Building Briefs – November 21st

A £1 million programme of works to refurbish the Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) in Landressey Street, Bridgeton will get underway later this month.

GWL relocated to their new home in November 2013, taking occupancy of the magnificent former Bridgeton Public Library which was designed and built more than 100 years ago.

Clyde Gateway, together with its development partner Hub West Scotland, has assisted GWL in funding the works which involve a significant internal refurbishment to create an exciting new venue space with a dedicated archive, museum showcases, new learning zones, a small café and exhibition spaces. There will also be major external structural works, including the installation of a lift.

The work will commence on the Collective Architecture designed project on Monday 24 November and is due for completion at the end of May 2015.

Keith Brown keeps Infratructure portfolio

Keith Brown MSP has been named Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities in today’s Cabinet reshuffle by new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

His infrastructure and capital investment directive will include European structural funds, government procurement, Scottish Futures Trust, Scottish Water, Scotland’s cities, transport policy, public transport, air, rail and ferry services. Scotland’s roads.

Mr Brown also retains his responsibility for veterans though the portfolio will include a seperate Minister for Transport.

Plans for new school in Tullibody

A new purpose built Abercromby Primary School is being planned to give children a 21st century learning experience, a report to Clackmanannshire Council has heard.

The council’s Education, Sport and Leisure Committee heard that the Scottish Government’s Schools for the Future Programme has offered funding for the replacement of the school, which was built in 1951.

A meeting of Clackmanannshire Council will be asked to formally accept the offer, and the Education service will carry out a full option appraisal.

Home Group secures £41m loan for new housing stock

Home Group has secured a £41 million loan to fund hundreds of new affordable homes and fund improvements to current housing stock.

The loan, which was backed through the European Investment Bank and had a Government-backed guarantee, brings the amount borrowed by the group to more than £100m since last December.

A year ago, Home Group, which has 55,000 homes throughout the UK, raised a £44.5m loan from The Housing Finance Corporation – funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the European Investment Bank.

In May this year, it was enabled to access low interest funding from an ‘AAA’ rated £208m bond.

Home Group was one of just 13 housing providers selected by Affordable Housing Finance to access the funds, which saw Home Group and its Home Scotland subsidiary secure the biggest slice of the Government-backed funding with £30.7m. The English side of the deal equated to £20m.

Proposals for six more Fife housing developments to be progressed

Fife Council’s Executive Committee has approved in principle a number of projects with private developers to deliver new council houses.

The developments agreed in principle (which are subject to the statutory planning process) are for:

So far, around 750 of the 2700 new homes have been built by partners across the Affordable Housing Programme and are now occupied.

New Kirkcaldy care village on target

The construction of the new care village at Ostler’s Way in Kirkcaldy is on schedule to meet its target completion date in September 2015.

The 60-bed care home will be wind and watertight by Christmas and work on the interior layout and fittings will begin in the new-year. Construction is also underway on the 26 affordable homes being built alongside the new care home.

The housing will consist of a mix of Extra Care and Specific Needs 2-bedroom bungalows that will provide more support to tenants than traditional sheltered housing.

Aberdeen De Vere hotel completed

De Vere hotels has completed its first Urban Resort in Scotland as part of an expansion drive with a 148 bed hotel in Aberdeen’s Prime four Business Park.

The Halliday Fraser Munro designed scheme opens on 1 December and is the first to establish the chain’s ‘urban resort’ format in Scotland.

Incorporating a 20m pool, spa, café and banqueting hall the scheme will serve as a ‘hub’ for the wider office park.

De Vere is currently in process of delivering two 120 bed hotels at Glasgow’s Pacific Quay and Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, both of which are scheduled to open next year.

Student flats conversion on the cards for historic Glasgow school

A redundant C listed Glasgow primary school is in line to be converted into student apartments after London Commercial Property Partners lodged plans by Susan Stephen Architects for the west end property.

Proposed work will see the main school building refurbished and converted together with the addition of three new build elements; an infill block on West Princes Street, a studio block and a new entrance and pavilion.

Plan to re-open Glendevon Quarry rejected

A proposal to re-open a gravel quarry in the Ochil hills has been refused by Perth and Kinross Council.

An application was lodged for work at Glendevon Quarry to run until 2035.

The plan had drawn opposition from a number of community councils and neighbouring local authority Clackmannanshire Council, along with 108 letters of objection from locals.

The proposal had been recommended for approval by council officers, but was rejected by councillors.

No actual extraction has ever been carried out at the site at Glenquey, despite permission being given for work in 1964 and again in 1986.

About 10,000 tonnes of material were removed to prepare the site in 1991, but the 20-year working period agreed expired in 2011.

The site’s owners, Cemex UK, said 3.5m tonnes of sand and gravel could be removed from the site, across an area spanning 22 hectares, over the development period.

Renfrewshire homes plan under way

Work has begun on a new 67-home development in Ferry Village, Renfrewshire, after planning permission was granted.

The development, which includes three-bedroom terraced homes and semi-detached houses, will create 40 jobs. The first homes will be ready by next summer.

David Scott, managing director of Barratt Homes West Scotland, said: “Renfrewshire is a thriving area where quality homes are in high demand.”

Aberdeenshire homes blueprint set for approval

A masterplan which could see the creation of up to 175 homes in a North-east town is set to be voted on.

Aberdeenshire Council’s Marr area committee is recommended to approve the blueprint for Aboyne.

If agreed, the proposal will provide the general layout for a site in the area and the committee’s approach regarding the land for future planning applications.

The land is to the west of Castle Park, north-west of the town, and is identified as site M1 in the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan (LDP) (2012).

It is owned by Aboyne Castle Estate and will be developed in phases by AJC Homes Ltd. AJC Homes is expected to create up to 60 properties in the first phase of building on the site, with 115 houses to be built in the second phase.

The development will include upgrading Aboyne’s sewage works. AJC is also expected to make contributions to a new sports pitch, allotments and a new household waste recycling centre in the Castle Park area.

The development could also lead to Aboyne Primary School and the town’s academy being extended and upgrading the area’s health centre.

Future is brighter for Glasgow’s Broadway

Glasgow city centre could soon see a fourth major new speculative office building under construction following a change of ownership of the Broadway Two site in Renfield Street.

The vacant land, next to The Herald newspaper headquarters, has been lying empty for more than five years owing to the recession, but has planning permission for 151,000 sq ft of prime grade-A office space.

In a deal which means the curtains fall on owner IVG’s plans to complete the development themselves, it is understood that the property is “under offer” to London based Titan Investors.

Demolition starts at Dundee’s former Rialto Cinema

Time has finally run out for one of Dundee’s most well-known buildings.

The Rialto, which has been home to a cinema and later bingo hall over the years, is being demolished after the building fell into disrepair.

It was given B-listed status in 1993, but many of its important architectural features were lost in a fire.

Ramsay’s Properties has submitted plans for the site to be used for 12 new flats.

Work begins on Dalgety Bay’s new all-weather pitch

Work has started on site to replace the synthetic turf pitch at Dalgety Bay Sports & Leisure Centre.

For the first time, the new pitch will also be suitable for rugby as well as football.

Weather permitting, the Fife Council funded project will be completed by the end of the year and ready for use from early January.

Installation of the high end-specification sports surface is being carried out by Methil-based specialists Doe Sport North Ltd.