Building Briefs – November 1st

• Fly-through video unveils Dundee’s £32m sports hub

Due to be completed around August next year, the £32 million facility will feature an indoor athletics centre with an 80m running straight providing all-weather training for athletes.

An innovative £5m energy centre which allows a district heating capability will also be included in the major construction programme.

The project is being delivered by contractor Balfour Beatty on behalf of Leisure & Culture Dundee.

• Edinburgh to embark on £24.5m project to deliver brighter eco-friendly street lights

New energy efficient street lights are set to be rolled out across the Capital from next month, generating savings of £54 million for the city over 20 years. 

The move follows a successful 2012 pilot project and follow-up scheme in 2014 to replace around 7000 obsolete lanterns in Edinburgh with Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. These ‘white light’ technology lamps give off a clearer light and can last for more than 20 years, compared to existing lights’ current life span of just two to four years. 

The crisper light and new technology enhance community safety by making CCTV images clearer and by allowing light levels to be varied. 

The City of Edinburgh Council has approximately 65,000 street lights, costing around £3m in energy alone every year. Energy costs continue to rise and the current lanterns are becoming obsolete, making them harder and costlier to maintain. 

To pre-empt these increases, £24.5m is being spent on upgrading all the city’s street lights; replacing inefficient lanterns with modern, energy efficient and environmentally friendly ones. This will achieve savings for the taxpayer of £54m over 20 years.

• Next phase of construction begins on Inverurie’s Uryside path network

The next phase of construction has started on the emerging path network at Inverurie’s Ury Riverside Park.

The further development of the network means park users will be able to make use of an additional two kilometres of footpath and cycle way.

The first phase, constructed in 2016, provided the long-awaited link between Osprey Village and the town centre and is now a well-used route.

The £140,000 tender for the latest work was awarded to local company CR Contracting North Ltd, who explained the next steps.

• Killiecrankie battlefield artefacts go on display

A number of design refinements to reduce land take on the site of the battle of Killiecrankie in 1689 have been made as part of the A9 Dualling Killiecrankie to Glen Garry scheme following feedback from Historic Environment Scotland and the local community.

These include reducing the length of the slip road at the proposed new Aldclune Junction and steepening of earthworks slopes within the section between the Allt Girnaig and the walled garden of Urrard House.

The draft Orders and Environmental Statement for the scheme were published in November 2017. Following concerns about impact on the battlefield at Killiecrankie, archaeological investigations identified in the Environmental Statement were brought forward.

A total of 18 hectares were surveyed as part of the metal detecting and 1,432 metal objects were found, 33 of which may relate to the battle and include lead shot, buckles and horseshoes.

The design refinements to the scheme and findings of the investigations are on public display in Killiecrankie Village Hall today and tomorrow. The 33 metal detecting finds will also be on display.

• Sanctuary transforms former prison site for Aberdeen’s key workers

A former prison site in Aberdeen has been transformed into 124 highly desirable homes for affordable rent.

Sanctuary Homes’ £19 million development in Torry where HMP Craiginches once stood has made a previously walled off area warm and welcoming.

The development has 106 flats and 18 houses, a mix of one, two and three bedroom properties. The mid-market rent homes are managed by Sanctuary Scotland and are available to key workers who might otherwise struggle to secure affordable accommodation. The project was championed by Maureen Watt MSP and made possible thanks to an £8m Scottish Government grant.

Minister for Local Government and Housing, Kevin Stewart MSP, cut the sod for construction work to begin on the site in September 2016.

The majority of Sanctuary’s 124 homes are now let but some two-bedroom flats are still available.

Sanctuary’s investment in Aberdeen’s affordable housing stock will continue with 122 homes in North Anderson Drive. Construction work on these properties is expected to begin in late 2019.

Sanctuary’s building contractor at the former HMP Craiginches site was local firm Robertson Eastern.

• DGHP completes new Queen Street development

A new development of Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership (DGHP) townhouses is complete in the centre of Dumfries.

This week marked the completion of the works, and keys will be handed over to new tenants in the next few days.

Along with other DGHP representatives, funders, local councillors and contractors, the development in Dumfries was unveiled as tenants prepared to move in to the properties.

The three 4-bedroom townhouses were built for DGHP by contractors Ashleigh Scotland and designed by Robert Potters & Partners; McGowan Miller and Asher Associates.

The development, which is of Gold Standard in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency, was part funded by Scottish Government and Dumfries and Galloway Council grants. 

The development is made up of three 4-bedroom townhouses and feature many energy efficiency features, including thermal solar panels, photovoltaics, triple glazing, waste water recovery, noise reduction measures as well as bike shelters and mobility scooter charging points.

The development of new, affordable housing is a commitment in our council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP).

• Updated Perth and Kinross affordable housing provision plan approved

Councillors have approved an updated plan to provide additional affordable social housing across Perth & Kinross.

The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) sets out how Scottish Government funding for the development of affordable housing will be invested to support the delivery of the Local Housing Strategy for Perth and Kinross.

The SHIP is required to be updated annually and submitted to the Scottish Government. A meeting of the housing and communities committee yesterday was asked to approve the updated plan.

A report to the committee says the target for social housing completions in the Local Housing Strategy is 150 houses a year. During 2017/18, a total of 161 additional homes were completed between the council and its registered social landlord partners. This figure excludes 41 Buy Backs (ex-council stock) purchased by the council.

The report also states that the current plan is for 1,483 additional affordable houses to be started on site for the council and its partners by April 2025. This figure does not include 188 houses which are currently on site, or will start on site before April 2019.

• Official opening for council housing development in Chapelhall

The successful completion of another new housing development delivered for North Lanarkshire Council has been marked with an official opening ceremony in Chapelhall.

Provost of North Lanarkshire, Councillor Jean Jones, unveiled the plaque at the site of the former St. Aloysius Primary School, which has now been transformed into a modern council housing development.

Almost 600 new homes have been completed by the council as part of its ambitious NL Homes programme; which will now see the council more than double its current commitment of new homes to 5,000 (including 550 buy backs) to be delivered by 2035. The Chapelhall site, delivered by Cruden Building and Renewals Ltd, comprises 30 homes - a mix of flats, bungalows and houses.

Councillor Allan Graham, convener of enterprise and housing, warmly welcomed guests to the official opening. Attending the event were local elected members councillors Paul Di Mascio and Sandy Watson, representatives from the council’s housing service and developers Cruden.

All homes are built with energy efficiency in mind to help minimise running costs for tenants. In addition, the new builds also boast dementia friendly design features, including contrasting colours between kitchen units and flooring.

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 the council build’s safe and secure environments.

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

• Constructive site visit for D and A College students

A group of Dundee and Angus College construction students recently had the opportunity to see a development in action, with a site visit to Hillcrest’s Eliza Street construction project.  

The students were from the NPA Award in Construction (Multi-Trade) class, which teaches skills in a range of trades including joinery, bricklaying and painting and decorating.

The outing, which was overseen by Hillcrest’s clerk of works, Craig Blair, gave the students the opportunity to visit a live development and chat to some of the tradesmen involved.

The Eliza Street development is nearing completion, and will see 40 affordable houses handed over in the Stobswell area of Dundee.