Building Briefs – May 19th

Breaking Bad actress, Laura Fraser, drove the first spade at a ‘breaking ground’ ceremony for the new Prince and Princess of Wales at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow.

Witnessing the event was minister for sport, health improvement and mental health, Jamie Hepburn, Glasgow’s Lord Provost Sadie Docherty and the leader of Glasgow City Council, Councillor Gordon Matheson.

It signals the start of work to lay the foundations for the new Hospice and the simultaneous launch of its Foundations Appeal.

The brand new, purpose-built accommodation will introduce 21st century care to terminally ill people across the city, as well as compassion and the latest in palliative care.

Bovis reports rise in sales

Bovis Homes has reported an 8 per cent increase in sales.

The house builder, in a trading statement to the stock market this afternoon, reported 3,049 legal completions for the year at 8 May, 8 per cent higher than for the same period in 2014. It also house building was 9 per cent ahead of the same period the previous year.

Glen Housing Association secures £5.7m loan from sustainable lender

Fife-based Glen Housing Association has secured a £5.7 million loan from Triodos Bank.

Among other things the finance from the bank has enabled the housing association to purchase and develop 13 new properties in Leven, Fife. The new finance was set up in view of developing even more properties.

New Auchterarder council housing development delivered six months early

Perth & Kinross Council’s multi-million pound programme of social housing construction has taken another step forward after the completion of a major new development in Auchterarder.

A total of 12 new units have been completed at Raven Grove, Kirkton, comprising of four 3-bedroomed houses, four 2-bed flats and four 1-bed flats. The council invested almost £1.5 million in the new build.

The development has been completed six months ahead of schedule, providing much needed accommodation earlier than expected for the new tenants and also generating additional rent income for the council of around £21,000.

The project is part of Perth & Kinross Council’s ongoing council house building programme to provide more high-quality affordable social housing. Around 240 new affordable homes have been delivered in the last three years, with properties constructed in Methven, Scone, Alyth, Inchture, Blairgowrie, and Perth. A further 116 units are already under construction across Perth and Kinross including 10 units near to the Raven Grove development at Castlemains, which due for completion later this financial year.

All the council’s new homes are built with the latest energy saving specifications, to help cut the bills of tenants and reduce the carbon footprint of the Perth and Kinross area.

Planned Kirkcudbright art gallery costs soar to £3m

The cost of transforming Kirkcudbright Town Hall into a “gallery of national significance” is expected to cost £3.17m, according to a new report.

The plan is part of the Kirkcudbright Charter, which aims to make the best use of the town’s public buildings.

Council papers have revealed that the design team behind the project will ask Dumfries and Galloway Council for funding of £1.68m.

It exceeds the authority’s budget for the entire charter by £195,000.

The team will also apply for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), which has previously committed almost £1m to the project on a provisional basis.

According to a report to the council’s Stewartry area committee, the new plans for the gallery were “very positively received” by HLF.

The authority will also be asked to support an increased funding application to the heritage fund.

Plans to rebuild David Keswick sport centre in Dumfries

The team behind plans to overhaul school provision in Dumfries has recommended replacing a sports centre in the town.

The David Keswick Sports Centre has an athletics track, sports hall, gyms, fitness suite and multi-use games area.

Under new plans, the development will become part of a £30m Dumfries High School campus, which includes a new Noblehill Primary.

The centre was initially earmarked for refurbishment.

However a survey of the building has revealed its entire roof needs replaced, together with all its windows.

A lift must also be installed to ensure the building complies with disability access legislation.

The scheme is part of a wider “Learning Town” blueprint for Dumfries.

It would also see new schools built at Maxwelltown High and the refurbishment of St Joseph’s College and Dumfries Academy.

The project team has also recommended a complete new build of Laurieknowe Primary school at a cost of just over £9.5m.

The plans will be discussed at a meeting of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s education committee today.

Restoration project begins on Gallery of Modern Art

Restoration work has started on one of Glasgow’s most famous buildings.

Work to restore the clock tower at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) is now underway and is expected to last until late autumn or early winter.

The £400,000 restoration work will focus on the clock and weather vane which will be cleaned, restored and replaced where necessary.

