Building Briefs – May 18th

A new Scottish company is on the verge of a commercial release of a project that will ultimately see its eco-friendly brick, made almost entirely from demolition and construction waste, brought to market.

Kenoteq, which was set up by Sam Chapman and Gabriela Medero and incubated at Heriot-Watt University, has prototyped an unfired brick after a decade worth of research and will begin small-scale production this year using £180,000 of funding received as part of the first phase of Scottish Enterprise’s high-growth spin-out programme.

“We have funding from Scottish Enterprise and now we are looking at commercialisation and looking at the route to the market,” Ms Medero said.

Mr Chapman said the initial pilot is due to take place at Hamilton Waste & Recycling using machinery rented from the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, with the longer-term aim being to roll out production to other waste recycling sites.

“Hamilton Waste & Recycling have a problem at the moment with all this waste but for our product this is the solution,” he said. “We are taking the waste from construction demolition and transforming it into building materials.

“Our model will be to work with other waste facilities as they have space and the waste materials.”

Eildon Housing proposes 34 flats in Galashiels

Eildon Housing has submitted plans for 34 new flats on a brownfield site in central Galashiels.

The social landlord wants to erect a four-and-a-half storey block on a former caravan storage yard on Huddersfield Street, currently zoned for industrial or retail use by Scottish Borders Council, the Border Telegraph reports.

The plans provide for one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, a 44-space car park and associated landscaping.

£300,000 project to restore 18th Century Perth tenements

B listed Perth building to be restored through vacant property initiative

Work has begun on a £300,000 restoration project to transform a row of listed 18th Century tenements in Perth.

The frontage of 31b to 37 High Street, a category B listed building which overlooks the site of the city’s medieval market cross has now been covered in scaffolding after the property owners begun a comprehensive repair project with support from Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust (PKHT) through the Perth City Heritage Fund, and Perth and Kinross Council through its vacant property initiative.

PKHT has provided a grant of more than £100,000 from the heritage fund to the tenement owners’ association to aid with the overall costs of completing extensive communal repairs above the recently improved jewellers’ premises, to help conserve the building and stair tower.

The will include work on the roof, chimneys, drainpipes and masonry. The project is expected to take at least three months to complete, with traditional materials – including lime mortar and geologically matched stone – and skills being put to use.

Aberdeen Houses plan could be redesigned following care home idea

Plans for new houses and an 81-bedroom nursing home at a major Aberdeen housing development have been revealed.

Work is under way on the Pinewood and Hazledene estate in the Hazlehead area of the city, and a great number of properties have been built.

But one region of the development, where Dandara had received planning permission for 50 houses, could instead be the site of 14 homes and a new nursing home.

The developers say the new facility would provide round-the-clock care, a gym, resident lounges, a bar, a library and more.

If approved, the proposed home would be run in partnership with care organisation Abbeyfield Scotland.

Planned Roadworks: A75 Barharrow to Sandgreen

On behalf of Transport Scotland, Scotland TranServ will resurface a significant stretch of the A75 between Barharrow and Sandgreen from Friday 19 May to Thursday 1 June.

In order to complete the project as quickly and safely as possible, and because of complexities around any potential diversion routes it will be necessary to implement a convoy traffic management system. It will also be necessary to close the A75’s junctions with the B727 and A755, with local diversions in place.

Works will take place from 8pm on Friday 19 May until 6am on Thursday 1 June 2017, with the convoy system operating throughout. Local signed diversions will also be in place.