Building Briefs – November 20th

Highland councillors have approved plans to expand a factory producing wood panels near Inverness.

Toronto-based Norbord has proposed more than doubling its annual production from 350,000 cubic metres to 750,000 at its Dalcross site on the A96.

The project is at the conceptual design stage and the firm applied to the council for information on what limits might be placed on the expansion.

Council planning officers had recommended approval with conditions.

The conditions concern compliance with building regulations.

The expansion would involve constructing a new mill and biomass heat plant.

Highland Council’s south planning applications committee approved the proposals.

Aberdeenshire councillors back plan for 49 homes near Fetteresso Cemetery

Plans to build nearly 50 houses next to an Aberdeenshire cemetery have been given the go-ahead by councillors.

G.S. Brown lodged a planning application for 49 homes at Kirktown of Fetteresso, near Stonehaven.

The houses will be built beside Fetteresso Cemetery, on a strip of land allocated for 49 homes in Aberdeenshire Council’s local development plan.

Out of the total, 12 of the new homes will be classed as affordable.

Planning officials will now work with the applicant to ensure that the conditions are met before they give the proposals final approval.

Consultants check out potential of new Barlinnie prison

Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow could have a new home by the end of the decade.

Planning consultants are already evaluating potential sites, even though funding will not be available until 2017.

Cash is expected to be set aside to build a new jail after the new prison in Inverclyde is delivered in 2016/17.

The jail’s new governor Ian Whitehead is certain it should stay where its roots are.

Barlinnie was constructed between 1882 and 1897 for 1018 prisoners, but now holds “just over 1300”, according to Mr Whitehead.

Dundee community hub refused by councillors

A “community hub” planned for a residential street in Dundee has been refused planning permission after residents convinced councillors it would have a detrimental effect on their lives.

The application, by The Po!nt charity, was unanimously rejected by Dundee City Council’s development management committee because it believed parking, vehicle noise and other quality of life issues would have an adverse impact on residents.

The plans to transform a former printing factory at Lintrathen Street into a centre offering youths training, counselling and teaching, along with a support service for people with drug and alcohol addictions, had been recommended for approval by planning director Mike Galloway.

Concerned residents had claimed the project was inappropriate for a quiet, family-oriented neighbourhood.

Celtic land probe cost Glasgow council £280,000

Preliminary investigations into historic land deals between Celtic FC and Glasgow City Council have cost the local authority £280,000, according to reports.

The costs were racked up as the council spent hours aiding the European Commission with their inquiries.

This included officials flying over to Brussels more than once, with the bill being funded by taxpayers money.

This came after the European Commission received a complaint that Celtic had benefitted from State Aid with regards to land surrounding the club’s Celtic Park home.

However, both Celtic and the council were cleared of any wrongdoing as the Commission declined the option to begin formal investigations.

JM submit Edinburgh University postgraduate housing plan

The University of Edinburgh has submitted postgraduate accommodation plans for 138 students on the site of an existing row of garages and workshops on Meadow Lane off Buccleugh Street in the city’s Southside conservation area.

JM Architects are behind the project.

New Aberdeenshire park and ride scheme approved

Plans for a multimillion pound park and ride in Aberdeenshire have been approved.

The development near the Findon interchange will include a car park with 1,000 spaces, a section for bicycles and a 50-seat waiting area.

The proposal for the park and ride to the north of Portlethen has been in the pipeline for a number of years. It is believed the facility, west of Marywell Park Home in Nigg, will help ease congestion in the area and Aberdeen city centre.

The application was approved by councillors at Kincardine and Mearns area committee.

Green light for 44 Aberdeenshire homes

Councillors have supported plans to build 44 serviced apartments in south Aberdeenshire.

Applicant Stuart Duncan also plans to build three retail units on land adjacent to Marywell Park Homes, Nigg.

Dundee United to develop Gussie Park training facility

Dundee United Football Club has appointed one of the world’s leading synthetic pitch manufacturers to install a new state-of-the-art 3G pitch at the club’s Gussie Park.

SIS Pitches begins work next month as lead contractor in a £300,000 redevelopment of the club’s flagship community facility. The company has manufactured and fitted both synthetic and natural football pitches across the world including World Cup and European stadia as well as domestic league and community facilities. Local company Bonar Yarns is also a key partner as it is supplying the specialist yarn which is a fundamental part of the final manufactured football pitch.

Dundee United is forecasting a spring launch for a redeveloped Gussie Park with schools, community groups, local youth teams, companies and public sector organisations all having the opportunity to benefit from playing on one of the best footballing surfaces in the world.

£2.5m maintenance investment unveiled in Fife

Fife Housing Group is investing £2.5 million this year in major repairs and maintenance work for its homes across the Kingdom.

The work will include cavity wall insulation in flats, heating upgrades and kitchen replacements across the county, maintenance paintwork in Methil, Leven, Kennoway, Buckhaven, Ceres and parts of Dunfermline, windows/doors replaced at flats in Cheviot Road, Kirkcaldy, re-roofing of a further 76 homes in Rosyth and electrical testing of door entry systems, stair lighting electrical heating and periodic testing.

The work began in July with Phase One of the group’s Rosyth Roofing Contract. The rest of the re-roofing work will start this month with kitchen replacements due this week and maintenance paintwork by the start of next month. All work is due to finish by March 2015.

Fife Housing Group is also in the process of introducing new Apex software to better target the homes which are a priority for repairs and maintenance.

This will be used to develop the maintenance programme for 2015/16. While this is still to be finalised it will include replacement of kitchens and back boilers.

Shepherd gathers Suttie

Shepherd Building Consultancy has appointed Lynne Suttie as senior building surveyor in its Dundee office.

The new Broughty Ferry-based recruit, who worked for Hardies in St Andrews for 10 years, is tasked with developing the firm’s surveying and project management services in Tayside and Fife.