Building Briefs – November 23rd

Proposals to build the Regional Performance Centre for Sport in Dundee’s Caird Park were withdrawn from Dundee City Council’s development management committee agenda at the last minute.

Director of city development Mike Galloway said officers had received a late legal request asking for a pre-determined hearing.

He said due to the lateness in the request and the “complex” nature of the request, officers decided to withdraw the application from the agenda, and the application would come back before the committee at the earliest opportunity.

The application was recommended for approval subject to 41 planning conditions including that one of the new pitches will be surfaced with a synthetic pitch designed and constructed by a recognised specialist pitch contractor. A new grass pitch will also have to be designed by a specialist contractor.

Transport minister to set out infrastructure investment

Transport minister Humza Yousaf will today update Parliament on the actions being taken to improve Scotland’s rail services and the investment being made in additional seats, carriages and services for passengers across Scotland.

Ahead of the statement Mr Yousaf said: “Over this year and next, we will deliver £16 million of additional infrastructure improvements and an ambitious refurbishment programme across 90 per cent of our existing trains, providing valuable work for plants in Kilmarnock and Glasgow.

“This will help towards services improvements in the short term, and our £5 billion of investment in track upgrades, new carriages, seats and services will bring long term transformation.”

Million pound fund to help make Edinburgh University zero carbon

A £2.75 million initiative is to help deliver staff and students’ ideas to make the University of Edinburgh carbon neutral.

The Sustainable Campus Fund will help bring to reality suggestions involving energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other sustainability projects.

It is the first scheme from the University’s new Climate Strategy, which aims for the institution to halve its relative carbon footprint by 2025 and be zero carbon by 2040.

To meet the Climate Strategy’s obligations, the University will take action across all its operations, including on research, learning and teaching, operations, and responsible investment.

The University will also expand its fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles.

In a pilot of the Sustainable Campus Fund, eight projects are already in action that will save around 600 tonnes of carbon per year. These include upgraded clinical research equipment, improved ventilation at the School of Chemistry, and a campus-wide project to make lifts smarter.

An expert group will be established to review what further investments in renewable technologies, such as solar and wind, could be made.

The development follows the University’s decision in May 2015 to use its investments and procurement power to support the transition to a low carbon economy and to divest from the most destructive fossil fuel companies.

Dem Master wins £500k demolition deal in Dundee

Dem Master Demolition Ltd has been selected for a contract worth more than £500k to demolish a Dundee school.

The Bathgate firm won a bidding war for the job of knocking down Menzieshill High and will carry out the demolition for a total of £547,431.

Candidates were invited to apply and pass a selection procedure before being invited to tender or negotiate for the contract in April.

Councillors voted in favour of the school’s closure in June last year, saying that the building was not fit for purpose and pupils were moved to the newly renovated Harris Academy.

In a statement on the awarding of the contract, it said the layout of the high school site could prove problematic for the demolition.

The statement explained: “The site is bounded by a small access road limiting the direction of flow of heavy vehicles.

“A single entry and exit route is located on the south-east corner of the site. A one-way system will be adopted to ease traffic congestion.”

The demolition of the structure will comprise of a number of blocks, including a three-storey concrete frame and a single-storey concrete frame and adjoining sub-station.

Other blocks include the assembly hall and kitchen area and the library, which is suspended on concrete columns. Others house the swimming pool, changing rooms and gyms.

Dem Master Demolition was asked to comment but had not responded by the time of going to press.

Cunninghame Housing Association commences Kilmarnock regeneration

Cunninghame Housing Association, working in partnership with East Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Government, held an official ceremony yesterday to mark the progress achieved to date on the site of the new build development at Hill Street in Kilmarnock.

The event was attended by Kevin Stewart MSP, minister for local government and housing, who was there to officiate and recognise the progress of the works on the site since the project commenced in September 2016.

A total of 45 houses and flats, all for rent is being delivered on the site comprising a mixture of 2 and 3 bedroom general needs houses, amenity cottage flats for older and less mobile people as well as 2 properties designed specifically for those with wheelchair needs.

A total of £3.55 million has been awarded in grant from the Scottish Government.

The project will take around 13 months to fully complete with overall completion scheduled for October 2017.

The main contractor, Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd, is working closely with the Association to deliver a programme of community benefits with four new apprentices all from Ayrshire starting as a result of this project. In addition, Ashleigh is mentoring a local young person from Kilmarnock Academy and offering them career advice, assistance with presentation skills and with time management.

The perimeter hoarding which surrounds the site has been painted by local school pupils from Kilmarnock Academy, Hillhead Primary and St Joseph’s Academy. The schoolchildren approached the task with enthusiasm and enjoyed the experience. Ashleigh has also visited the local schools to give presentations to the pupils about the construction works and the importance of health & safety as well as running design competitions for the pupils with prizes offered to the successful pupils.

Plans for Dundee Aldi given second approval

Discount supermarket Aldi’s plans to build a new store in Charleston were approved for a second time this week.

