDA) Electrification Project.

Overall, the planning application requests permission for:

Once planning permission has been secured, a temporary stepped footbridge will be installed and will be in use for around six months while the existing footbridge is taken away for repair and modification.

Work is expected to begin in June/July.