Disruption on major Perthshire roads due to £500,000 repairs

More than £500,000 is to be spent resurfacing two main roads in Perthshire.

Bear Scotland has already begun a week-long project on the A9.

A 1.1 mile stretch from Cairnie Braes to Broom of Dalreach will be repaired and road markings repainted in works costing £348,000.

During the repairs, which will take place between 7pm and 6.30am, a convoy system with a 10mph speed limit will be in operation to help keep workers safe.

Work on the A85, which is costing £180,000, will see the road closed between 7pm and 7am from May 31 until June 5.

City of Edinburgh Council names Andrew Kerr as new chief executive

Andrew Kerr has been announced as the preferred candidate for the post of chief executive for the City of Edinburgh Council.

Currently chief executive of Cornwall Council, Mr Kerr was chosen after a rigorous two day selection process. The recommendation will now go to the council meeting on 28 May for ratification.

Andrew began his career with the district council in Falkirk, the town of his birth. His 32-year public sector career has since included over three years at Birmingham City Council, where he led the national award-winning Birmingham BEST organisational development programme. From 2005 he led the turnaround of North Tyneside Council as its new CEO.

He was appointed chief operating officer of Cardiff Council in March 2012 where he delivered a £900 million joint venture in waste management. He has led transformation programmes in his last three authorities delivering more than £100m worth of savings. In his current post with Cornwall Council he is leading a programme planned to deliver £196m savings in the next four years.

Andrew has also represented Great Britain in international athletics (400m). He is married with three children.

Mr Kerr is expected to take up the post later in 2015 with the date to be confirmed in due course.

Inverness Campus officially opened by John Swinney

The new £100 million Inverness Campus has been officially opened by deputy first minister John Swinney.

Buildings already constructed at the Beechwood site include the new £60m Inverness College UHI.

The college should be ready to open its doors to its first students this autumn.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which is leading the project, hopes to attract science, technology and other types of businesses to the site.

Road repairs for A814 Craigendoran to Helensburgh

Argyll and Bute Council will be carrying out carriageway patching on the A814 Craigendoran from Station Road to Hermitage Academy, Helensburgh from today.

The work will be carried out over a two-week period during the day, from 9.15am to 3.30pm.

New park-and-rides on Dundee council’s wish list

The introduction of new park-and-ride facilities in and around Dundee is a “priority” for the council — despite the rejection of a previous proposal.

Regional transport partnership Tactran has set out its vision for Tayside in a new report which includes developing proposals for new park-and-ride sites to the south, west, east and north of Dundee.

A plan for a £3.7 million facility at Riverside Nature Park in the west of the city was turned down by city councillors in 2013 — after five years of work costing £324,000.

But the facilities have now been identified as a priority in a review of the Tactran’s Regional Transport Strategy which is due to go before the city development committee this week.

Work starts on Selkirk’s synthetic surface

A turf cutting ceremony has taken place to mark the start of work on a new £750k artificial pitch in Selkirk.

The 2G surface is being built next to Selkirk High School. Scottish Borders Council is providing funding of £500k with sportscotland contributing the remaining £250k.

New 3G pitch for Rothesay

People on the island of Bute are set to benefit from a fantastic new resource provided by Argyll and Bute Council later this summer.

The current 2G sand-dressed pitch at Rothesay Joint Campus is being replaced and upgraded to a brand new 3G sports pitch which has been carefully selected, in consultation with the school, to accommodate a wide range of sporting activities.

The new 40mm 3G pitch means that the island’s young people will have a top quality facility which fully supports and enhances Rothesay Joint Campus’s physical education curriculum. It will also be available for local sports teams, clubs and people in the community to use out of school hours.

Barratt makes Shelter Scotland donation

Barratt Homes’ West Scotland division has donated almost £19,000 to Shelter Scotland – enough to help thousands of families and individuals across Scotland through its free national helpline.

The housebuilder raised money for the housing and homelessness charity during its annual gathering of contractors and suppliers. £18,650 was raised on the night.

Last year 36,457 households made homeless applications to their local council in Scotland while, 150,500 families and individuals are on the waiting list for a home to call their own.