Building Briefs - November 1st

• Major investment to bring all inclusive play area to Lochore Meadows Country Park

Councillors at Fife Council’s Community and Housing Services sub-committee have agreed to invest £500,000 towards replacing the play area and creating a brand-new inclusive destination playpark.

Swings designed to be used by children with disabilities and a sensory tunnel will be amongst a range of new equipment coming to the park, carefully planned  to let all children play together in one place.  New fencing at key locations near the loch and through the wooded area, as well as CCTV, will help keep visitors safe and a new pathway will connect the play area to the visitor centre, giving easy access to the café and toilet facilities.

The project has drawn on the knowledge and skills of partners in the council, health and third sectors. Local communities shared their views on the proposed designs when they went on show in the visitor centre during the summer. Those from further afield were able to see them online.

A further £250,000 has been earmarked for infrastructure works which will support and complement existing facilities. The council’s locality team along with stakeholders are considering different initiatives to improve the visitor experience in the park. 

The total cost of the project could be in the region of £800,000. The council is working with partners to secure other funding and has a further a one-off investment of up to £200,000 from the council’s tourism and community asset to fall back on. 

The project is expected to go out to tender in November, with a contractor being appointed by the end of the year. Work should start in January 2022 and be completed by April, weather permitting.

• Capital project investment helping to deliver more homes for Midlothian Council

Midlothian Council is continuing to progress with its innovative new build housing programme which is being funded through its Housing Revenue Capital Account. 

In the last 12 months, the council has taken on 118 homes for affordable rent to meet local housing needs. This has been achieved with over £9 million investment by Midlothian Council and supplemented with over £8m in grant funding from the More Homes division at the Scottish Government.

As part of this programme, 41 new homes were recently completed by Bellway Homes for the council at Shawfair near Danderhall. This housing development, when complete, will provide 47 two, three and four-bedroom houses and cottage flats for social rent to those in housing need in Midlothian. The final phase of the new homes are scheduled to be completed by December  

Capital projects facilitate the delivery of Midlothian’s Council’s strategic priorities, including affordable housing for all. Midlothian’s route map through and out of the COVID-19 pandemic has a focus on creating a greener, safer and sustainable region where people and the environment can prosper.

The route map includes a £153m investment in capital projects rising to £321m for future years. This is a further major investment that will help support economic recovery in Midlothian as well as addressing housing needs by funding additional council housing. This housing will, where possible, be located close to good community facilities and shops. Developments will be high quality and balance good contemporary design with the area’s heritage.

• First homes released at Merchant Homes’ Summerfield Park

Merchant Homes is set to release the first of its homes at its Summerfield Park development in Dundee.

Following a sell-out success of its first phase in 2017 and follow up success of 16 units at Haddington Gardens, the homebuilder returns to the city with its second phase of only 12 three-bedroom homes.

This unique development offers prospective homebuyers the choice of two semi-detached homes, the Blair and Arran housetypes, as well as the three-bedroom detached Jura.

The first six homes will be released for sale at the beginning of November, with the Blair and Arran both available with entry dates from as early as April 2022.

Homes will be sold from the homebuilder’s Glasgow development, Lochwood Gardens, which will allow homebuyers to view all three housetypes thanks to the suite of showhomes open.

• Council continues investment programme in West Lothian homes

West Lothian Council is continuing work on the upgrading and replacement of roof coverings and render coatings to properties throughout the region.

The work is part of the council’s Housing Capital Investment Programme which includes an investment towards improving and maintaining existing housing stock and ensuring all properties are legally compliant.

A total of approximately £30 million is being split among a number of areas to achieve this between 2021 and 2023 with £3.9m being invested on the current render and roofing programme. 

The properties which are benefitting from the work have been identified as requiring upgrades through maintenance inspections and stock condition surveys. The same methods have been employed in order to identify further properties to be included in future works.

The works comprise the design and upgrading of roof and/or render to properties and include the replacement of flat/pitched roof coverings, associated joinery work and rainwater goods; chimney repairs and removals; external wall render upgrade with rainwater goods replaced where required; footpath repairs/ replacements where required and installation of PIR security lights where required.

Throughout the project, work has been carried out with the utmost care to ensure the safety of the occupants and the public while aiming to create as little disruption as possible.

The upgrading of wall and roof fabric is a key priority for the council to ensure the housing stock is sustains its Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

This work is merely a fraction of nearly 13,500 jobs being carried out in the current financial year 2021/22 as part of the Housing Capital Investment Programme.

• Firm pipeline of projects offers stability against growing construction pressures

Glenigan has released the October edition of its Construction Review.

