Building Briefs – November 18th

• TIG named Installer of the Year 2019 by Energy Action Scotland

Tighean Innse Gall (TIG) received the ‘Installer of the Year’ award at the Energy Action Scotland Annual Conference and Exhibition 2019.

TIG said the award is a superb achievement and a great honour for the company and its staff in recognition of its high-quality delivery of energy efficiency works for fuel poor households.

Energy Action Scotland’s Fuel Poverty Awards 2019 were established to recognise excellence in the fight to eradicate fuel poverty. The award winners were decided by a panel of industry-leading expert advisors across a series of criteria, including innovative approaches to tackling fuel poverty, value and energy efficiency.

Tighean Innse Gall’s expertise and skill has been to blend the Scottish Government’s energy efficiency area based funds ‘HEEPS:ABS’ with ‘ECO’ funds from larger utility companies where they have to meet UK legislative obligations. TIG’s experience and track record in achieving this complicated mix has secured their appointment as agents for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s element of the ‘HEEPS: ABS’ scheme for the last six years and has delivered in excess of £15m funding to date.

The ability to use ECO to help those in communities most affected by fuel poverty is by far the highest of any other local authority area in Scotland with over 235 households per 1000 being reached. This places TIG in the top five areas for the UK (with the other four by contrast being densely urban English cities & towns).

• Further delay in Dingwall pool reopening

Highland Council has announced that the pool at Dingwall Leisure Centre will remain closed due to ongoing works.

The pool had expected to reopen on today but the additional time is required to get the new ventilation system up and running to ensure that there is an ambient temperature in the pool hall for swimmers.

• Sevron Ltd and BESA announce partnership streamlining workplace chemical safety and risk management

Technology company Sevron Ltd has announced a formal partnership with the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) today.

Sevron has now officially become the preferred provider of chemical safety and risk assessment software for BESA. Their flagship product COSHH365 Suite is a chemical safety management software platform and will be made accessible to over 1000 members of BESA.

• Den Burn residents asked to help prevent flooding

Aberdeen City Council has reminded residents near the Den Burn of their “responsibilities as landowners” as it continues efforts to prevent flooding in the area.

Letters sent out last week are residents asked not to dump anything into the burn and to ensure their walls are maintained.

During the heavy rainfall over October 18-19, the local authority received more than 90 reports of flooding and staff attended areas of concern along the Den Burn.

Council staff found many of the trash screens (also known as hakes) along the burn were blocked with saw-cut branches and garden refuse which had washed downstream.

When debris collects on the trash screen, the flow of water from the open channel into the piped sections of the burn is greatly reduced and the water level builds up behind the screens which puts properties at risk of flooding.

While examining the burn during the heavy rain last month, the council staff also noticed several large stones had broken off the walls and were carried downstream which can also cause an obstruction to the flow and form sticking points for debris to collect.

The council said residents should be aware maintenance of the walls in the burn is the responsibility of the property owner.

Residents potentially affected by flooding are reminded they can apply for a 50% funded Property Level Protection flood grant to help protect their property. The grant will only apply for those private homes that meet at least one of the following criteria:

• The property has been internally flooded previously and actual damage has been sustained.
• The property is located on an area in risk of flooding shown on the SEPA flooding maps.
• The property is located on an area in risk of flooding shown on the Integrated Catchment Study Model.

Initially, residents can apply for up to £100 to cover the cost of a survey to determine if property level protection will be suitable for the property as well as the type of protection that could be installed.

Households that meet the criteria will receive a grant of up to 50% of the installation cost of Property Level Protection, up to a maximum of £2,500. More information and how to apply is available online.