Building Briefs – November 21st

LMA Architects have submitted a planning application for a new Premier Inn in Aviemore.

The site is located at the southern gateway into Aviemore.

It was previously occupied by a service station that has been demolished and cleared to make way for a new development.

A high quality material palette has been carefully chosen. Mindful of the mature, heavily wooded context giving the building a traditional feel with a contemporary appearance.

The building is clad predominantly in vertical timber cladding which will silver over time to reflect the ever changing Scottish sky above and will complement the zinc cladding. This gives the building an agricultural barn like quality.

The windows contrast with the horizontal emphasis of the barn like form and projecting slender ground floor folded canopy. The canopy holds the glass box, behind which the restaurant sits. This activates the street edge, whilst identifying and protecting the main entrance.

Plans to be submitted for Bathgate school extension

Plans are to be submitted for an £800,000 primary school extension project in Bathgate.

West Lothian Council has approved proposals to improve St Mary’s Primary School. If the application is successful, building work will start in February 2017, with completion planned for August 2017.

The project would include extending the capacity and function of the school hall, as well as providing new changing rooms and storage within the existing building. The accessibility and quality of the main public entrance and reception area would also be improved.

Public meeting on emerging proposals for new Peterhead Community Campus

Communities in Peterhead and the surrounding area will get their first chance to see and comment on emerging proposals for a new Peterhead Community Campus at an event next week.

A public meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 22 between 7-9pm in the Assembly Hall at Peterhead Academy where officers will share the current potential site options for the campus and gather views on them.

So far, officers have been investigating potential sites for the provision of nursery, primary and secondary education, provision for primary and secondary pupils with additional support needs and leisure and community facilities.

However these requirements are not set in stone and will be reassessed based on community feedback on the proposals.

Following the event information on the emerging plans will be available online.

Feedback from the local community will be gathered until 31 December 2016 after which it will be gathered and reported to councillors so a decision on the preferred site can be made in due course.

Businesses back ‘vital’ rail link between Glasgow Airport and city centre

Creating a direct rail link between Glasgow Airport and the city centre is vital to the long term success of the regional economy, according to business leaders.

A survey on behalf of Renfrewshire and Glasgow City councils revealed about three-quarters of businesses believe such a link would benefit their sales or turnover, while half said it would have a positive impact on employment numbers.

It also found that four out of five think a direct rail link would boost their business by giving them better access to clients and customers.

More than a quarter of businesses reported the planned link – known as the Glasgow Airport Access Project – would help them recruit and retain staff, while 84 per cent said it would have a positive impact on the economy.

The Glasgow Airport Access Project is the flagship project of the Glasgow City Region City Deal, an agreement to fund major infrastructure projects that unites eight local authorities and to which the Scottish and UK governments have committed.

Campbeltown regeneration project wins national empty homes award

The project to bring a vacant B-listed 18th century tenement on Campbeltown’s Main Street back to life has won a prestigious national award.

The sixth annual Scottish Empty Homes Conference celebrated the best of the work across Scotland to bring empty homes back into use, increasing the housing stock and boosting local areas.

The renovation of Campbeltown’s 50/52 Main Street was awarded the Outstanding Project Award at this year’s conference.

Contractors continue £3.64m Wilton Lodge Park regeneration

Contractors are continuing work on the £3.64 million Wilton Lodge Park Regeneration project in the Scottish Borders.

P1 Contracts are set to begin landscaping around the Gilbert Davidson Fountain this week and completion is scheduled for the end of this year.

In addition, Esh Border Construction and Wickstead are both working to building a new café, bridge and play-park. Esh is also working with Malcolm Construction, who are building the Hawick 3G pitch in Volunteer Park, to allow the installation of the bridge to take place.

Sustrans have provided a £100,000 fund to improve the surface of footways, lighting and signage, along with a further £20,000 from Smarter Choices, Smarter Placed fund to promote cycling.

The award of the contract to restore the Gilbert Davidson Fountain, as well as the refurbishment of the park’s entrance gates, will be announced in early 2017. The majority of works are due to be completed by April 2017, a year ahead of the overall project completion date of April 2018.

Ellon bricklayer named Scotland’s top Craft Apprentice

A 22 year old bricklayer from Ellon has been named Apprentice of the Year at the Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council’s 2016 Apprenticeship Awards.

Glen Thomson became an apprentice bricklayer at Scotia Homes in 2012 and has since completed his SVQ level 3 in Bricklaying with Advanced Craft at North East Scotland College. He received the prestigious James Birnie Award for Craft Excellence at a special ceremony in the Scottish Parliament on Friday.

Glen, who is currently studying for an HNC in construction management, was nominated by his employer Scotia Homes, in recognition of his tremendous determination and the outstanding quality of his work.

The James Birnie Award for Craft Excellence recognises the talents of Scotland’s traditional craft apprentices undertaking any of the four year SVQ level 3 programmes. It is unique in Scotland as the only dedicated award that recognises excellence in apprenticeships in the traditional building craft trades.