This monthly report provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of construction data, giving built environment and property professionals a unique insight into sector results, from the three months to the end of September 2021.

A significant takeaway from October’s figures is the value of approved major planning consents, which has increased 89% on the same time period (three months to September) in 2019, creating a firm development pipeline for the foreseeable future.

Despite a 9% slip in the value of main contracts awards against the previous three months of this year, the sector still remains up by 13% on last year’s figures. Underlying contract awards (less than £100m in value) also strengthened, rising 6% (SA) on the previous three months to stand 35% up on a year ago.

Overall, construction output remains substantially ahead of pandemic-disrupted levels, increasing overall by nearly a fifth (18.3% year-on-year) in the three months to September. Recent decline has been registered in the softening of project starts over the last six months, caused by disruption to projects on-site, mainly due to supply chain problems.

Industrial was the stand-out sector during Q3, with underlying project-starts (less than £100m in value) pushing up 3% (SA) on the previous quarter and by nearly a half on 2020 figures (47%). Figures were also 13% higher than Q3 2019.

This jump can be partly attributed to a handful of major project-starts including the £76 million East Midlands Distribution Centre in Castle Donington, the £60 million Ivory Infinity Park also in Derbyshire and a £82 million wind turbine factory for Siemens on Alexandra Dock, Hull.

Other sectors have indicated green shoots of recovery with underlying office starts up by 38% in Q3 against 2020 levels and 19% compared with the same period in 2019. Underlying activity was largely driven by refurbishment schemes, including the £77 million Long Acre Office refurbishment in London.

As for Hotel and Leisure project-starts, an increase against the previous year by nearly a half (49%) offers optimism, particularly after a difficult period post-pandemic.

Health starts were also up by 7% on 2019 figures but fell 18% compared with 2021’s Q2. It was also a strong period for office projects starts, increasing 4% (SA) on Q2 and 38% on the previous year.

According to the CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) supply chain delays, slow new order growth and rising material and labour shortages inhibited UK manufacturing activity in September, impacting construction output. Compounded by staff shortages, it has led to a rise in unfinished work.

Construction has faced further challenges, with mounting inflationary pressures building rapidly during 2021 as UK and global economies have unlocked. Disrupted supply chains have also exacerbated fuel, material, and labour shortages.

• New community-owned housing project opens in Fort Augustus

A new £3 million social housing project, built by the Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Company (FAGCC), was opened last week by Shona Robison, cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government.

With all eyes currently on the COP26 Climate Change Conference being held in Glasgow, the Community Company is showcasing what can be done at a community level to help address climate change.

With a significant amount of the funding for the housing coming from local wind farm community benefit funds, it is fitting that the twelve new homes for local families have green energy technology at the heart of their design. 

In 2019 the Community Company identified a lack of affordable housing for locals as a major issue for the area and the board of directors set about doing something to improve the situation. 

They purchased land in the heart of Fort Augustus and drew up plans for homes that would be economical to heat. The homes have been built to a high standard of energy efficiency with air source heating providing the new homes with economical heating and hot water all year round.

Locally sourced stone from an adjacent borrow pit was used to cut down on transport costs and emissions. Longer lasting materials have also been used to cut down on maintenance and replacement reducing waste. The development includes cycle stands to encourage active travel and grounds landscaped with over 500 trees and shrubs including fruit trees and soft fruit bushes.

With a total investment of more than £3 million, the Community Company secured an impressive funding package to ensure the project would go ahead. This included a grant of £970,000 from the Scottish Government; more than £1.5m from SSE Renewables (including £1.2m from Stronelairg Wind Farm Ltd, operated by SSE Renewables, £238,000 from the Bhlaraidh community fund and £115,000 from the SSE Renewables Sustainable Development Fund in Highland); £100,000 from Beinuinn Wind Farm Community Benefit; a loan, funded by Falck Community Benefit via the Royal Bank of Scotland of £150,000; a Social Investment Scotland grant of £125,000; and a loan from Social Investment Scotland of £125,000.

• Sculpture designed by local pupil unveiled by Keepmoat Homes

Keepmoat Homes has unveiled a new sculpture at its Baxterfield housing development in Cowdenbeath.

As part o the housebuilder’s ongoing commitment to the local community, and to mark the completion of its Baxterfield development, pupils from Hill of Beath Primary School were invited to design a sculpture to be installed in the play park.

Olivia Maxwell, age 10, created the winning design ‘Deer in the Woods’ which acknowledges the local wildlife in the surrounding area to the development.