The retailer had already been granted planning permission to build a new store last year by Dundee City Council’s development management committee.

A court case brought about over an alcohol licensing complaint led Aldi to resubmit its planning application to speed up the process of building its new store.

Planning officers had recommended the application be refused this time around, on the basis of failing to meet a number of employment and retailing policies of the city’s development plan but 23 councillors voted to approve planning permission while four voted to refuse.

Angus primary school celebrates official opening

Songs and celebrations, as well as the unveiling of a commemorative plaque were in order at Warddykes Primary School in Arbroath yesterday to mark the official opening of the brand new school.

Pupils and staff gathered to celebrate the occasion with Cllr Sheena Welsh, convener of children and learning at Angus Council carrying out the ceremonial duties.

They were also joined by representatives from contractors Robertson Tayside and procurement partners hub East Central Scotland, as well as the Reverend Martin Fair from St Andrew’s Church and Dave Webster from Arbroath Town Mission and other invited guests.

The bright and multi-functional facility offers a modern environment for learning. It has 11 classrooms for its 280-plus pupils to learn, along with a nursery that can accommodate up to 40 children. There is a multi-purpose hall, dining hall and library, as well as general purpose rooms and tutorial spaces.

The design maximises the available natural light with near-full height windows and a clerestory and roof-lights located within the central activity spaces.

It has been built into the existing sloping site which means that ground level access is available at two levels. The main teaching paces are situated on the upper level, with support spaces on the lower level.

Playground spaces are on the upper and lower levels, along with an amphitheatre that is built into the hillside.

New taxi rank to be built at Edinburgh Waverley

Network Rail has announced plans to build a new taxi rank at Edinburgh Waverley railway station.

The facility is being delivered as part of the next phase of station improvements and completion is scheduled for autumn 2017.

Work is underway on the detailed design phase of the scheme, which is to be finished by May 2017. Construction work will then be carried out over the following 12 months.

The new rank is being built as part of the next stage of upgrade works at the station, which involves extending Platforms 5 and 6 into the site of the former taxi rank, expanding Platform 12, and relocating the escalator connecting platform 11 to the mezzanine level.

Stone specialist’s growth targets

An Angus-based natural stone supplier said it has invested more than £500,000 in plant and machinery whilst doubling its workforce in recent months.

Denfind Stone said its turnover this year overtook £1 million with managing director Alastair Rodger stating that in the next 12 to 18 months the family firm plans to move into new UK markets and maintain strong growth.

Council to host exhibitions on Renfrewshire infrastructure projects

Renfrewshire Council is to host a series of exhibition events next month outlining plans for three major infrastructure schemes in the region.

The Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside (CWRR), the Glasgow Airport Investment Area (GAIA) and the Glasgow Airport Access Project (AAP) are each being delivered as part of the £1.13 billion Glasgow City Region City Deal.

The engagement events, which will focus primarily on the CWRR and GAIA schemes, will take place between 11am – 7pm at:

Proposals for the CWRR include developing a new new ‘opening’ bridge across the Clyde linking the communities of Renfrew, Yoker and Clydebank, and providing improved access to employment, education, health and leisure locations. Plans involve creating new roads and cycle routes, aimed at opening up access to development sites and providing an alternative route around Renfrew Town Centre.

The GAIA involves building new infrastructure including the realignment of Abbotsinch Road, a new bridge across the White Cart, and new and improved cycle routes aimed at improving connections between the Westway, Inchinnan and Airport Business Parks. The scheme is seen as a catalyst for the continued growth of a key transport gateway for the City region and an enabler for the delivery of business and commercial offering around the airport.

Details of the Glasgow APP, a new direct rail connection between Glasgow Central Station, Paisley Gilmour Street Station and Glasgow Airport, will also be displayed at the events.

Highest number of first-time buyers in Scotland since 2007

More loans were advanced to first-time buyers in Scotland during the third quarter of 2016 than any other since the third quarter of 2007, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

First-time buyers also borrowed more this quarter than any other quarter since CML records began.

In this quarter, first-time buyers borrowed £940 million, up 3 per cent on the second quarter and 6 per cent on the third quarter last year. This equated to 8,600 loans, up 4 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 5 per cent year-on-year.

Overall, home buyers borrowed £2.2 billion for house purchase, up 5 per cent quarter-on-quarter but down 5 per cent year-on-year. They took out 17,100 loans, up 5 per cent on the previous quarter but down 4 per cent compared to the third quarter 2015.

Home movers borrowed £1.3bn, up 6 per cent quarter-on-quarter but down 11 per cent compared to a year ago. This totalled 8,500 loans, up 6 per cent quarter-on-quarter but down 12 per cent on quarter three 2015.

Remortgage activity totalled £890m, up 6 per cent on the previous quarter and 11 per cent on the same quarter in 2015. This came to 7,300 loans, up 4 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 11 per cent compared to a year ago.